Oakland Aviation Museum, formerly called Western Aerospace Museum, was founded in 1981 as a

non-profit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

operating an aviation

museum A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Many public museums make these ...

located at North Field of

Oakland International Airport Oakland International Airport is an international airport in Oakland, California, United States, 10 miles (16 km) south of downtown located in the San Francisco Bay Area. It is owned by the Port of Oakland and has domestic passenger f ...

Oakland, California Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast of the United States, West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third ...

. It has over 30 vintage and modern airplanes, both civilian and military, and other displays that highlight noted aviators and innovators.

History

The Oakland Aviation Museum was founded in 1981 as a non-profit organization under IRS Code 501 (C) 3 under the name of Western Aerospace Museum. The museum's first home was a small room at Hangar 5 at Oakland International Airport's historic North Field. BoeingSchoolxx (5729224654)

In 1988, the museum was granted use of the historic Boeing School of Aeronautics hangar built in 1939. The hangar serves as the primary facility of the museum, providing indoor and outdoor exhibition space, aircraft restoration work areas, research library, and gift shop. In 2007, Western Aerospace Museum was renamed Oakland Aviation Museum with the historical mission refocused on the important legacy of flight at North Field and the surrounding area.

Aircraft collection

As of July 2022, the museum contains several original and reproductions of historic aircraft, including: * Wright EX Vin Fiz (replica) * 1946 Aeronca 7AC Champion *Boeing Hybrid Dirigible (1/50th scale model) * ERCO Ercoupe 415 C * Glasair SH-II RG * Kitfox IV 1200 * Jurca MJ-7 Gnatsum (P-51B scale replica) * Short Solent Mk. III Flying Boat *Thorp/Paulic T3B-1 * Kitty Hawk Flyer eVTOL * Cessna O-2A * Douglas KA-3B Skywarrior * Douglas NTA-4J Skyhawk *

Grumman KA-6D Intruder The Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation, later Grumman Aerospace Corporation, was a 20th century American producer of military and civilian aircraft. Founded on December 6, 1929, by Leroy Grumman and his business partners, it merged in 1994 ...

* Vought A-7E Corsair II * TAV-8A Harrier * Hiller Ten99 (1099) Helicopter * Mikoyan Gurevich MiG-15bis * North American Aviation T-39 Saberliner * Grumman F-14 Tomcat * McDonnell Aircraft ADM-20 Quail Cruise Missile * JDT

Mini-MAX The Team Mini-MAX is a large family of single-seat, mid-wing, strut-braced, single engine aircraft, available in kit form for amateur construction. The first Mini-MAX had its first flight in 1984. Its name indicates its original design ...

1600R EROS * Rutan Long-EZ

Aircraft engines

As of July 2022, the museum contains several aircraft engines on display, including: Pratt Witney TF30 at Oakland Aviation Museum

* Herring-Curtiss 4-stroke, 4-cylinder engine * Pratt and Whitney R-2800 twin-row 18-cylinder radial engine * General Electric J47 Turbojet * Wright R-3359 twin-row 18-cylinder cut-away radial engine * General Electric J79

Turbojet The turbojet is an airbreathing jet engine which is typically used in aircraft. It consists of a gas turbine with a propelling nozzle. The gas turbine has an air inlet which includes inlet guide vanes, a compressor, a combustion chamber, and ...

*Pancake V-8 circa 1940 *Garrett GTP70 Gas Turbine * Allison T56 Series III

Turboprop A turboprop is a turbine engine that drives an aircraft propeller. A turboprop consists of an intake, reduction gearbox, compressor, combustor, turbine, and a propelling nozzle. Air enters the intake and is compressed by the compressor. Fuel ...

* Pratt & Whitney TF30-414A

Turbofan The turbofan or fanjet is a type of airbreathing jet engine that is widely used in aircraft engine, aircraft propulsion. The word "turbofan" is a portmanteau of "turbine" and "fan": the ''turbo'' portion refers to a gas turbine engine which ac ...

* Pratt & Whitney R-985 Wasp Junior AN-1 9-cylinder air-cooled

Radial Engine The radial engine is a reciprocating type internal combustion engine configuration in which the cylinders "radiate" outward from a central crankcase like the spokes of a wheel. It resembles a stylized star when viewed from the front, and is ca ...

* Elizalde Tigre IV inverted 4-cylinder air-cooled (also known as a Tigre G-IV) *

Lycoming R-680 The Lycoming R-680 is a nine-cylinder air-cooled radial engine, the first aero engine produced by Lycoming. The engine was produced in two types, the E and B series; both are essentially the same. The B4E was available in a trainer version wit ...

9-cylinder air-cooled

Ranger V-770 The Ranger V-770 was an American air-cooled inverted V12 engine, V-12 aircraft engine developed by the Ranger/Fairchild Engines, Ranger Aircraft Engine Division of the Fairchild Aircraft, Fairchild Engine & Aircraft Corporation in the early 1930s ...

inverted V-12 air-cooled * Righter O-45 2-cylinder air-cooled * Franklin O-200 (4AC-199) flat 4-cylinder air-cooled *McCulloch 4318A small flat 4-cylinder air-cooled *

Heath-Henderson B-4 The Heath-Henderson B-4 engine was a motorcycle piston engine modified for use in aircraft. "The Heath Airplane Company's Model B-4 was an in-line, four-cylinder, air-cooled Henderson motorcycle engine converted for use in aircraft by modifying ...

4-cylinder air-cooled *Galino-Taski 2-cylinder air-cooled glider engine *Andover V-32 2-cylinder APU

Exhibits

The museum contains several galleries with exhibits, some of which emphasize the role Oakland and surrounding areas have played in the history of aviation. *

Oakland Airport Oakland International Airport is an international airport in Oakland, California, United States, 10 miles (16 km) south of downtown located in the San Francisco Bay Area. It is owned by the Port of Oakland and has domestic passenger f ...

Aircraft Engine An aircraft engine, often referred to as an aero engine, is the power component of an aircraft propulsion system. Most aircraft engines are either piston engines or gas turbines, although a few have been rocket powered and in recent years many ...

Room * 8th Air Force * General James Doolittle *

US Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage of ...

Aviation *

Tuskegee Airmen The Tuskegee Airmen were a group of primarily African American military pilots (fighter and bomber) and airmen who fought in World War II. They formed the 332d Fighter Group and the 477th Fighter Group, 477th Bombardment Group (Medium) of the ...

Women in Aviation Women have been involved in aviation from the beginnings of both lighter-than air travel and as airplanes, helicopters and space travel were developed. Women pilots were also formerly called "aviatrices" (singular "aviatrix"). Women have been fl ...

Amelia Earhart Amelia Mary Earhart ( , born July 24, 1897; disappeared July 2, 1937; declared dead January 5, 1939) was an American aviation pioneer and writer. Earhart was the first female aviator to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. She set many oth ...

* Transocean Air Lines *Legacy of

World Airways World Airways, Inc. was a United States airline headquartered in Peachtree City, Georgia in Greater Atlanta. The company operated mostly non-scheduled services but did fly scheduled passenger services as well, notably with McDonnell Douglas DC ...

Trans International Airlines Trans International Airlines (TIA) was an airline that offered charter service from and within the United States. It also operated scheduled passenger service flying as Transamerica Airlines as well as charter flights during its last decade. Its ...

Transamerica Airlines Trans International Airlines (TIA) was an airline that offered charter service from and within the United States. It also operated scheduled passenger service flying as Transamerica Airlines as well as charter flights during its last decade. Its ...

Special events and tours

Oakland Aviation Museum offers group tours of up to 30 people for schools, retirement communities or organizations. The museum hosts a number of special events including Open Cockpit Day. Groups can rent the museum for their own event.

References

External links

Official website
Aerospace museums in California Museums in Oakland, California Oakland International Airport {{US-aerospace-museum-stub