THE OFFICIAL WEBPAGE
OF ROBERT D. WEST
The Evergreen Aviation Museum in McMinnville, Oregon originally opened on November 15, 1991, the dream of Evergreen International Aviation Founder and CEO Delford M. Smith and his son, U. S. Air Force Captain Michael King Smith. Captain Smith was killed in an auto accident in 1995, and the museum was renamed in his memory as the Captain Michael King Smith Evergreen Aviation Educational Institute. The museum’s current home opened on the anniversary of D-Day, June 6, 2001. Today the museum is home to over 50 historical aircraft. On this page, some of them are showcased. Click on the thumbnails to see larger pictures.
McDonnell-Douglas F-15A Eagle
Introduced in
1972, the F-15 was the most advanced fighter plane ever built,
outperforming all other fighters of the time and still in service today
as a leading air superiority fighter. F-15s shot down 33 of the 35
Iraqi planes downed during Operation Desert Storm, and no F-15 has ever
been defeated
in
combat. Captain Michael
King Smith was an F-15 pilot and squadron leader for the
Oregon Air
National Guard. He and fellow Oregon Air National Guard F-15
pilot
Major Rhory Roger Draeger were killed in an automobile
accident in March
1995. This F-15 was placed on this pedestal, as if in f
light, on
September 19, 1996 in their memory by the Oregon Air National Guard. It is actually located across the highway from the museum building.
Hughes H-4 Hercules Flying Boat “The Spruce Goose”
During World War
II, ships supplying the Allied forces in Europe faced the risk of being
sunk by German U-boat submarines. The Hughes Flying Boat was conceived
as a way to transport supplies across the Atlantic without being at risk
of the U-Boats. Howard Hughes ("The
Aviator") designed an airplane six
times larger
than any other airplane of the time. It was powered by eight 3000
horsepower engines, and its wingspan was longer than a football field. No runway would be able handle an airplane of this scale, so it was
designed as a seaplane, a Flying Boat, and due to wartime rationing, it
had to be constructed almost entirely of wood. World War II ended
before the plane was finished, making the plane largely irrelevant, but
Hughes was determined to complete it. The press doubted the
multi-million-dollar plane would ever fly and had derisively nicknamed
it the Spruce Goose, (it was really made of laminated birch) but on
November 2, 1947, Hughes stunned the world. During taxi tests of the
finished plane, Hughes took the controls and took off, flying over a
mile at an altitude of 70 feet over Long Beach Harbor, much to the
surprise of the assembled reporters. After that single flight, Hughes
ordered the plane locked away in its hangar, to be kept in flight ready
condition. It remained there until Hughes death 33 years later. It
never flew again. After Hughes death, the plane was donated to the
Aero
Club of Southern California. A special dome was built near the
RMS
Queen Mary to house the plane, and it was opened to public display in
1983. In 1990, the
Walt Disney Corporation forced the plane to find a
new home, and it was eventually decided that the Evergreen Museum would
be that new home. In 1993, the plane was moved in pieces to
McMinnville, where it remained in storage until the new museum building
opened in 2001. Reassembly of the Hughes flying boat was completed on
the 60th anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack, December 7,
2001.
1903 Wright Flyer
Orville and Wilbur
Wright were bicycle mechanics in Ohio but they were fascinated with a
different form of transportation: flight. For years they studied
flight, testing gliders and building their own wind tunnel. Finally, on
December 17, 1903, they flew the first heavier-than-air craft 120 feet
in 12 seconds at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. This replica of that
airplane was built by
Century Aviation in Wenatchee, Washington from
plans prepared by the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum from the original
plane.
Ford 5-AT-B Tri-Motor Tin Goose
The
Ford
Tri-Motor, introduced in 1926, was one of the first airliners. They had
a capacity of 12 to 14 passengers, and luggage was stored in the wings. This Tri-Motor, Serial Number 8, was built in 1929 for Transcontinental
Air Transport. It flew between New York and San Diego. It remains in
flying condition today.
Boeing Stearman Model 75 Kaydet
The Kaydet was
introduced in 1934 as a military trainer. The pilots of World War II
first learned to fly in Kaydets. After the war they were surplus and
were sold cheaply to private owners. This Kaydet was built in 1943 as a
Navy trainer, and was later used in air shows. It remains in flying
condition today.
Piper J3C-65 Cub
This Piper Cub was
built as a Piper military glider during World War II. After the war,
this glider and many others were rebuilt into powered airplanes. Piper
Cubs were popular for civilian pilots in the postwar years. Note the
models of this airplane on either side of it.
Douglas C-47 Skytrain
The Douglas C-47,
introduced in 1935, was a military cargo version of the Douglas DC-3
commercial airliner. C-47s were capable of carrying a Jeep among their
cargo. This particular C-47 dropped paratroopers at Normandy, France on
D-Day. C-47s also dropped supplies to Berlin during the 1946 Berlin
Airlift. C-47s went on to serve for many years, and some are still used
by private companies and owners throughout the world. This C-47 found
its way to the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, and was later
donated to Evergreen.
North American SNJ-4 Texan
Texans were
introduces as trainers for the
Army and
Navy in 1935. They went on to
fill a variety of roles throughout the world. One of 2,401 built by
North American in Dallas Texas, this SNJ-4 served as a Navy trainer from
1943 until its retirement in 1956.
Curtis-Wright A-22 Falcon
This airplane was
the first Falcon built in 1938 and was also the only civilian Falcon. All others were built for military service and were designated CW-22s.
Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-10 Gustav
Introduced in
1935, the Bf 109 (sometimes called the Me 109) is the most well-known
Luftwaffe fighter of World War II. This Bf 109 is in flying condition.
Supermarine Spitfire Mark XVI
Developed from
Supermarine racing aircraft, the Spitfire was the fastest military
aircraft in existence when introduced in 1936. It was England’s
predominant fighter and main line of defense against German bombers in
World War II. This Spitfire was delivered June 23, 1945 and is still in
flying condition today.
Curtiss P-40N Warhawk
Introduced in
1938, the P-40 Warhawk was America’s primary fighter when the U.S.
entered World War II. P-40s were responsible for the first U.S.
victories of WWII, when the few P-40s launched during the attack on
Pearl Harbor managed to down several Japanese attackers. P-40s fought
off the Japanese in the Pacific and were used by the Allies against
Germany in Europe. This P-40 is in flying condition.
Lockheed P-38L Lightning
Introduced in
1939, the P-38 was a fast and powerful aircraft. Equally adept as a
fighter of a light bomber, and with enough armament to sink a ship, the
P-38 was rightly feared by the Germans, who called it the “Twin-tailed
Devil.” In the Pacific theatre, a P-38 is credited with downing the
plane carrying Japanese Admiral Yamamoto, who planned and executed the
attack on Pearl Harbor. This P-38 was delivered late in World War II,
and was later used as a reconnaissance airplane. It remains in flying
condition.
Goodyear FG-1D Corsair
The
U.S. Navy’s
distinctive gullwinged Corsair was introduced in 1940. A powerful
counterpart to the Japanese Zero fighter, over 11 Japanese planes were
lost for every downed Corsair. This late-model Corsair went into Naval
service on May 29, 1945. It remains in flying condition.
North American P-51D Mustang
The Mustang was
introduced in 1940, and would become the predominant fighter by the end
of the war, only to quickly be rendered obsolete in the postwar years by
jet fighters. Its ability to fly at high altitudes and long range made
it well suited as a bomber escort, protecting Allied bombers on their
way to strike German targets. This Mustang is in flying condition.
Convair F-102A Delta Dagger
The Delta Dagger
was the world’s first supersonic all-weather jet interceptor. This
F-102A joined the Air Force in 1957. Later it was transferred to the
Oregon Air National Guard where it served until retirement in 1971. It
is owned by the
United States Air Force Museum and is on long-term loan
to Evergreen.
Beachcraft Bonanza 35
Hughes Model 269A Osage
Pitts S-2B Special
Introduced just after World War II in December 1945, the Beechcraft Bonanza 35 set the standard for modern private personal airplanes. This Bonanza was one of the first built, in 1947, and is still in flying condition.
Built in 1956, this helicopter was the second prototype for the popular Hughes Model 269, the first Hughes helicopter. This 269A was acquired in 1991 and after extensive renovation was put in display in 1997.
The first Pitts Special was built in 1944. By the 1960s, Specials had become favorites of aerobatics pilots all over the world, including Captain Smith, who flew this Special at air shows.
Evergreen Aviation Links
Evergreen International Aviation
Also See:
Wings of Freedom/2007 Rose Festival Fleet
Last Voyage of the USS Missouri
PLACES - Antique Powerland, Brooks, Oregon
PLACES - Kelso-Longview, Washington
All website content, including graphics and pictures are © Robert D. West unless otherwise noted. Content is not to be used out of the context of this webpage without expressed permission. Any opinions expressed herein are mine and are not necessarily shared by the Milwaukee School of Engineering, or anyone else.
Questions? Comments? Critiques? Corrections? Concerns? Email me at westr@msoe.edu.