barnstorm2
03-03-2004, 07:28 PM
My company sent me to Connecticut this week to teach some classes.
When class let out on Monday I rushed to the New England Air Museum to check out what they had.
It was a whirlwind tour as by the time I arrived I only had 35 minutes before the museum was to close.
The museum had a very large number of rotorcraft for it's size which was great. My opinion of the exhibits kept changing dramatically as I ran through the museum as I will now explain.
When I arrived I past a 'history of aviation' hall. In the hall the first ( and only ) rotorcraft mention was 1939's first successful helicopter and showed Sikorsky's demonstration heli. Humm....
Then I went over to the helicopter history exhibits.
Under 'Pioneering' I found the only photo of a autogiro in the museum one of the fist Cierva machines. No mention of Pitcarn or of the fact autogyros were the first practical rotorcraft or worthy information on its importance to the development of the helicopter. >:( They were portrayed as if a failed experiment or prototype.
The next section "Success" Listed one of the old non-practical prototypes and then the first coaxial heli's and right from there into Sikorsky's early machines. >:(
Ok, now I am getting BENT. >:( >:(
Next Exhibit... The EVOLUTION OF THE HELICOPTER. Oh, I think, now we have a chance for some better history telling!
NOPE. Not a single word or picture about any autogiros or autogyros!
I am now BENT >:( >:( >:( >:(
As I move on through the next exibit around a big pair of what I think are H-52 Sikorsky's there is this beautiful Bensen!! ;D ;D
Now calmed down and admiring a tasteful rotorcraft 8) I move on to the Kaman Exhibit.
What do I find sitting behind and under one of the Kaman experimentals??
A EXQUISIT model of the Farie Rotordyne!! :D
But wait not only is it slid under and behind the Kaman but it has not label no description or text of any kind! :(
I am mad again.
The next days in class I have some students from both Sikorsky aircraft and Kaman. I brought up my gripes and they told me that the museum had been nearly completely wiped out by a tornado a few years back and they were lucky to have any exhibits at all right now.
So I guess I am calmed down again..... for now... However, next time I get a spare $50 I am going to send the President of the museum a copy of "From Autogiro to Gyroplane" and a little note with a gyro-pilots perspective on the history of Rotorcraft......
When class let out on Monday I rushed to the New England Air Museum to check out what they had.
It was a whirlwind tour as by the time I arrived I only had 35 minutes before the museum was to close.
The museum had a very large number of rotorcraft for it's size which was great. My opinion of the exhibits kept changing dramatically as I ran through the museum as I will now explain.
When I arrived I past a 'history of aviation' hall. In the hall the first ( and only ) rotorcraft mention was 1939's first successful helicopter and showed Sikorsky's demonstration heli. Humm....
Then I went over to the helicopter history exhibits.
Under 'Pioneering' I found the only photo of a autogiro in the museum one of the fist Cierva machines. No mention of Pitcarn or of the fact autogyros were the first practical rotorcraft or worthy information on its importance to the development of the helicopter. >:( They were portrayed as if a failed experiment or prototype.
The next section "Success" Listed one of the old non-practical prototypes and then the first coaxial heli's and right from there into Sikorsky's early machines. >:(
Ok, now I am getting BENT. >:( >:(
Next Exhibit... The EVOLUTION OF THE HELICOPTER. Oh, I think, now we have a chance for some better history telling!
NOPE. Not a single word or picture about any autogiros or autogyros!
I am now BENT >:( >:( >:( >:(
As I move on through the next exibit around a big pair of what I think are H-52 Sikorsky's there is this beautiful Bensen!! ;D ;D
Now calmed down and admiring a tasteful rotorcraft 8) I move on to the Kaman Exhibit.
What do I find sitting behind and under one of the Kaman experimentals??
A EXQUISIT model of the Farie Rotordyne!! :D
But wait not only is it slid under and behind the Kaman but it has not label no description or text of any kind! :(
I am mad again.
The next days in class I have some students from both Sikorsky aircraft and Kaman. I brought up my gripes and they told me that the museum had been nearly completely wiped out by a tornado a few years back and they were lucky to have any exhibits at all right now.
So I guess I am calmed down again..... for now... However, next time I get a spare $50 I am going to send the President of the museum a copy of "From Autogiro to Gyroplane" and a little note with a gyro-pilots perspective on the history of Rotorcraft......