Gallery Update: Tillamook Air Museum

I don't know why I haven't went until now... I've been living in Oregon for about six years and I never went to to the Tillamook Air Museum in the northwest part of Oregon until today when I jumped at the opportunity being off work for the Thanksgiving holiday and all... The museum is inside a giant World War II-era airship hangar and yes, they used to house blimps inside them; up to nine to be exact! You might have seen them in pictures but you have to see these airship hangars in person because THEY'RE HUGE! I'm glad I took this opportunity to go and visit because the museum announced in April of this year that it was planning to move a portion of it's collection (the Erickson Collection, which is most of the airworthy World War II-era planes) to Madras, Oregon sometime before the end of its lease on the blimp hangar, which is until January 2016. Reasons being that the large wooden hangar is need of costly repairs and Madras, which is in a drier climate is actually better for the preservation of the aircraft the museum owns and displays. That in turn has caused the historic blimp hangar to have an uncertain future. Here's the link to the photo gallery:

Tillamook Air Museum

The one unfortunate part about this visit is that not all the museum's aircraft were present, including their P-51 Mustang, a Focke-Wulf Fw-190, P-38 Lightning, and SBD Dauntless. Here's a photo preview:

Like I said, HUGE! Also pictured is the only surviving Aero Spacelines Mini Guppy, which is pretty much the centerpiece of the museum. This historically significant airship hangar, officially known as Hangar B is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. As mentioned the deteriorating hangar is in need of repairs and faces an insecure future.

Here's the Mini Guppy. It was conceived from parts off of a Boeing 377/C-97 Stratofreighters such as the cockpit, wings, and tail-section while the main body (the cargo area) was installed by Aero Spacelines, Inc.

Interior view of the Mini Guppy cargo section.

A unique aircraft is the "flying W", the Bellanca Aircruiser. This airframe is one of only two left in existence; it is also the only airworthy example in the world.

The only airworthy example of the Nakajima Ki-43 Hayabusa (Peregrine Falcon), nicknamed "Oscar" by the allies in World War II can be found at the Tillamook Air Museum. This airframe was recovered from the Kuril Islands north of Japan.