Collings Foundation

The Collings Foundation is a private non-profit educational foundation located in Stow, Massachusetts, with a mission dedicated to the preservation and public display of transportation-related history, namely automobile and aviation history.[1] The Collings Foundation is headquartered at a small private airfield in Stow that includes a small museum that opens for special events and pre-scheduled tour groups.

Collings Foundation
Collings Foundation's B-24J, TP-51C and B-17G
Collings Foundation is located in Massachusetts
Collings Foundation
Location within Massachusetts
Established1979 (1979)
LocationStow, Massachusetts, U.S.
Coordinates42.403293°N 71.5078°W / 42.403293; -71.5078
Type
FounderBob Collings
CEORob Collings
Websitewww.collingsfoundation.org

The American Heritage Museum, a collection of military vehicles, is located on the grounds of the foundation. The organization also has a satellite operations base at Ellington Field in Houston, Texas, primarily housing its Korean War and Vietnam War jet aircraft and helicopter collection.

The Collings Foundation operates two touring collections of historic military aircraft: The Wings of Freedom Tour and The Vietnam Memorial Flight. The Wings of Freedom flights also provided a platform for testing a smartphone-based automatic dependent surveillance – broadcast (ADS-B), a means of future air safety technology.

The Collings Foundation offered vintage warbird rides to the general public in exchange for donations until permission for such flights was revoked by the Federal Aviation Administration following the fatal 2019 crash of the foundation's B-17G.[2]

History

The organization was founded in 1979 by Robert F. Collings and Caroline Collings. As of April 2020, Caroline Collings continues to serve as financial director, while son Rob Collings is the CEO and chief pilot of the foundation.[3]

On July 4, 2013, the Military Vehicle Technology Foundation founded by Jacques Littlefield and located in Portola Valley, California, donated their entire collection of military vehicles to the Collings Foundation. A year later, the Collings Foundation auctioned off 120 of the vehicles to fund creation of a new museum at their headquarters.[4] The remaining vehicles are now the centerpiece of the American Heritage Museum in Stow, Massachusetts.

In 2015, the Stow Planning Board questioned the educational merit of the proposed museum. The educational purpose was needed in order to allow the planned 60,000-square-foot (5,600 m2) museum to be built on land that was zoned for residential use.[5][6] The Planning Board rejected the foundation's application in August 2015[7] but a settlement was eventually reached in July 2017 and construction of the museum was completed in 2018. The museum held a "preview" opening in October 2018 and fully opened in May 2019.[8][9]

The organization's B-17G Flying Fortress crashed in October, 2019, killing seven of the thirteen people on board. In March 2020, the organization's permission to carry passengers was revoked by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), citing “notable maintenance discrepancies” and a failure to maintain a “a culture of safety” leading up to the crash.[2]

Collection

Aircraft collection
Me 262B "White 1"
Collings Foundation's B-24J "Witchcraft"
Collings Foundation's TP-51C "Betty Jane"
Collings Foundation's TF-51D "Toulouse Nuts"

Airworthy aircraft

Static aircraft

Aircraft under restoration

Brass era
  • 1901 Oldsmobile Curved Dash
  • 1904 Franklin Type A Roadster
  • 1906 Pope Waverly Electric Carriage, original un-restored
  • 1906 Stanley Steamer Touring Car (20 hp)
  • 1908 Cadillac Open Roadster Runabout
  • 1913 Ford Model T Touring Car
  • 1913 Mercer Speedster Raceabout (replica)
  • 1914 Stutz Bearcat
  • 1915 Buick Touring Car
  • 1916 Chalmers Model 120 Sedan
  • 1916 Chevrolet Baby Grand Touring
  • 1916 Oldsmobile Model 44 Touring Car
  • 1919 Willys-Sterns Knight Touring Car

Roaring 20s
  • 1921 Marmon Model 34 Speedster
  • 1924 Ford Model T
  • 1926 Chevrolet Woody Depot Hack

Classic era
  • 1927 Rolls-Royce Springfield Phantom 1 Phaeton
  • 1928 Packard Model 533 Sedan
  • 1928 Chrysler Model 72 Roadster
  • 1928 Packard Phaeton
  • 1928 Pierce Arrow Series 81 Limousine
  • 1929 LaSalle Model 2H
  • 1929 Pontiac Model F Cabriolet
  • 1930 Cord Model L29 Convertible Coupe
  • 1931 Studebaker President
  • 1932 Duesenberg SJ Dual-Cowl Phaeton
  • 1935 Packard Model 1208, Convertible Sedan
  • 1936 Auburn Boat-Tail Speedster
  • 1937 Cord Model 812 Phaeton

Celebrity cars
  • 1940 Cadillac Limousine V-16, owned by Al Capone, original un-restored

Indianapolis 500 cars
Trevis/Offy, 1961
  • 1961 Trevis/Offy – Trevis team car, sister car to the 1961 winner. Ran Indy 1961–1964.
  • 1972 Gurney Eagle/Turbo Offy – Leader card Spl. Team car. Ran Indy 1972–1974.
  • 1979 Porsche Indy – The factory race car that smashed all track records before being banned.
  • 1980 Penske PC-9/Cosworth DFX – Mario Andretti's Michigan 500 winner. Ran Indy.
  • 1980, Qualified second with Mario Andretti. Also driven to victory by Rick Mears at the Copa Mexico 125.
  • 1987 March/Buick – Rich Vogler's best Indy effort
  • 1995 Lola/Ford XB – Michael Andretti's race winning car

Other race cars
  • 1996 Rilley & Scott MkIII/Ford winner of the 1997 Rolex 24 hours of Daytona
  • 1990 Nissan 300ZX- Factory team car winner of the 24 hours of Daytona, 12 hours of Sebring and the Drivers and constructors championship
  • 1993 Porsche RS America- Rolex 24 and Sebring 12 hour veteran, the first team car of Champion Porsche

Sprint cars: 1920s–WWII
Thomas Special, 1936
Studebaker powered midget car, 1946
  • 1932 Crager-Ford
  • 1932 Gemsa Ford
  • 1936 Thomas Spl.
  • 1937 Offy 270 ci.
  • 1937 Rutherford – winner of over 300 races!
  • 1937 Ranger-Aircraft Engine
  • Drayer-Ford
  • Riley Four Port

Sprint cars: post WWII-1950s
  • 1950 Ford/Offy

Midget racers: 1930s-1950s
  • 1936 Sowers- a rare Offy derivative
  • Caruso-Offy 110 ci. supercharged by Maserati
  • Studebaker
  • Elto Outboard
  • Indian
  • (3) Ford V-8/60

Military vehicles

Source:[58]

Trucks and farm vehicles
  • 1909 Peerless Steam Tractor
  • 1915 Walker Electric Truck
  • 1920s International Harvester
  • 1931 Diamond T Truck
  • 1931 Chevrolet Model C Cab-Truck

References
  1. Collings Foundation (n.d.). "Collings Foundation Background". Archived from the original on 25 October 2012. Retrieved 8 April 2012.
  2. Owens, David (March 25, 2020). "FAA says owner of World War II bomber that crashed at Bradley, killing seven, did not take safety seriously and can no longer carry passengers". Hartford Courant. Hartford, Connecticut. Retrieved March 26, 2020. The permission Collings operated under required it to comply with specific conditions, and the FAA found that it "was not fulfilling several requirements" or satisfying its policy of maintaining "a culture of safety."
  3. "Staff". The Collings Foundation. Retrieved April 8, 2020.
  4. "Silicon Valley tank collection heading east to The Collings Foundation in Stow". The Springfield Republican. AP. 11 November 2013. Retrieved 11 March 2016.
  5. Needle, Ann (29 July 2015). "Planning Board Wrestles with Collings Museum Application ..." The Stow Independent. Retrieved 11 March 2016.
  6. Strohl, Daniel (5 August 2015). "Plans for museum to house the ex-Littlefield military vehicle collection stalled". Hemmings. Retrieved 11 March 2016.
  7. Sweeney, Emily (31 August 2015). "Proposed military museum is voted down in Stow". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 11 March 2016.
  8. "Collings Foundation American Heritage Museum". 23 January 2019.
  9. Jonathan Phelps (2 May 2019). "American Heritage Museum celebrates grand opening". Worcester Telegram. Retrieved 5 May 2019.
  10. "Bell UH-1E Iroquois". Collings Foundation. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
  11. "1909 Bleriot Type XI (Replica)". American Heritage Museum. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
  12. "Boeing PT-17 Stearman". American Heritage Museum. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
  13. "Boeing PT-17 Tuskegee Stearman". American Heritage Museum. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
  14. "Cessna UC-78 Bobcat". American Heritage Museum. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
  15. "Consolidated B-24J Liberator". Collings Foundation. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
  16. "1909 Curtiss Pusher". American Heritage Museum. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
  17. "1910 Curtiss Pusher". Century Aviation. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
  18. "1914 Curtiss Model F Flying Boat". American Heritage Museum. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
  19. "1914 Curtiss Model F Flying Boat". Century Aviation. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
  20. "Curtiss P-40B Tomahawk". American Heritage Museum. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
  21. "Curtiss TP-40N Warhawk". Collings Foundation. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
  22. "TP-40N 'Warhawk'". American Aero Services. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
  23. "Douglas A-1E Skyraider". Collings Foundation. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
  24. "McDonnell TA-4J Skyhawk". Collings Foundation. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
  25. "Grumman FM-2 Wildcat". American Heritage Museum. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
  26. "Grumman TBM Avenger". American Heritage Museum. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
  27. "Grumman F6F-3N Hellcat". American Heritage Museum. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
  28. "Lockheed P-38 Lightning". American Heritage Museum. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
  29. "Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star". Collings Foundation. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
  30. "F-4D Phantom". Collings Foundation. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
  31. "Messerschmitt Me 262". Collings Foundation. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
  32. "Fieseler Fi-156 Storch". American Heritage Museum. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
  33. "Airframe Dossier - Fiesler-Morane-Saulnier MS-500 Criquet, c/n 4621, c/r N156FC". Aerial Visuals. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
  34. "North American A-36". American Heritage Museum. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
  35. "North American AT-6F Texan". American Heritage Museum. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
  36. "North American B-25 Mitchell". Collings Foundation. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
  37. "North American F-100F Super Sabre". Collings Foundation. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
  38. "North American TF-51D Mustang". Collings Foundation. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
  39. "North American TP-51C Mustang". Collings Foundation. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
  40. "Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IX". American Heritage Museum. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
  41. "Vought F4U-5NL Corsair". American Heritage Museum. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
  42. "Waco UPF-7". American Heritage Museum. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
  43. "Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star". American Heritage Museum. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
  44. "Messerschmitt Me 109". American Heritage Museum. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
  45. "1911 Wright Vin Fiz (Replica)". American Heritage Museum. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
  46. "Airframe Dossier - Boeing SB-17G Fortress, s/n 44-83785 USAF, c/n 32426, c/r N207EV". Aerial Visuals. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
  47. "Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina". American Heritage Museum. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
  48. "Douglas A-26 Invader". Collings Foundation. Archived from the original on 26 February 2015. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
  49. "Fairchild PT-19 "Tuskegee Airmen"". American Heritage Museum. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
  50. "Focke Wulf Fw 190 F-8". American Heritage Museum. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
  51. "FW-190 "White One"". American Aero Services. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
  52. "Airframe Dossier - Focke Wulf Fw-190D-9, c/n 210096, c/r N190CF". Aerial Visuals. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
  53. "Grumman G-21 Goose". American Heritage Museum. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
  54. "Grumman JRF-2 'Goose'". American Aero Services. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
  55. "Nieuport 28". American Heritage Museum. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
  56. "L-4 Grasshopper". American Heritage Museum. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
  57. Hogan, Jackson (31 March 2019). "La Pine man restoring plane flown by 'Bazooka Charlie' in World War II". The Bulletin. Retrieved 7 February 2022. In 1944, U.S. Army pilot and artillery spotter [Major] Charles Carpenter was in France, fighting in the 4th Armored Division of Gen. George S. Patton's 3rd Army, when he had a crazy idea...Carpenter strapped three bazookas under each wing of his 1944 Piper L-4H, a frail reconnaissance plane not typically used for combat, flew over the German army and blasted multiple Panzer tanks and armored cars north of the town of Nancy. It earned him the nickname "Bazooka Charlie."...75 years later, the Piper L-4H — nicknamed "Rosie the Rocketer" — has found its way to a rural garage near La Pine, where it's being restored by a retired engineer.
  58. "Collings Foundation American Heritage Museum Collection". 23 January 2019.
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