Warplanes of the USA: Rhode Island, Bristol to Providence

‍Warplanes preserved in Rhode Island

Bristol

North American SNJ-5 Texan (Serial No. 43936), Reg. No. N241F, Frank J. Govednik III, 2 Chester Ave, Bristol, RI 02809-1416.

North Kingstown, Quonset Air Museum, 488 Eccleston Ave., North Kingstown, RI 02852.  This museum is now closed.

Founded in September 1992, the Quonset Air Museum was dedicated as an educational facility whose mission was to preserve and interpret Rhode Island’s aviation Heritage.  The museum's collection included military vehicles, missiles, aircraft and over 5000 smaller aviation artifacts.  An extensive archive of books, magazines, manuals, photos, documents and blueprints was preserved within the Quonset Air Museum.  The collection represented Rhode Island's achievement in private, commercial, and military aviation.

The museum occupied Painting Hangar No. 488 located at what was once the Quonset Naval Air Station.  This 50,000 sq. ft. facility was one of only three existing specialized wood and brick hangars built during the Second World War.  Heavy snowfall in the winter of 2015 partially collapsed the building's roof.  The hangar building was condemned, and despite an 18-month search for a new home, the museum was unable to re-open.

The museum's collection included a Grumman TBM Avenger, F6F Hellcat, and an F3D Skyknight.  Other notable aircraft in the collection were the last surviving Curtiss XF15C mixed propulsion prototype fighter and a twin tail C1A COD.  This one of a kind aircraft was the precursor to the E-1 Electronic Counter Measure aircraft and has the distinction of being the last aircraft to fly from Quonset Naval Air Station upon its closure in 1974.  The museum housed several Vietnam era combat aircraft as well as the legendary F-14 Tomcat.  On 16 Dec 2016, it was announced that the museum would not reopen.  Aircraft in the collection have been transferred to other museums, including the following:

Aero Commander 680 (Serial No. 680-432-105), Reg. No. N2100M

Aero L-29 Delphin (Serial No. 490925)

Antonov AN-2TD Colt (Serial No. 1G2619)

Bell UH-1B Iroquois (Serial No. 64-14021)

Bell UH-1H Iroquois (Serial No. 64-13492)

Bell UH-1H Iroquois (Serial No. 65-09560)

Bell UH-1H Iroquois (Serial No. 65-09996)

Bell UH-1M Iroquois (Serial No. 66-15083), served with the 57th Aviation Company in Vietnam as a gunship.

(Author Photo)

Bell AH-1S Cobra (Serial No. 66-15317), donated by the Rhode Island Army National Guard.

Bell OH-58A Kiowa (Serial No.)

Cessna T-37B Tweet (Serial No. 66-7983), in parts.

(Author Photo)

Curtiss XF15C Stingeree (BuNo. 01215), at the Quonset Air Museum in North Kingstown, Rhode Island.

Of the two remaining prototypes, one was scrapped after the end of the Second World War and the other remained in storage until it was released by the Navy for museum display. It was then located at the Bradley Air Museum, later renamed New England Air Museum in Windsor Locks, Connecticut at the Bradley International Airport. It was later relocated to the Quonset Air Museum in North Kingstown, Rhode Island.  01215 is now on display at the Hickory Aviation Museum, Hickory, North Carolina.

(Author Photos)

Douglas AD-5W Skyraider (BuNo. 135188).  Now with the Collings Foundation, Stow, Massachusetts, Reg. No. N188RH.

(Author Photos)

Douglas F3D-2Q Skyknight (BuNo. 124620).

Douglas A-4C Skyhawk (BuNo. 147790).

(Author Photos)

Douglas A-4F Skyhawk (BuNo. 155027), Blue Angels. This Blue Angel aircraft honors Lt. Cmdr. Mike Gershon who was killed at Niagara Falls, New York, on 13 July 1985, while preforming with the USN’s Blue Angels team.

(Author Photos)

McDonnell Douglas A-4M Skyhawk (BuNo. 158148), SD-8, 1st A-4M built.

McDonnell F2H Banshee (BuNo.), needing restoration.

Eaglet (Serial No.)

Fouga CM 170R Magister (Serial No.).

(New England Aviation History Photo)

Grumman TBM-3E Avenger, (BuNo. 53914), built by General Motors in 1944.  In 1963 it was sold as surplus to a private company and converted to a crop duster.  In 1972 it crashed in the woods of northern Maine where it remained until 1991 when it was recovered by members of the Quonset Air Museum.  It was brought to Quonset where volunteers painstakingly restored it to original condition.

Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat (BuNo. 70185). On 3 April 1945, Ensign Vincent A. Frankwitz was piloting 70185 on a training mission off the island of Nantucket, Massachusetts, when he was forced to ditch in the 42F degree water due to engine trouble.  He got out of the plane safely before it sank, but died before rescue boats could arrive.  In late 1993 the Hellcat was recovered by members of the Quonset Air Museum and eventually brought to Quonset for restoration.  It was planned to make the aircraft a memorial to Ensign Frankwitz.  While much work was done on the plane, as of the museum’s closing, the restoration had not yet been completed.

(Author Photo)

Grumman F6F ¾-scale Hellcat (Serial No. 1), Reg. No. N6FN, 3, built by Al Sparling.

(Author Photos)

Grumman A-6B Intruder (BuNo. 155629), coded AG-501. On loan from the National Museum of Naval Aviation. 155629 is now with the Hickory Aviation Museum in North Carolina.

Grumman C-1A Trader (BuNo. 136780), cockpit only.

(Author Photos)

Grumman C-1A Trader (BuNo. 136792), converted to prototype E-1.

(Author Photos)

Grumman F-14B Tomcat (BuNo. 162591), AD-260, C/N 513

Hughes OH-6A Cayuse (Serial No. 67-16265).

Hughes OH-6A Cayuse (Serial No. 67-16279).

(Author Photo)

Hughes OH-6A Cayuse (Serial No. 67-16570).

(Author Photos)

Ling-Tempco-Vought A-7D Corsair II (Serial No. 75-0408)

Lockheed T-33A Shooting Star (Serial No. 53-6091), in parts.

(Author Photo)

Lockheed TV-2 Shooting Star (BuNo. 137936), USMC.

(Author Photos)

Lockheed P2V Neptune (BuNo. 131403), C/N 426-5272. This aircraft was scrapped on site in 2018.

McDonnell F-4A Phantom II (BuNo. 148252).

(Author Photo)

McDonnell F-4B Phantom II (BuNo. 148371).

 (Author Photos)

McDonnell Douglas AV-8C Harrier (BuNo. 158710).

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 Fagot (Serial No.).

(Poggiosantos Photo)

(Author Photos)

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17F/LIM 6bis Fresco C (Serial No. 1FO326), 325, Polish Air Force.

(Author Photos)

MIM-14 Nike Hercules surface-to-air missile. Location to TBC.

North American T-28S Fennec (Serial No. 51-3529). Location to TBC.

(Author Photos)

Northrop T-38A Talon (Serial No. 63-8197), in parts. Location TBC.

Piasecki/Vertol CH-21C Shawnee (Serial No. 51-15892). Location TBC.

(Author Photos)

Sikorsky SH-3H Sea King Helicopter (Serial No. 149738), on loan from the National Museum of Naval Aviation. 149738 is now with the Hickory Aviation Museum in North Carolina.

Stinson L-9B Voyager (Serial No.)

North Kingstown, Quonset State Airport, Rhode Island Air National Guard, 143rd Airlift Wing.  This air guard unit is the only cargo operator of the Lockheed C-130J Super Hercules in the Northeast.

Bell AH-1 Cobra (Serial No. 67-15530, painted as Serial No. 70-16530

Bell UH-1B Iroquois Helicopter (Serial No. 62-0233)

Hughes OH-6A Cayuse (Serial No. 67-16627)

Providence

Roy Knabenshue was a builder and exhibitor of dirigibles of his own design.  His outstanding contributions to aviation include making balloon flights and being the first to pilot a steerable balloon.  He also piloted the first successful American dirigible.  In addition, he also became well-known by building US Army observation balloons during World War I.

Roy turned to ballooning to supplement his income because wages for a telephone man were not enough to support his large family.  Because of his family’s standing in the community and their embarrassment with his ballooning venture, he changed his name to “Professor Don Carlos” during the early days of his flying.

His first successful dirigible with constructed with an engine designed and built by Glenn Curtiss, in 1904.  The second was built in August of 1905.  He flew it over New York’s Central Park, and stopped all traffic with the unusual sight.

In 1907 Knabenshue's third dirigible was completed and flown in exhibitions at Providence, Rhode Island; Hartford, Connecticut; Worchester, Massachusetts and London, Ontario.  In the latter part of the year Knabenshue began building a three-man airship designed to carry passengers, and also for exhibition work.

By late 1909, public interest began to turn to airplanes and the Wright Brothers decided to put on flight exhibitions.  They employed Knabenshue to plan exhibitions for the Wright Fliers being trained at a flying school in Montgomery, Alabama opened in March 1910, now known as Maxwell Field.

Knabenshue arranged for the first exhibition at the Indianapolis Speedway in June 1910.  In July, the team performed at Atlantic City and in August the team made exhibition flights along the Chicago Lake Front.  In October the team also participated in the Belmont Park International Air Meet.

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