OUR
AIRCRAFT
We focus on restoring aircraft to flying condition as we believe that living history is the best kind of history. Our airplanes are primarily from WWII, Vietnam, and the Cold War.
OUR COLLECTION.
From movie star's airplanes to airplanes that are movie stars, our aircraft have been used by the military, hollywood, and even as firefighters.
B-25J Mitchell
"Champaign Gal"
The North American B-25 Mitchell was an American twin-engine medium bomber manufactured by North American Aviation. Allied air forces flew it in every theater of World war II, and it was used my many other air forces after the war, seeing service across four decades.
Built in 1944 by North American, our B-25J served with the USAAF for 13 years. It was used as a trainer, transport and personnel transport. In 1957 it was transferred to the famous "airplane boneyard" at Davis-Monthan AFB where it was stored until ~1959 when it was bought by a private company and fought fires in Canada and the USA. It continued to be used as an airtanker until the late 1980's when it was restored to its wartime specifications.
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In 2008 the Champaign Aviation Museum acquired the aircraft and has been flying it and meticulously maintaining it ever since.
B-17G Flying Fortress "Champaign Lady"
The Boeing B-17 was a four engine heavy bomber developed in the 1930's for the U.S. Army Air Corps (USAAC).
The B-17 was primarily employed in the daylight precision strategic bombing campaign of World War II against German industrial and military targets. The U.S. Army Air Corps touted the aircraft as a strategic weapon. It was a potent, high-flying, long-range bomber, able to defend itself and return home despite extensive battle damage. Widely circulated stories and photos of battered B-17s helped it achieve huge public recognition.
Our B-17 is being rebuilt using parts from various airframes that have seen a wide range of service, including an airtanker, movie prop, search and rescue, and nuclear testing. Volunteers fabricate missing pieces according to the specifications from the original drawings.
C-1A (TF-1)
"Mudflap Girl"
C-1As are variants of the S-2 Tracer developed in the early 1950s. Created for the purpose of COD, carrier on-board delivery, C-1As were the freight carriers of the navy. Capable of being launched from an aircraft carrier, they delivered mail, people and cargo. Two 1,500 HP Wright R-1820s power this aircraft.
Our C-1A was delivered to the US navy in 1955. It served on the USS Lexington as well as the USS Roosevelt. Retired from the navy in the late 1980s it passed through several civil owners before being donated to the Champaign Aviation Museum in January 2019. Currently, the aircraft is being thoroughly inspected to ensure it is safe to fly passengers in.