Florence Air and Missile Museum

This museum is (WAS!)one of our favorite places. While it lacks the flash and professional presentation of some other sites, it does represent the triumph
of pride and tenacity over economic realities.

Join us for the tour. Help out if you can.

BAD NEWS!

A symbol of the raping, looting and pillaging at Florence, December 1997

As of late July 1997, the Museum has been scheduled to close, to allow the Florence Airport to enlarge an automobile parking lot. This disgusting state of affairs is apparently a done deal. Those of us who care about these old birds need to find homes for them. The aircraft still belong to the Navy and AF, so there are bureaucratic hurdles to leap.

I will use this space to post ongoing news as I get it. The pages listed below will not be changed, to show the recent history of the museum. All of the aircraft are listed on one page, and all have pictures in the various pages.

Summary of relevant rumors and facts (I don't know which is which)

As of December 26, 1998:

Construction on the all important, speed is essential parking lot has not begun!

The F102 is safely in Charlotte, and the VooDoo is headed there. Check out the Deuce here. The Matador and Choctaw will also probably make that trip (a good thing).

The BTD made it to the National Warplane Museum, Elmira-Corning (NY) in October, following in the trail of the Canberra which got there this summer.

The B-47 is indeed in Savannah, being reconstructed at the 8th AF Heritage Museum.

Stuart Lacy sent us some sad photos of the Connie in October '98, see them here.




As of November 26, 1997 (latest news listed first)

The Regulus missle, most of the engines,and the T28 mockup have gone to the Carolinas Aviation Museum in Charlotte (NC). The Invader is sitting sadly on its belly in Florence.

The F104 has been moved to the Kansas Cosmosphere in Hutchinson.

The museum is officially closed.

Custody of the aircraft is being transferred to Shaw AFB.

The B47 is going to the Mighty 8th Air Force Heritage Museum in Savannah.
The Connie is being dismantled, with the parts going to other restorations.
The A/B 26 engines. props and other parts are being similarly recycled.
HU-16 will be saved somewhere.
F-84 will be saved somewhere.

Additional info gratefully accepted!

The original pages

Our First Trip to Florence - July 1995

Our Second Trip to Florence - June 1996

Off Season News

Our Third Trip to Florence - June 1997

Museum Information

Related Links

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