Decided to go check out the Cradle of Aviation Museum over in Long Island yesterday; surprised I've never visited it before. Sadly, a lot of my pics didn't come out, due to getting too bold with no flash (with this camera so far, the choices seem to be: possibly blurry w/o flash, or dark with annoying glare spots with flash). The lighting isn't bad there, it's just dramatic, and there's a lot of stuff crammed into a relatively small space. But it's a great tribute to the incredible and very important history of aviation and aerospace industry on Long Island...

One is greeted in the lobby by this sweet old Blue Angels Grumman Tiger (USN's first supersonic fighter, ca. '55). Grumman and Republic produced many aircraft and spacecraft in this area.







There's also a very nice Fleet Model 2...




Moving into the Annex, we find this terrific A10, another Republic masterpiece.






More Grumman hardware: the venerable Tomcat.






A superb Grumman F3F-2...








More to come...

Very nice indeed Rotty old chap.

Quote:

Possibly a benefit of that new digital camera. I've found mine gives me the inspiration to visit those local spots I always intended to but usually can't be bothered.

Quote:

Not being a photographer I have the same problem. It's fine when the lighting is perfect but I've missed a lot of great shots because of it. Now the winter's approaching I must study the instruction book & start experimenting with those manual settings.

I've been there many times.  But each time I go, I seem to miss out on the jets for some reason.  I really like the museum, its got a great collection for such a small museum, and a lot of history behind the area, lindbergh took of from there when he went to paris.

Wonderful...very very nice

How can we get that Fleet Model 2 down to my place? LOL

Thanks for posting them!

Cheers...Happy Landings...Doug

Great shots.  I'll have to make a day trip up that way
some Sunday and visit the museum.

Quote:


Hmmm... Ok, here's the plan. You bring the Cub down, land on the road... I'll meet you there with a chain hoist, glass cutter, and cable cutters.
And oh yeah- bring some avgas, and a quart of Marvel Mystery Oil... I think I can handle the Cub (got about 5 mins.' stick time in a J3); maybe you should handle the Fleet...

Quote:



You're right... if they drained the engine on the Fleet, we'll need... what? 5 quarts?

As important as it is to have it on display to inspire and educate, it's very sad to see such a beauty just hanging there... another one that made me sad was the only surviving Grumman Kitten (one of only two ever made!!!), a really sweet little cabin plane, sort of like a Swift- not only relegated to hanging like a model in the museum, it's so poorly lit I couldn't get a decent picture of it...