BEFORE HIS TEENS, MIKE GEORGE KNEW WHAT HE WANTED, A P51.
THAT DESIRE GOT HIM A COLLECTION
AND MORE AS WE DISCOVERED AT THE
AIR COMBAT MUSEUM IN SPRINGFIELD
>> PROBABLY THE BIGGEST PRIDE
AND JOY IS THE MUSTANG BEHIND US
BUILT IN 1944, IT SERVED IN THE
EUROPEAN THEATER BEFORE BEING
RETURNED TO THE UNITED STATES.
WE ADDED IT TO THE COLLECTION IN
1989.
IT IS WON SEVEN MAJOR AWARDS.
THIS LAST YEAR, WE PUT A NEW
ENGINE IN IT, AND IT IS IN
NEAR-PERFECT CONDITION.
WHEN YOU -- WE HAVE ADDED A LOT
OF -- A WHOLE LOT OF THE
ORIGINAL MILITARY EQUIPMENT.
TO GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE, WHEN YOU
PULL THE TRIGGER ON THE STICK,
THE CYLANOIDS FOR THE GUNS
ACTUALLY WORK.
P51 IS PAINTED AFTER A GENTLEMAN
NAMED BOB FRICH.
HE FLEW IN THE 339TH, AND HE IS
STILL ALIVE.
I GAVE HIM A RIDE IN THE
AIRPLANE ABOUT A YEAR AGO.
HE WAS JUST THRILLED TO DEATH.
HE HADN'T FLOWN ONE IN AWHILE.
ONE OF THE STORIES HE TOLD US
AND ONE OF THE REASONS WE ARE
HERE, HE STARTED THE WAR WITH 75
PEOPLE IN HIS GROUP.
WITHIN A YEAR, 84 HAD BEEN
REPLACED.
THAT'S KIND OF ONE OF THE
REASONS WE ARE HERE TO HONOR
PEOPLE WHO HAD THOSE KIND OF
SACRIFICES, THOSE KIND OF ODDS
THAT THEY FACED.
THE AVERAGE LIFE SPAN OF A PILOT
IN WORLD WAR II WAS THREE MONTHS
THE OTHER AIRPLANE THAT IS UP THERE ON THE LIST IS B25. THAT'S THE FAMOUS DOO LITTLE
BOMBER.
IT JUST GOT BACK FROM A
COMMEMORATION EVENT IN
CALIFORNIA FOR THE TOOLITTLE
RAID.
EVERYTHING HERE FLIES OR WILL BE
FLYING.
WHAT WE DO IS BUY AN AIRPLANE
THAT'S BEEN DAMAGED GENERALLY,
AND WE REPAIR IT AND THEN FLY IT
AND TOIK TO AIR SHOWS.
SEVERAL OF THE PLANES HAVE BEEN
DAMAGED IN LANDING ACCIDENTS.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, MOST OF
THEM HAVE BEEN.
WHAT WE DO IS WE -- ONCE WE
REPAIR ONE, WE PUT THE DAMAGED
PROPELLERS WHICH GET THE MOST
NOTICEABLE DAMAGE HANGING ON THE
WALLS.
THE AIRPLANES THAT ARE NOT
MILITARY RELATED WE HAVE PIPER
ARROW THAT WE ARE REBUILDING
THAT WAS DAMAGED IN A LANDING
ACCIDENT.
WHEN IT GETS DONE, IT WILL BE
INCENTIVE AIRPLANE FOR PEOPLE
WHO VOLUNTEER AT THE MUSEUM TO
BE ABLE TO LEARN TO FLY.
WE HAVE QUITE A FEW DISPLAYS OF
WORLD WAR II ITEMS, ALL THE WAY
UP TO VIETNAM BECAUSE WE HAVE
VETERANS AT THE MUSEUMS FROM
WORLD WAR II, FROM KOREA AND
VIETNAM.
ONE OF THE AIRPLANES SITTING
OUTSIDE WHICH IS AN 02, WHEN THE
MUSEUM PURCHASED THAT, WE LOOKED
AT THE CARDS THAT THE MILITARY
PROVIDED WITH THE AIRPLANE, AND
IT WOULD SAY THINGS LIKE .30
CALIBER HOLE THROUGH RIGHT WING
PATCHED.
WE WOULD GO OUT AND THERE WAS A
PATCH.
SHAMNAL.
PATCH. SHAMNAL. WE ALSO HAVE THE FOREIGN JET.
IT IS A SOKO GALLANT, BUILT IN
1967 USING ROYALS ROYCE ENGINE,
MOSTLY AMERICAN PARTS THIS.
PARTICULAR AIRPLANE WAS ACTUALLY
USED IN A MOVIE CALLED "IRON
EAGLE 3."
GENTLEMAN BOUGHT FOUR OF THEM
AND HAD THEM IN THE MOVIE, AND I
PURCHASED IT AFTER THAT.
AND IT IS A PRETTY FAST
AIRPLANE.
IT WILL DO 480 MILES PER HOUR.
NOT VERY FUEL EFFICIENT.
GETS ONE TO TWO MILES PER GALLON
ON, AND WE PAINTED THE SHARK
MOUTH ON IT JUST TO MIMIC THE
P40 WAR HAWKS WHICH IS ANOTHER
AIRPLANE WE'D LIKE TO ADD
SOMEDAY.
WE HAVE THINGS FOR KIDS, THOUGH.
OUR MOST POPULAR THING WE HAVE
HERE IS MODIFIED DRONE THAT TAKE
KIDS TWO OR THREE YEARS OLD, UP
TO FIVE, PROBABLY CAN GET IN.
THE KIDS ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT.
THEY THINK THEY ARE IN A REAL
AIRPLANE.
LOOK ABOVE, AND THAT'S EXACTLY
WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE.
THE ONE ABOVE IS SEAR SERIAL
NUMBER ONE MADE BY NOR NORTHRUP
BUILT IN 1947.
THERE IS QUITE A BIT OF
AIRPLANES HERE FROM DIFFERENT
HISTORIES.
OUR GOAL IS TO TEACH AVIATION
HISTORY TO AS MANY PEOPLE AS
POSSIBLE.
THERE IS A TOTAL OF 14 AIRPLANES
HERE TO DO THAT WITH.
BESIDES VISITING THE MUSEUM, ANOTHER GOOD TIME TO VIEW MIKE'S COLLECTION IS AT THE SPRINGFIELD
AIR SHOW.
TO REACH THE AIR COMBAT MUSEUM IN SPRINGFIELD CALL (217)522-2181.