Museums 101: The Olympic Flight Museum (Photo Diary)

The Olympic Flight Museum was established in 1998 at the Olympia Regional Airport in Olympia, Washington. While the museum normally has a number of aircraft on display, on the day we visited they had only four aircraft displayed.

North American P-51D Mustang

The Mustang was a World War II aircraft used as a fighter/interceptor and long range bomber escort. It has a top speed of 438 mph and a combat range of 1,000 miles. According to the Museum:

“The Mustang, designed initially to meet a British requirement for fighter service in Europe, became the leading US fighter in the European Theater of Operation during the final months of the war.  The Mustang was designed and rolled out in 117 days.  It was first flown on October 26, 1940.  The P-51is the synergism of every contemporary advanced aerodynamic and structural design; primarily, it was the first fighter with a laminar wing design.  As a result, it held an exceptional internal fuel capacity and low drag enabling it to fly an extended combat radius.”

UH1 Helicopter

This helicopter was used in Viet Nam.

Boeing N2S Stearman (PT-17)

This is a biplane trainer which is easy to fly and relatively forgiving of new pilots. It gained a reputation as a rugged airplane and a good teacher. The plane was designated PT by the Army, N2S by the Navy, and Kaydet by the Canadian forces. It was produced during World War II and by 1945 more than 10,000 had been produced. There are at least 1,000 still flying today.

Hollywood Zero

This is a replica of a Mitsubishi A6M2 Reisen Zero-Sen Model 21. It is called a Hollywood Zero because it was used in Hollywood movies about World War II.

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