The Hoosier Air Museum was an aviation museum located at the DeKalb County Airport in Auburn, Indiana.
  Location within Indiana | |
| Established | October 2000 |
|---|---|
| Dissolved | 3 December 2019 |
| Location | Auburn, Indiana |
| Coordinates | 41°18′15″N 85°03′33″W / 41.3041°N 85.0593°W |
| Type | Aviation museum |
| Founder | Niles Walton[1] |
| Website | hoosierairmuseum.org (Archived) |
History edit
Background edit
The Hoosier Warbirds were founded by a group of aviation enthusiasts who met in October 1991 following the publication of a classified advertisement in a local newspaper.[2]
Establishment edit
The group raised money to build a hangar, which opened in October 2000.[3] It acquired a Cadillac Fleetwood and an AH-1 in 2002.[4]
The museum acquired two airplanes, four engines and an exhibit about the 434th Fighter Squadron from the Wings of Freedom Museum in Huntington, Indiana in 2006.[5][a]
Closure edit
Due to a lack of volunteers and difficulty accessing the site, the museum closed on 3 December 2019. Most of its exhibits were donated to Kruse Plaza, which opened the Hoosier Air Experience. However, the museum's WR-3 was donated to the National Air and Space Museum in 2020.[1][6][7]
Facilities edit
The museum was composed of a 10,000 sq ft (930 m2) hangar and a 6,375 sq ft (592.3 m2) event hall.[8] The latter included a library.[9]
Exhibits edit
The museum included exhibits about the Tuskegee Airmen, the Women Airforce Service Pilots, the Flying Tigers the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, memorabilia belonging to Robin Olds and a control tower cab.[8][10][11]
Collection edit
- Bell AH-1F Cobra[12]
- Brunner-Winkle Speedbird[12]
- Cessna T-50[12]
- Fokker D.VII – replica[12]
- Loving-Wayne WR-3[12]
- Model RHC1 Helicopter[12][failed verification]
- Nieuport XI – 7/10 scale replica[12]
- Nieuport XXIV – 3/4 scale replica[12]
- Piper J3C Cub[12]
- Pitts S-1 Special[12]
- Pratt-Read LNE-1[12]
- Stewart S-51D Mustang[12]
- Vultee V-77[12]
References edit
Footnotes edit
Notes edit
- ^ a b Kurtz, Dave (13 September 2009). "Hoosier Air Museum is Moving". The Star. Retrieved 3 December 2023.
- ^ "Who We Are". Hoosier Warbirds, Inc. Archived from the original on 17 July 2006. Retrieved 3 December 2023.
- ^ Allison, Don (4 October 2001). "Warbird Museum's History and Prospects Outlined to Kiwanians". Bryan Times. Retrieved 3 December 2023.
- ^ Prentice, Sheryl (2 August 2002). "Cadillac, Cobra Helicopter Added to Hoosier Air Museum". KPCNews.com. Retrieved 3 December 2023.
- ^ a b Kurtz, Dave (28 February 2006). "Hoosier Air Museum Acquires New Exhibits". KPCNews.com. Retrieved 3 December 2023.
- ^ "Hoosier Air Experience". Kruse Plaza. Retrieved 3 December 2023.
- ^ Kurtz, Dave (13 February 2020). "Local Museum Donates Plane to Smithsonian". The Star. Retrieved 3 December 2023.
- ^ a b "About Us". Hoosier Air Museum. Archived from the original on 3 June 2019. Retrieved 3 December 2023.
- ^ "Library: Books, Videos, Model Planes". Hoosier Air Museum. Archived from the original on 2 June 2019. Retrieved 3 December 2023.
- ^ Kobiela, Jenny (2 July 2007). "Memorabilia of Late Air Ace on Display at Auburn Museum". KPCNews.com. Retrieved 3 December 2023.
- ^ Kurtz, Dave (3 December 2019). "Air Museum's Moving Day". The State. Retrieved 3 December 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "Aircraft on Display". Hoosier Air Museum. Archived from the original on 3 June 2019. Retrieved 3 December 2023.