The Wanderer Returns

This post comes with apologies for my absence from the blogosphere for a few weeks while I completed a business trip. Thankfully I did get time to stop off and survey a few historic aviation sites and thought you might be interested to see some of the pictures.

My first port of call was the National Park at Moton Field, Tuskegee, Alabama. This is still very much a work in progress and looks as if it will become a fascinating insight into the famous “Tuskegee Airmen” when the restoration and development work is completed. Even so, they have plenty of interesting material already to tell the story and also a nicely restored PT-17 Stearman.

The outside of the main display hanger at Moton Field, Tuskegee, Alabama

Recreation of one of the offices at Moton field.

Nicely restored PT-17 Stearman at Moton Field. One of the most important aircraft of the war!

Front end of the Stearman at Moton Field.

Next I popped into the Air Force Armament Museum at Eglin AFB, Florida. This is a fascinating museum with a surprisingly diverse collection. If you are in the area the museum is well worth a visit to see the many interesting displays.

The P-51D-5-NA at Eglin which is actually a rebuild of a later F-51 (a/c 68-15796)???

P-47N-25-RE (a/c 44-89320) at Eglin painted up as P-47N-5-RE “Expected Goose” of the 463rd FS, 507th FG.

The museum at Eglin has a balcony around the main display that allows you to get a good sense of the P-47’s lines.

Flying Fortress B-17G (a/c 44-83863) at Eglin. This aircraft has recently been repainted, though I think it’s time for this venerable old lady to be taken inside out of the weather!

If you look closely you can see that it has been necessary to put “anti-bird” spikes on the tail of the B-17 at Eglin. Museums don’t have an endless supply of cash – so maybe see this exhibit while you still can!

That’s it for now – I’ll be back blogging the missions in a few days when I’ve fully recovered from the jet-lag…