Ground Support Equipment in Aviation Museums

[Noha307]

The Military Aviation Museum, mentioned in a previous post, recently received a General Motors CCKW-353 that they plan to restore back to its original role as a functional fuel truck:
[Link to Image]
(Source: Military Aviation Museum)

Interestingly, a portion of the Goxhill Watch Office page mentions "Airfield Service Equipment". Did somebody from the museum read this thread? Could this be evidence of a movement toward greater recognition of GSE? Only time will tell!

[Noha307]

While it might not exactly be GSE, I couldn't help but mention this unique microcar labeled "RESTORATION" seen in a virtual tour of the National Naval Aviation Museum:

NNAM Restoration Vehicle.png (93.02 KiB) Viewed 12651 times

(Source: National Naval Aviation Museum)

[Noha307]

Two of the USS Hornet Museum's tugs seen in a single shot, one of which was mentioned in a previous post:
[Link to Image]
(Source: Flickr)

Planes of Fame has an olive drab Clarktor marked as "W-81384" and "POF 2":
[Link to Image]
(Source: Flickr)

The Canada Aviation and Space Museum has a light blue Trans Canada Airlines Clarktor next to their Lockheed 10:
[Link to Image]
(Source: Flickr)

[Noha307]

The Hixon Museum of Flight has a Pettibone Mercury A-55 GT aircraft tug that they acquired from the Federal Aviation Administration in Orlando, Florida. The FAA, in turn, obtained it from MacDill Air Force Base in 1986. Prior to that, it may have been used at an Air Force base in Alabama:
[Link to Image]
(Source: Hixon Museum of Flight)

[Noha307]

The National Air and Space Museum has acquired an Oshkosh T-3000 aircraft rescue truck, Foam 331, that was stationed at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and responded to the Pentagon on during the September 11th attacks:
[Link to Image]
(Source: National Air and Space Museum)

It was apparently almost parted out by a Canadian company called Team Eagle, before they recognized its significance and sent it back to Oshkosh to be restored.[1][2]

[Noha307]

The Brooklands Museum has been mentioned in a trio of previous posts (1, 2, 3), but, in what is a first for this thread, there is a piece of sort-of-GSE that has its own website. The AEC Militant Recovery Vehicle at the museum, "Miss Milly Tant", while not originally built as ground support equipment, it has been used to quite literally support various aircraft restoration projects.

[Noha307]

As mentioned in another thread, the War Eagles Air Museum, which was mentioned in a previous post, recently auctioned off some of its excess objects. This included a number of pieces of GSE:

War Eagles Air Museum

• Consolidated MA-2 Ground Power Truck, msn 480, AFsn F01
  [Link to Image]
• Consolidated NC-5B Aircraft GPU/Tug
  [Link to Image]
• Marmon-Herrington O-10 Crash Truck; s/n MH1028
  [Link to Image]

The Air Heritage Museum also has an orange Clark tug:
[Link to Image]
(Source: Aviation History Museums)

[Thomas_Mac]

Anyone need a new aircraft tug?
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1966- ... ft-towing/

Some cool photos with the listing of the same machine in service.

[old iron]

The NASM has always been light on automobile support systems. However, the NASM collection has recently added the Oshkosh T-3000 Rescue Truck “Foam 331” - this is a firefighting truck, one of two that was on the scene to fight the Pentagon fire during 9-11.

The vehicle is now on display at Udvar Hazy, near the Concord nose. Apologies that I do not have a photo of my own to offer.

[Noha307]

GSE at the Air Mobility Command Museum

• Chase SI Airborne Tractor
  [Link to Image]
  (Source: Flickr)
• International R185 - 56L-1210
  [Link to Image]
  (Source: Flickr)
• Ford F-350 Airstair
  [Link to Image]
  (Source: Flickr)
• GMC Airstair
  [Link to Image]
  (Source: Flickr)
• Unknown Airstair
  [Link to Image]
  (Source: Flickr)
• Unknown Airstair
  [Link to Image]
  (Source: Flickr)

GSE at the Iowa Aviation Heritage Museum
[Link to Image]
[Link to Image]
(Source: Facebook)

Also, make sure you check out Supertug, "the most unique aircraft tow tractor in the world"!

[Noha307]

The Wings of Eagles Discovery Center has a Coleman MB4 G40-H marked as 77L 337:
[Link to Image]
(Source: 98.1 The Hawk)

The Wurtsmith Air Museum also has a Coleman MB4 G40-H:
[Link to Image]
(Source: Google)

...as well as a Clarktor:
[Link to Image]
(Source: Google)

[Noha307]

The South Australian Aviation Museum was mentioned in a previous post, but they have additional GSE that wasn't brought up. One is a Clarktor that they restored in 2020-2022:
[Link to Image]
(Source: Facebook)
[Link to Image]
(Source: Facebook)
[Link to Image]
(Source: Facebook)

The other is an unusual engine test rig built from a truck chassis and cab that was used by South Australian and Territory Air Services:
[Link to Image]
(Source: Facebook)

[denys jones]

At the Ferrymead Aeronautical Society Christchurch NZ we have a number of vehicles which we use in "setting the scene" roles around our display aircraft.

A Lansing-Bagnall tow motor and baggage trolley

A BMC Mini Moke (based on the Morris Mini car) used as a hardstand personnel runabout

A New Zealand originated farming ATV called a Gnat also use on the hardstands and here with a wheel lifter trailer

A Ford Marmon-Herrington crash tender

A GPU ex the US Navy/Air Force Operation Deepfreeze

The ultimate in size, style and power...the humble battery cart

[Noha307]

At the Ferrymead Aeronautical Society Christchurch NZ we have a number of vehicles which we use in "setting the scene" roles around our display aircraft.

Thanks for sharing!

A good picture of the MB-4 at the MAPS Air Museum mentioned in previous posts (1, 2) in this thread:
[Link to Image]
(Source: Flickr)

The Museum of Flying has a yellow tug that was donated by Northrop Grumman:
[Link to Image]
(Source: Facebook)
[Link to Image]
(Source: Facebook)

They also previously had a set of Douglas airstairs that they sold:
[Link to Image]
(Source: Facebook)

Lastly, they acquired a fire truck that was retired by the Santa Monica Fire Department in 2016:
[Link to Image]
(Source: Facebook)

[Noha307]

The Travis AFB Aviation Museum has a 1942 Seagrave Fire Truck marked as 42X 1942:
[Link to Image]
(Facebook)

A yellow tug is visible in the background of a picture taken at the Paul E. Garber Preservation, Restoration, and Storage Facility in July 1980:
[Link to Image]
(Source: Flickr)

The Alberta Aviation Museum was mentioned in a pair of previous posts (1, 2), but the four ground power units they have were not:
[Link to Image]
(Source: OldJets)

The KBLE Air Museum has one of the smaller Clark tugs in red and white TWA colors:
[Link to Image]
(Source: Google Maps)

Lastly, the Western Development Museum in Moose Jaw has what appears to be a white Clark tug:
[Link to Image]
(Source: Google Maps)