Wikipedia

Naval Air Station Wildwood Aviation Museum

The Naval Air Station Wildwood Aviation Museum is an aviation museum located at the Cape May Airport in Lower Township, in Cape May County, New Jersey, United States.

Naval Air Station Wildwood Aviation Museum
Hangar #1
Naval Air Station Wildwood Aviation Museum is located in Cape May County, New Jersey
Naval Air Station Wildwood Aviation Museum
Location in New Jersey
Established1997 (1997)[1]
LocationLower Township, New Jersey
Coordinates39°00′15″N 74°54′30″W / 39.00418°N 74.90827°W / 39.00418; -74.90827
TypeAviation museum
Collection size20+ aircraft[2]
FounderDr. Joseph Salvatore[1]
ChairpersonDr. Joseph Salvatore
Websiteusnasw.org

History edit

The Cape May Airport, which hosts the museum, was originally constructed by the U.S. Navy from 1941 to 1942. Commissioned in April 1943 as Naval Air Station Rio Grande, the field was so named due to its proximity to the community of Rio Grande, New Jersey.[1] Due to problems with mail, telegram, and telephone service, caused in part by confusion with Rio Grande City, Texas, the Navy opted to rename the airfield as Naval Air Station Wildwood in June 1943.[3]

In the mid-1990s, Dr. Joseph Salvatore purchased Hangar #1, which was then dilapidated.[4]

The museum is located in the airport's Hangar #1, which is typical of the design of many U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps aircraft hangars of the 1940s, many of which are still in use today at both active Naval Air Stations, Marine Corps Air Stations and Coast Guard Air Stations across the United States, as well as other civilian airports that formerly served as air stations. The museum's hangar is currently listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[5]

The museum's aircraft collection focuses on World War II, when the U.S. Navy conducted training operations at the site, but also includes more recent vintage military aircraft from the Cold War, the Korean War, the Vietnam War and the post-Cold War period.[2]

The museum suffered damage from Hurricane Sandy in 2012.[6]

A Humvee that the United States Coast Guard used in Afghanistan was placed on loan to the museum in 2014.[7]

In 2022, an R-2800 WWII aircraft engine recovered from the ocean was donated to the museum.[8] Later that same year, the museum had a new roof installed.[9] The museum temporarily closed in October 2023 to complete the second phase of roof repairs.[10]

Aircraft on display edit

 
Bell UH-1
 
Stearman

The museum's collection includes:

Events edit

The museum holds an annual AirFest airshow.[33][34]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b c "NAS Wildwood History". NAS Wildwood Aviation Museum. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  2. ^ a b "The Collection". NAS Wildwood Aviation Museum. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
  3. ^ "History of U. S. Naval Air Station Wildwood, New Jersey" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 August 2011. Retrieved 5 May 2019.
  4. ^ "Preservation New Jersey Lifetime Achievement Award Presented to Cape May County Couple". Cape May County Herald. 17 October 2017. Retrieved 5 May 2019.
  5. ^ "New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places – Cape May County" (PDF). NJ DEP – Historic Preservation Office. January 10, 2010. p. 12. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 28, 2011. Retrieved August 14, 2011.
  6. ^ Chamberlin, Cain (5 December 2012). "Naval Air Station – Wildwood Museum damaged by Sandy" (PDF). Cape May Star and Wave. Retrieved 5 May 2019.
  7. ^ Degener, Richard (8 March 2014). "Wildwood aviation museum gets rare Humvee". Press of Atlantic City. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
  8. ^ Frantz, Jillian (29 April 2022). "Cape May fisherman retrieves WWII-era aircraft engine from ocean". Press of Atlantic City. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
  9. ^ Russo, John (13 January 2023). "Naval Air Station Wildwood Aviation Museum reopens after roof replacement". Press of Atlantic City. Retrieved 16 January 2023.
  10. ^ Conklin, Eric (26 September 2023). "Naval Air Station Wildwood Aviation Museum closing for roof repairs". Press of Atlantic City. Retrieved 4 October 2023.
  11. ^ a b c d e f "HELICOPTERS". Naval Air Station Wildwood Aviation Museum. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
  12. ^ "Airframe Dossier – Air and Space 18A, c/n 18-59, c/r N6169S". Aerial Visuals. AerialVisuals.ca. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
  13. ^ "Airframe Dossier – Bell209 / AH-1 Cobra, s/n 67-15633 US Army". Aerial Visuals. AerialVisuals.ca. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
  14. ^ "Airframe Dossier – Bell EH-1X Iroquois, s/n 69-15905 USAF, c/n 12193". Aerial Visuals. AerialVisuals.ca. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
  15. ^ a b c d e f g "PROPELLER AIRCRAFT". Naval Air Station Wildwood Aviation Museum. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
  16. ^ "Airframe Dossier – Stearman-Boeing N2S-3 Kaydet, s/n 38073 USN, c/n 75-7694, c/r N9844H". Aerial Visuals. AerialVisuals.ca. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
  17. ^ "Airframe Dossier – Stearman-Boeing PT-17 Kaydet, s/n 40-1825 USAAF, c/n 75-0382, c/r N56Z". Aerial Visuals. AerialVisuals.ca. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
  18. ^ "Airframe Dossier – Cessna O-1C Bird Dog, s/n 140090". Aerial Visuals. AerialVisuals.ca. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
  19. ^ a b c d e f g h "JET AIRCRAFT". Naval Air Station Wildwood Aviation Museum. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
  20. ^ Mozey, Len. "A-4A SKYHAWK". Blue Angels Alumni. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
  21. ^ "Airframe Details for F-16 #78-0088". F-16.net. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
  22. ^ "Airframe Dossier – Grumman F-14B Tomcat, s/n 161422 USN, c/n 432". Aerial Visuals. AerialVisuals.ca. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
  23. ^ Fichter, Jack (1 May 2019). "F6F-3 Hellcat arrives at NASW" (PDF). Cape May Star and Wave. Retrieved 5 May 2019.
  24. ^ "Airframe Dossier – Grumman-General Motors Avenger AS.3, s/n 86180 RCN, c/n 2999, c/r C-FMUD". Aerial Visuals. AerialVisuals.ca. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
  25. ^ "Airframe Dossier – Hughes 369, s/n 67-16638 US". Aerial Visuals. AerialVisuals.ca. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
  26. ^ "Airframe Dossier – Lockheed T-33A, s/n 10055 YAF, c/n 580-7032". Aerial Visuals. AerialVisuals.ca. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
  27. ^ "Airframe Dossier – Lockheed T-33A, s/n 10056 YAF, c/n 580-6816". Aerial Visuals. AerialVisuals.ca. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
  28. ^ "Airframe Dossier – Mikoyan Gurevich MiG-15 Fagot (NATO), s/n 1961 PLAN, c/r N51MG". Aerial Visuals. AerialVisuals.ca. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
  29. ^ "Airframe Dossier – North American T-28 Trojan, s/n 140557 USN, c/n 226-134". Aerial Visuals. AerialVisuals.ca. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
  30. ^ "Airframe Dossier – Northrop F-5E Tiger II, s/n 741572 USN, c/n R.1270". Aerial Visuals. AerialVisuals.ca. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
  31. ^ "Airframe Dossier – Sikorsky HH-52A Seaguard, s/n 1462". Aerial Visuals. AerialVisuals.ca. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
  32. ^ "Airframe Dossier – Vultee BT-13 Valiant, s/n 42-88708 USAAF, c/n 10547, c/r N40018". Aerial Visuals. AerialVisuals.ca. Retrieved 6 May 2019.
  33. ^ "Travel Back in Time to Aviation Museum's AirFest - Ferry Partners with NASW on AirFest Package". Cape Gazette. 29 August 2013. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  34. ^ "AirFest 2023". NAS Wildwood Aviation Museum. Retrieved 2 January 2024.

External links edit

 
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