DVHAA Wings of Freedom Museum pics.

TAdan · **Posted:** Thu Oct 20, 2011 3:19 pm

Visited the Wings of Freedom museum in Horsham PA today. Located next to the old NAS Willow Grove.

Very nice small museum with a good sized collection. The museum used to be the home of the Navy's two seat Me-262 before it was moved to Pensacola.

The also have an F7U awaiting restoration and I think they may even have a Skyray too.

An early Navy SeaStar in USAF markings.

An original piece of the 262.

51fixer · **Posted:** Thu Oct 20, 2011 3:57 pm

You were in my neck of the woods.
Just a shame how that place is a ghost town and the locals have decided that it will never be an airport even though a couple local airport authorities expressed an interest in using it.

kalamazookid · **Posted:** Thu Oct 20, 2011 4:28 pm

That polished F-84F looks NICE! :supz:

The F-80 and the Fury look pretty sweet as well. Thanks for sharing the pics!

TAdan · **Posted:** Thu Oct 20, 2011 4:51 pm

51fixer wrote:

You were in my neck of the woods.
Just a shame how that place is a ghost town and the locals have decided that it will never be an airport even though a couple local airport authorities expressed an interest in using it.

I was really surprised how vacant the place looked. I know it is closed but didnt expect to see everything empty so quickly since the last time I passed by. The gate signs have been removed, atleast one of the gate guard Helicopters was gone too.

I agree, it is too bad they couldnt keep it as an airport in some capacity. Fortunately the DVHAA Museum is still there with some very nice exhibits.

dors · **Posted:** Thu Oct 20, 2011 7:27 pm

Those pictures sure do make me miss the Willow Grove airshows. Nice pics by the way. Thought they had a Tomcat?

mustangdriver · **Posted:** Thu Oct 20, 2011 7:31 pm

I find it interesting that none of the remaining Sea Darts are indoors. I would think that it has to be pretty rare.

dtpitcairn · **Posted:** Thu Oct 20, 2011 8:02 pm

http://horsham.patch.com/articles/horsh ... r#comments

The plan now appears to be to HOPE that the land will not risk Taxpayer dollars. The airport would have contributed to the tax base, attracted jobs etc. etc. but the leaders of the land reuse Authority decided many years ago that they did not want the airport.

The museum appears to be headed toward inclusion in the final plan, which will allow it to attract donations and expand. They have done an admirable job given that the museum was on borrowed land making donations very difficult to get.

There are a few aircraft such as a P-3 and an A-10 stored on the base that will be on display at the new location. I believe the Cutlass is currently undergoing static restoration.

dtpitcairn · **Posted:** Thu Oct 20, 2011 8:07 pm

kalamazookid wrote:

That polished F-84F looks NICE!

It is even more impressive in person! They did a nice job restoring it.

51fixer · **Posted:** Thu Oct 20, 2011 8:27 pm

dors wrote:

Thought they had a Tomcat?

They did.
It was taken away.

wls3 · **Posted:** Thu Oct 20, 2011 11:06 pm

TAdan,

Thanks for the museum update, was January 2005 when I last visited.
The 262 was still there and so was this Cutlass.

mustangdriver · **Posted:** Fri Oct 21, 2011 8:05 am

I remember eating at a place not far away that has like a Jenny or something hanging in it. Anyone know the place?

JohnB · **Posted:** Fri Oct 21, 2011 9:24 am

I assume the Sea Dart and Cutlass were from Willow Grove?
I knew a public affairs officer there...we went to tech school together waaaaay back when (early 80s). She sent me a nice packet on their historic aircraft colectuion. The base was very proud of it.

Jiggersfromsphilly · **Joined:** Fri Jun 17, 2005 3:15 pm **Posts:** 951

Anyone know where the Cutlass is being restored? I was there about 5 years ago. One of the historians said that they were afraid of moving it inside to do a superficial restoration as they werew afraid that the nose gear would collapse. They also thought at that time that it would cost something like a million to do it right.

planenutti · **Posted:** Fri Oct 21, 2011 4:22 pm

@MustangDriver, the diner you are thinking of is out by Reading. Been many a year but I think the plane is smaller then a Jenny. LargeFlyer lives up that way, you might ask him in a PM.
Bob

tom roberts · **Posted:** Sat Oct 22, 2011 6:34 am

There was a 1926 "Monocoupe" hanging from the ceiling at The Dutch Colony Motor Inn at Reading
Plane was built in Moline IL

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DVHAA Wings of Freedom Museum pics.

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