Southern Museum of Flight

{{Short description|Aviation museum in Birmingham, Alabama, USA}}

{{Infobox museum

|name= Southern Museum of Flight

|image= SouthernMuseumofFlight.jpg

|map_type= Alabama#USA

|map_caption= Location in Alabama

|coordinates= {{Coord|33.56348|-86.73806|display=inline,title}}

|established= {{start date|1966}}

|location= 4343 73rd Street North
Birmingham, Alabama 35206

|founder= Mary Alice Beatty

|director= Dr. Brian J. Barsanti

|website= {{URL|http://www.southernmuseumofflight.org/}}

}}

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.

Overview

The Lake Murray B-25C Mitchell{{cite web|title=Podcast: Southern Museum of Flight|url=http://www.al.com/news/audio/flightwrap.mp3|website=AL.com|access-date=26 May 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150526172649/http://www.al.com/news/audio/flightwrap.mp3|archive-date=26 May 2015}} 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 it sank to a depth of 150 feet (46m). The aircraft became a dive site for local technical divers until it was raised from the depths of the lake in September 2005.{{cite web|title=Lake Murray's Mitchell|url=http://www.airspacemag.com/history-of-flight/lake-murrays-mitchell-14033140/?no-ist|website=Air & Space Magazine, Smithsonian}} 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.{{cite web|title=B-25 Mitchell Bomber Salvaged from Lake Murray|url=http://www.lakemurray-sc.com/lakemurrayb25.html|website=Lake Murray's B-25}} After recovery the remains of the aircraft were moved to the Southern Museum of Flight in Birmingham, Alabama for conservation and museum display.{{cite web|title=Lake Murray B-25 Exhibit|url=http://www.southernmuseumofflight.org/exhibits.html|website=Southern Museum of Flight|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020408230451/http://www.southernmuseumofflight.org/exhibits.html|archive-date=2002-04-08}} A video crew, including maritime video experts from Nautilus Productions, documented the recovery for the Mega Movers series on the History Channel.{{cite web|title=Rick Allen (XIX)|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2971671/|website=IMDB}}

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.{{cite news |last1=Bonnett |first1=Dona |title=Southern Museum of Flight on track for 2021-22 opening |url=http://www.newsaegis.com/community/southern-museum-of-flight-on-track-for-2021-22-opening/article_da271d72-99d0-11e9-9976-a72e4056c796.html |access-date=12 February 2021 |work=St. Clair News-Aegis |date=28 June 2019}}

In 2017, the museum announced plans to move to the Barber Motorsports Park.{{cite news |last1=Paepcke |first1=Jon |title=Birmingham's Southern Museum of Flight moving to Barber Motorsports Park |url=http://www.wvtm13.com/article/birmingham-s-southern-museum-of-flight-moving-to-barber-motorsports-park/13923541 |access-date=13 September 2023 |work=WTVM 13 |date=24 November 2017}} 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.{{cite news |last1=Paepcke |first1=Jon |title=WVTM 13 Investigates: New Southern Museum of Flight site is delayed |url=http://www.wvtm13.com/article/investigates-southern-museum-flight-relocation-is-delayed/43981412 |access-date=13 September 2023 |work=WVTM 13 |date=23 May 2023}}

Selected aircraft on display

File:Blackbird, Southern Museum of Flight, Birmingham, A-12 Historic First Version of the SR 71 Blackbird - panoramio.jpg

File:MiG 15 at the Southern Museum of Flight.JPG

;Military aircraft

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;Civilian aircraft

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References

=Notes=

= 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.

External links

[http://www.southernmuseumofflight.org/ Southern Museum of Flight website]
[http://www.alabamaaviationhalloffame.com/ Alabama Aviation Hall of Fame website]
[http://www.lakemurray-sc.com/lakemurrayb25.html Lake Murray's B-25]
[http://www.airspacemag.com/history-of-flight/lake-murrays-mitchell-14033140/?no-ist Lake Murray's Mitchell]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20150526172649/http://www.al.com/news/audio/flightwrap.mp3 Podcast: Southern Museum of Flight]
{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20120326000825/http://rubicon-foundation.org/Projects/b-25-recovery-and-preservation-project/ B-25 Recovery and Preservation Project]}} Rubicon Foundation

Category:Aerospace museums in Alabama

Category:Museums in Birmingham, Alabama

Category:Museums established in 1966

Category:1966 establishments in Alabama

Category:Birmingham–Shuttlesworth International Airport