Podcast – National Model Aviation Museum

Transcript:

National Model Aviation Museum
Greetings, today I will talk about the National Model Aviation Museum, which my wife and I visited in August 2022.

National Model Aviation Museum
Located on the eastern edge of Muncie, Indiana, the National Model Aviation Museum is operated by the National Model Aviation Museum.

Prior to the formation of the American Academy of Model Aeronautics model airplane enthusiasts belonged to a number if different model airplane organizations. These included the Junior Air League, the Junior Aviation League, and the Junior NAA. The The Junior NAA began sponsoring a national flying championship competition in 1923 called the National Aeromodelling Championships at Detroit, Michigan. It was during these competitions that the idea for one large organization sprang into being. This resulted in the formation of the American Academy of Model Aeronautics forming in New York in 1936.

The organization rented an office at the Rockefeller Center in New York, however, they moved to Washington D. C. in the Dupont Circle later in 1936. They launched the first edition of their magazine, Model Aviation, in June 1936. The 9-page publication listed 18 events, the contestants of these events and the results.

The organization purchased an acre of land outside of Reston, Virginia in 1979 for a new headquarters and museum. The plans called for a 3,000 square foot building. The grand opening occurred on September 24-25, 1983, with over 200 people in attendance.

The organization felt that a centralized location in the Midwest would better serve its members, so a search for a new headquarters was begun in 1988. A site in Muncie, Indiana was chosen. The artifacts, documents, photos and airplane models were moved to the new 25,000 square-foot Frank V. Ehling Complex. The building would house the museum, the organizational headquarters and the research library.

The facility now comprises 1000 acres of flying fields, the National Model Aviation Museum and the headquarters of the organization. The membership includes over 165,000 members.

My wife and I visited the museum in August 2022. We both enjoyed the museum even though neither of us are model airplane enthusiasts. I have built a few free flight balsa airplanes many years ago.

The visitor enters through a large, well-stocked gift shop and proceeds into the main display area. The amount of material on display is breath taking. Model airplanes of many vintages are displayed in wall window type displays, large acrylic display cases. Large models hang from the ceiling.

A replica 1950’s era hobby shop is also on display. This shop contains a large selection of merchandise that a shop of this era would have stocked. It includes balsa aircraft, model boats, cars, trains as well as the supplies needed to build and operate them.

Visitors will find an array of free flight balsa wood models in all stages of construction. These airplanes, with the intricate balsa wood ribs, struts and wings are works of art that are functional as well as beautiful.

The museum is operated by the Academy of Model Aeronautics, which also operates a flying school and the flying fields. Even if you are not a model airplane enthusiast, I would recommend it, as it is quite informative. Signage located throughout the museum presents the history of model airplane flight as well as scores of colorful model aircraft of all types.

The collection includes a large selection of Radio Control airplanes and helicopters as well as some of the vintage radios used to control them.

The research library includes hundreds of volumes on model airplane building, operation and history.

On the way out you pass a model airplane building and repair shop. Visitors are not permitted in there, however there is a large window that allows a view of the work going on inside.

Competitions include Control Line Aerobatics, Racing, Speed, and Combat flying with control line and radio-controlled aircraft. Most of the competitions take place on the weekend, so we didn’t get to see much, but there were people flying helicopters and some other airplanes.
It was still fascinating to watch the model airplanes and helicopters in flight as their operators put them through their paces.

You can find information about this, and many other places covered in these podcasts in my book, East Central Indiana Road Trips. The book is part of a 9-book series that details just about any road trip destination in Indiana that you can think of, and many you will not think of. Each book covers a different region in the state, and each cover approximately 10 counties. Destination includes parks, museums, drive in theaters, bowling alleys and many, many other interesting places. The books, along with my other 130 plus titles, are found on my web site, http://www.mossyfeetbooks.com. The books are available in ebook, softbound and audio book formats. Residents of southeastern Indiana can find them at the Walnut Street Variety Shoppe on George Street in Batesville. This podcast will be available as a video in You tube on my Mossy Feet Books channel. Follow me on Youtube. You can also follow me on Facebook at Indiana Places and History page. If you follow me on Facebook, you will be notified when I publish a new book, usually about 10 new books a year. I also post tons of other content as well
I hope you enjoyed this podcast and thank you for listening.