Marietta Museum of History, Aviation Wing | FerrariChat

Marietta Museum of History, Aviation Wing

Discussion in 'Aviation Chat' started by Gatorrari, Aug 28, 2018.

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  1. Gatorrari

    Gatorrari F1 World Champ
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    Feb 27, 2004
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    Jim Pernikoff
    A number of years ago, a group of local aviation enthusiasts decided to start a museum devoted to a long trail of local aviation history in Marietta, GA, which started with the "Bell Bomber Plant" which built B-29s during WW2 at what was then Marietta Army Airfield, and which today sees C-130Js coming out of the same building (now USAF Plant 6) occupied by Lockheed Martin at Dobbins Air Reserve Base. They were provided with a plot of land on the northwest corner of the property, previously occupied by a WW2-vintage two-story barracks-type building, where I was processed in to the company in 1996. The building was in poor shape and understandably was vacated and demolished just a few years later.

    They were the beneficiary of the closing of Naval Air Station Atlanta on the south side of the Dobbins property; the NAS had a lot of aircraft on static display and the museum got most of them (though I wonder what happened to the E-2 Hawkeye). I think the company provided the AC-130A, C-141B and JetStar. Unfortunately their efforts to raise enough money to erect a building to move some of these indoors did not go as hoped for, and the organizers gave up and transferred ownership to the existing Marietta Museum of History, located nearby in downtown, who designated it their Aviation Wing, open limited hours with no real facilities. The only "buildings" are some trailers, from which museum volunteers keep supplies needed to keep the aircraft looking halfway decent; the C-141 had been repainted twice, for instance. But without indoor storage it is difficult to keep the displays from deteriorating.

    To aid that effort, the museum put on a car show on Saturday called Wings & Whitewalls, which charged admission to both participants and spectators, and it went better than had been hoped for. They have already announced tentative plans to hold another in the spring, which is good because my 1986 Ferrari was in the shop and I had to come strictly as a spectator. While I was there mainly to photograph the cars, I did take some photos of the aircraft, including those of my two employers through the years, Grumman and Lockheed Martin. (My apologies for not shooting the C-141 and S-3, but they were without engines and thus did not look "photogenic" enough.)
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  2. Gatorrari

    Gatorrari F1 World Champ
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  3. Gatorrari

    Gatorrari F1 World Champ
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    There is also a B-29 parked near the front entrance to Dobbins along US-41, painted in the same light gray as the F-84F shown above, which may now belong to the museum as well, but it isn't going anywhere as long as the base remains open.

    Here is a link to the page with the car show photos; you can see some of the aircraft in the background, including the A-7, the JetStar (which was open to the public) and the entire AC-130. https://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/threads/wings-whitewalls-car-show-in-ga.583046/
     
  4. cheesey2

    cheesey2 Rookie

    May 16, 2018
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    Ivars Blumenau
    what is rarely spoken of is all the aircraft that have returned for "maintainence" looking more like a swiss chess from hostile gun fire or cartoon of bandaged airplane...amazing it was still able to fly home... one would need to read about international news to have a guess about our government was up to with that plane
     
  5. CavalloRosso

    CavalloRosso Formula 3

    Jul 12, 2007
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    That looks like fun Jim. If you find out the dates for the spring show please let us know. I would love to go to a show that highlights my two passions.
     
  6. SAT4RE

    SAT4RE Formula Junior

    Dec 5, 2003
    573
    Blairsville, GA
    My grandfather and great aunt built B-29s at the Bell Aircraft Factory in Marietta. My grandfather brought some of the observation blisters (seen on the side of the B-29) home, and my Dad and uncle used them as sleds in the snow (Murphy, NC and north Georgia mountains)!
     
  7. Gatorrari

    Gatorrari F1 World Champ
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    Jim Pernikoff
    If you don't have this book, you probably ought to get a copy.

    https://www.amazon.com/Bell-Bomber-Plant-Images-America/dp/0738567450/
     
  8. SAT4RE

    SAT4RE Formula Junior

    Dec 5, 2003
    573
    Blairsville, GA
  9. Gatorrari

    Gatorrari F1 World Champ
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    Feb 27, 2004
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    Jim Pernikoff
    If you're lucky, you'll see your relatives in a photo or two.
     
  10. SAT4RE

    SAT4RE Formula Junior

    Dec 5, 2003
    573
    Blairsville, GA
    What I'm hoping for!
     
  11. Tim Wells

    Tim Wells Formula Junior

    Dec 31, 2009
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    Dallas, GA
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    Tim Wells
    Who owns or donated that little experimental? I think it’s a Thorp T-18 or something similar.
     

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