Southern Museum of Flight

The Southern Museum of Flight is a civilian aviation museum Birmingham, Alabama. The facility features nearly 100 aircraft, as well as engines, models, artifacts, photographs, and paintings. In addition, the Southern Museum of Flight is home to the Alabama Aviation Hall of Fame, which presents Alabama Aviation History through collective biography.

Southern Museum of Flight
Southern Museum of Flight is located in Alabama
Southern Museum of Flight
Location in Alabama
Southern Museum of Flight is located in the United States
Southern Museum of Flight
Southern Museum of Flight (the United States)
Established1966 (1966)
Location4343 73rd Street North
Birmingham, Alabama 35206
FounderMary Alice Beatty
DirectorDr. Brian J. Barsanti
Websitewww.southernmuseumofflight.org

Overview

Notable aircraft on display include a Wright Flyer, Curtis Pusher, Fokker D-VII, Alexander Eaglerock, F-4 Phantom, F-86 Sabre, AH-1 Cobra, Soviet-built MiGs, Mi-24 Hind, A-12 Blackbird spy plane, the "Lake Murray" B-25, and an array of experimental aircraft. The Lake Murray B-25C Mitchell[1] bomber crashed in South Carolina during a 1943 training exercise. The right engine was torn off during the crash but the crew was able to escape unharmed before she sank to a depth of 150 feet (46m). The aircraft became a dive site for local technical divers until she was raised from the depths of the lake in September 2005.[2] Dr. Bob Seigler who spearheaded the project, John Hodge and Dr. Bill Vartorella, formed the Lake Murray B-25 Rescue Project to salvage the aircraft from the bottom of Lake Murray.[3] After recovery the remains of the aircraft were moved to the Southern Museum of Flight in Birmingham, Alabama for conservation and museum display.[4] A video crew, including maritime video experts from Nautilus Productions, documented the recovery for the Mega Movers series on the History Channel.[5]

Featured on display is a diorama exhibit honoring Alabama's famed Tuskegee Airmen, as well as the Korean War Jets Exhibit and Vietnam War Helicopters Exhibit.

The museum is currently on the grounds of the Birmingham–Shuttlesworth International Airport but plans to reopen at the Grand River Technology Park.[6]

In 2017, the museum announced plans to move to the Barber Motorsports Park.[7] In 2023, after delays, the museum stated that it was going to retain its original campus, although it would continue to move forward with plans for the new location as an expansion.[8]

Selected aircraft on display
Lockheed A-12
MiG 15
Military aircraft
AircraftYear
Introduced		TypeNotes
Douglas B-26 Invader1942Twin-engined monoplane piston light bomber
Fairchild PT-191940Single-engined monoplane piston trainer
Fokker D.VII1918Single-engined biplane piston fighter
Grumman F-14 Tomcat1974Twin-engined monoplane turbofan fighter
Hughes OH-6 Cayuse1966Single-engined turboshaft observation helicopter
Lockheed A-121967Twin-engined monoplane turbojet strategic reconnaissance aircraftDeveloped into the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird.
Lockheed T-33A Shooting Star1948Single-engined monoplane turbojet subsonic trainerReplaced by the Northrop T-38 Talon in service.
McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II1960Twin-engined monoplane turbojet interceptor
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-151949Single-engined monoplane turbojet fighterDeveloped into the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17
North American B-25C Mitchell1941Twin-engined monoplane piston bomber
North American F-86 Sabre1949Single-engined monoplane turbojet fighterDeveloped into the North American F-86D Sabre
North American T-6G Texan1935Single-engined monoplane piston trainer
Republic F-84F Thunderstreak1954Single-engined monoplane turbojet fighter
Vultee BT-13B Valiant1940Single-engined monoplane piston basic trainer
Civilian aircraft
AircraftYear
Introduced		TypeNotes
Aero Commander 6801955Twin-engined monoplane piston aircraft
Aeronca K1937Single-engined monoplane piston aircraft
Aeronca Sedan on floats1947Single-engined monoplane piston aircraft
Bede BD-41968Single-engined monoplane piston aircraft
Bede BD-5B1971Single-engined monoplane piston aircraft
Beagle B.2061965Twin-engined monoplane piston utility aircraft
Beechcraft Starship1986Twin-engined monoplane turboprop aircraft
Cessna 337B Skymaster1962Twin-engined monoplane piston aircraft
Cumulus 2F Glider
Curtiss Model D
replica		1911Single-engined biplane piston aircraft
Davis DA-2A1966Single-engined monoplane piston aircraft
Heath Super Parasol1926Single-engined monoplane piston aircraft
Huff-Daland crop duster
Laister-Kauffman 10A1941Glider
Monnett Sonerai II-LT1971Single-engined monoplane piston aircraft
Pazmany PL-4A1972Single-engined monoplane piston aircraft
Piel Emeraude1954Single-engined monoplane piston aircraft
Piper PA-28-140 Cherokee Cruiser1960Single-engined monoplane piston aircraft
Republic RC-3 Seabee1946Single-engined monoplane piston amphibious aircraft
Rotec Rally1977Single-engined monoplane piston aircraft
Rutan VariViggen1972Single-engined monoplane piston aircraft
Sport Fury
Stoddard-Hamilton Glasair II FT1989Single-engined monoplane piston aircraft
Stinson 10A1939Single-engined monoplane piston aircraft
Stinson SR-51933Single-engined monoplane piston aircraft
Stolp Starduster1957Single-engined biplane piston aircraft
Wright Flyer
replica		1903Single-engined biplane piston aircraft

References

Notes
  1. "Podcast: Southern Museum of Flight". AL.com. Archived from the original on 26 May 2015. Retrieved 26 May 2015.
  2. "Lake Murray's Mitchell". Air & Space Magazine, Smithsonian.
  3. "B-25 Mitchell Bomber Salvaged from Lake Murray". Lake Murray's B-25.
  4. "Lake Murray B-25 Exhibit". Southern Museum of Flight. Archived from the original on 2002-04-08.
  5. "Rick Allen (XIX)". IMDB.
  6. Bonnett, Dona (28 June 2019). "Southern Museum of Flight on track for 2021-22 opening". St. Clair News-Aegis. Retrieved 12 February 2021.
  7. Paepcke, Jon (24 November 2017). "Birmingham's Southern Museum of Flight moving to Barber Motorsports Park". WTVM 13. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
  8. Paepcke, Jon (23 May 2023). "WVTM 13 Investigates: New Southern Museum of Flight site is delayed". WVTM 13. Retrieved 13 September 2023.

Bibliography
  • Barsanti, B. J. Interview with James T. Griffin (20 Jan 2013).
  • Stevenson, E. W. "The History of the Southern Museum of Flight", SMF Trustee Manual, 15 May 2004.
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