Champaign Aviation Museum

The Champaign Aviation Museum is an aviation museum in Urbana, Ohio.[3] It is situated on the north end of Grimes Field municipal airport, roughly a mile from central Urbana. The museum is known primarily for its ongoing restoration of a B-17 Flying Fortress to flying condition. It is also a component of the National Aviation Heritage Area, a federally designated heritage area primarily centered around sites pertaining to the Wright brothers.[4]

Champaign Aviation Museum
B-17 Flying Fortress undergoing restoration
Established2005[1]
LocationGrimes Field,
Urbana, Ohio, United States
Coordinates40.134643°N 83.748957°W / 40.134643; -83.748957
TypeAviation museum
DirectorDave Shiffer
WebsiteChampaignaviationmuseum.org[2]

History

The museum began with the purchase of the wreckage of a JB-17G/model 299Z, a B-17 engine testbed variant with a fifth engine mounted on the nose, and several other parts sourced from various B-17s. The parts and pieces arrived at Grimes Field in November 2005. Restoration work started on the aircraft by volunteers at the south end of the airport soon after. The museum was established as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in 2008, the same year a North American B-25 Mitchell was purchased.[5][6] The next year the museum purchased a C-47 and a former waterbomber A-26.[7][8] Work continued on the B-17 at the south end until 2010 when a purpose built hangar was completed and the B-17 project as well as the newly acquired aircraft were moved into it.[9] In August 2011, the museum recovered the remains, primarily the empennage, of a B-17G wreckage from Talkeetna, Alaska for use in the restoration.[10] In November 2018, a Grumman C-1 Trader in flying condition was donated to the museum.[11] Then a month later, in October, ground was broken on a project adjacent to the hangar to expand the museum, and in late 2019 half of the expansion was completed.[12]

Aircraft

The museum's collection consists of primarily vintage military aircraft, but also includes several civilian aircraft.

AircraftStatusSerial numberRegistration/markings Notes
Boeing B-17[13]Under restoration44-85813N3154S Named "Champaign Lady"[14]
Culver LFA[15]Flying condition247N34864
Douglas A-26[16]Static44-35948N381EC Former aerial firefighter
Douglas C-47 Skytrain[17]Static25720N105CA
Fairchild 24W-9[18]Flying conditionW213N18695 Formerly owned by Charles "Buddy" Rogers[19]
Grumman C-1 Trader[20]Flying condition136778N778SR Named "Mudflap Girl"
North American B-25 Mitchell[21]Flying condition44-28866N744CG Named "Champaign Gal"[22]
Stinson Voyager 10A[23]Flying condition8094N36794 Used by the Civil Air Patrol during WWII[24]
Beechcraft Model 18[25] Static gate guardian AF-276

Exhibits

In 2010 the museum began displaying an exhibit in their main hangar on Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs) and how they helped with the war effort.[26]

In 2019 a 1941 Crosley convertible was donated to the museum and is on display in the museum's lobby.[27]

See also

References
  1. "Ohio museum volunteers building vintage WWII plane". Associated Press. 20 March 2015. Retrieved 9 December 2019.
  2. "Champaign Aviation Museum, Home of the B-17 Warbird Restoration". Champaignaviationmuseum.org. Retrieved 16 May 2016.
  3. "BRINGING A B-17 BACK TO LIFE". Aopa.org. Archived from the original on 6 August 2016. Retrieved 28 May 2016.
  4. "National Aviation Heritage Area Map". www.aviationheritagearea.org. Retrieved 2019-07-07.
  5. "CHAMPAIGN AVIATION MUSEUM". Guidestar. Candid. Retrieved 28 March 2019.
  6. "Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - North American TB-25N Mitchell, s/n 44-28866 USAF, c/n 108-32141, c/r N744CG". www.aerialvisuals.ca. Retrieved 2020-03-15.
  7. "Douglas A-26 Invader Registry - A Warbirds Resource Group Site". www.warbirdregistry.org. Retrieved 2020-03-15.
  8. "Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - Douglas C-47B-1-DK, s/n 43-48459 USAF, c/n 14275, c/r N105CA". www.aerialvisuals.ca. Retrieved 2020-03-15.
  9. "History Takes Flight in Urbana, Ohio". Champaign Uncorked. Retrieved 28 March 2019.
  10. Deyoe, Sue; Talkeetna, KTNA- (2011-08-02). "B-17 Bomber Remains to be Airlifted from Talkeetna to Ohio". Alaska Public Media. Retrieved 2019-11-14.
  11. ""Navy C-1A Trader finds new home at the Champaign Aviation Museum. This is one of only two that remain in flying condition. #ww2 #navy…"". Instagram. Retrieved 2020-01-14.
  12. "Small museum gives back in a big way - Urbana Daily Citizen". www.urbanacitizen.com. 2018-10-25. Retrieved 2019-04-22.
  13. "FAA registry". FAA REGISTRY. Federal Aviation Administration. Retrieved 25 March 2019.
  14. "B-17 Flying Fortress 'Champaign Lady' Warbird Restoration". Champaign Aviation Museum. Archived from the original on 2018-11-25. Retrieved 2019-11-13.
  15. "FAA registry". FAA REGISTRY. Federal Aviation Administration. Retrieved 25 March 2019.
  16. "FAA registry". FAA REGISTRY. Federal Aviation Administration. Retrieved 25 March 2019.
  17. "FAA registry". FAA REGISTRY. Federal Aviation Administration. Retrieved 25 March 2019.
  18. "FAA registry". FAA REGISTRY. Federal Aviation Administration. Retrieved 25 March 2019.
  19. "Champaign Aviation Museum on Instagram: "Built in 1939, our Fairchild 24 is our oldest airplane. Right out of the factory, it was sold to the silent film star Charles 'Buddy'…"". Instagram. Retrieved 2019-11-13.
  20. "FAA registry". FAA REGISTRY. Federal Aviation Administration. Retrieved 25 March 2019.
  21. "FAA registry". FAA REGISTRY. Federal Aviation Administration. Retrieved 25 March 2019.
  22. "B-25 Mitchell Champaign Gal". museum. Retrieved 2019-11-13.
  23. "FAA registry". FAA REGISTRY. Federal Aviation Administration. Retrieved 25 March 2019.
  24. "Stinson 10A German U-Boat Hunter". Champaign Aviation Museum. Retrieved 2019-11-13.
  25. "C-45 Expeditor Beech 18". Champaign Aviation Museum. Retrieved 2019-11-14.
  26. "WASP". Tales from the Terminal. Retrieved 2019-08-21.
  27. "Champaign Aviation Museum on Instagram: "Our newly donated 1941 Crosley Convertible."". Instagram. Retrieved 2019-08-21.


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