Maggie’s Evergreen Aviation Museum - machine guns galore!

[oregon]

The Evergreen Aviation Museum is home to the Spruce Goose created by Howard Hughes, they have an SR-71, and some other cool things.

The Evergreen Aviation firearms collection was added in 2009. I last visited the museum in the summer of 2007, before the guns went on display. From a relative old marine who saw them before the gun museum opened, hear the huge amount of varied guns the Smith family has is incredible. Especially automatic weapons. The Smith's own the world's largest privately-held collection of machine guns. More information about the gun display is at:

http://www.evergreenmuseum.org/#/aircraft-exhibits/firearms-collection

Has anyone seen the Evergreen Aviation Gun display? If so, please share your experience - and add your favorite and least favorite thing about your visit.

On Tuesday 4/12/11 The Evergreen Aviation Museum will find out if it gets one of three remaining space shuttles being retired. More about their space shuttle hopes is at:

http://blog.seattlepi.com/aerospace/2011...e-announcement/

The three shuttles are up for sale because the NASA program is officially being shut down:

http://www.airspacemag.com/space-exploration/Shuttle-For-Sale-Previously-Owned.html

 

[oregon]

Re: Evergreen Aviation Museum firearms. Space Shuttle?

There was an announcement today that Evergreen will not be getting a space shuttle. Will get $13M in shuttle parts and memorabilia.

http://www.kgw.com/news/local/Will-Everg...-119687894.html

From the link, "The retiring shuttles are going to the Smithsonian Institution for its branch in northern Virginia, the California Science Center in Los Angeles, and the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida." ... "New York City will get the prototype Enterprise, which was used for test flights in the 1970s."

Evergreen created a really nice place for the Space Shuttle in hopes of getting one, wonder what they will put there instead.

 

[SLINKY ERT]

Re: Evergreen Aviation Museum firearms. Space Shuttle?

Damn shame. I was a door gunner on the Endeavour.

 

[Gun_Crazy]

Re: Evergreen Aviation Museum firearms. Space Shuttle?

Thanks for sharing. I will now have to go back to the museum and check out the fire arms displays. Sounds really interesting. Its only 30 minutes away or so...

 

[pepperbelly]

Re: Evergreen Aviation Museum firearms. Space Shuttle?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: oregon</div><div class="ubbcode-body">There was an announcement today that Evergreen will not be getting a space shuttle. Will get $13M in shuttle parts and memorabilia:

http://www.kgw.com/news/local/Will-Everg...-119687894.html

From the link, "The retiring shuttles are going to the Smithsonian Institution for its branch in northern Virginia, the California Science Center in Los Angeles, and the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida." ... "New York City will get the prototype Enterprise, which was used for test flights in the 1970s."
</div></div>

Houston isn't getting a shuttle either. I wish someone could explain why New York has more of a history than Houston.

Jim

 

[Fred_C_Dobbs]

Re: Evergreen Aviation Museum firearms. Space Shuttle?

During the Vietnam era, CIA ran its own air wing, named "Air America," which at one time reputedly was the largest airline in the world. After the war, Congress was eager to shed all that baggage, and CIA in particular had become too independent, so they ordered CIA to divest itself of Air America and all its assets. The majority was sold to Evergreen Air. They supposedly were "spook-free" but I rubbed up against them enough in Central America during the Contra War to realize they were anything but.

I got to see the Spruce Goose at McMinnville before it was reassembled. While the building of the new museum was in progress, the goose sat inside basically a giant clear greenhouse with its wings removed. I stood on the hood of my car and took pictures (not the one below) looking into the wingroot and down the catwalk to the P&W 4360 "corncobs." Next time I come across those prints, I'll have to digitize them so I can show them off on the 'web.

 

[oregon]

Re: Evergreen Aviation Museum firearms. Space Shuttle?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Fred_C_Dobbs</div><div class="ubbcode-body">During the Vietnam era, CIA ran its own air wing, named "Air America," which at one time reputedly was the largest airline in the world. After the war, Congress was eager to shed all that baggage, and CIA in particular had become too independent, so they ordered CIA to divest itself of Air America and all its assets. The majority was sold to Evergreen Air. They supposedly were "spook-free" but I rubbed up against them enough in Central America during the Contra War to realize they were anything but.</div></div>
Fred, the Evergreen private holdings are still the largest airline in the world no one knows about

I remember when they got the Spruce Goose. Please share those pictures when / if found. At the time wondered how some guy at a smaller town in Oregon afford to own Howard Hughes military transport dream airplane. In later life as a 'local' knowing lots of people figured it out from those who know Del first hand.

Here is what wiki has to say about them, while confident is missing lots of stuff as has many 'private' clients:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evergreen_International_Airlines

Del was an orphan, given a rough start when his adoptive dad died when he was very young. Del is self-made and has had huge success. Along the way his initial business partner died. Del keeps landing on his feet. A blogger has a four part series on evergreen air at:

1) http://sandacom.wordpress.com/2009/07/22/a-valley-treasure-evergreen-international-aviation/
2) http://sandacom.wordpress.com/2009/07/24/evergreen-international-aviation-part-2/
3) http://sandacom.wordpress.com/2009/07/28/evergreen-international-aviation-part-3/
4) http://sandacom.wordpress.com/2009/09/09/delford-m-smith-valley-innovator/

Something another blogger has to say about Evergreen Aviation Museum:
http://www.oregon.com/yamhill_valley_attractions/evergreen_aviation_museum

 

[Fred_C_Dobbs]

Re: Evergreen Aviation Museum firearms. Space Shuttle?

I had to ride herd on a press event at Ft. Campbell in about 1986 when the Agency for International Development used Campbell Army Airfield as the point of debarkation for a bunch of mules they were shipping to Pakistan for refugee relief. There supposedly had been some manner of "mule blight" there.

But "60 Minutes" showed up, claiming AID was working as a sock puppet of CIA (which it often does) and that the mules in reality were a CIA gift for the Mujaheddin in Afghanistan, who were busy fighting the Rooskies.

The airline was Flying Tigers. When the original American Volunteer Group (AKA, the Flying Tigers) left China, they left a lot of aircraft behind, most of which ended up in the custody of the OSS, which eventually became the CIA. And those same airframes were the basis of what eventually became Air America.

To this day I have no clue if Flying Tigers has any spook connection but it does seem awfully coincidental.