Cub Scouts Pack
877
The Wolves took a field trip to the Champlin Fighter Aircraft Museum in Mesa, Arizona. We were given tours of WWI, WWII, Korean War, and Vietnam era aircraft. The neat thing about the airplanes at this museum is that almost all of them are in flying condition (e.g., not mock-ups or models).
The Scouts and families really enjoyed the visit, and we concluded our trip with a romp in the park. Snacks, refreshments, and souvenier toy airplanes were provided.
Below are some images and descriptions of the day...
We began with a tour of the WWI aircraft. This one represents some of the very earliest flying craft. A wooden frame covered in thin cloth, it used "wing warping" for turning. Since the fabric was coated with anything for ultraviolet light protection, it has deteriorated over time.
Here, we're seeing an early fighter complete with rotating radial engine (whole engine spins around the drive shaft) and machine gun that shoots through the propeller (via an interrupter gear)
This is an example of a more advanced fighter aircraft from the WWI era.
All lined-up in a row, this side of the hangar displays the French, British, and American fighters from WWI.
The Museum generally applies a paint scheme to the aircraft representing those of actual flying aces during the war (five or more downed enemy aircraft).
The kids had good questions for our tour guide.
Next, we took a look at Korean and Vietnam era jets. Here is a Mig...they terrorized the skies during the Korean War and surprised the United Nations forces with the speed and maneuverability.
In the background here is an example of a jet engine. A jet engine sucks in air, compresses it, adds an explosive mixture of fuel, ignites it, and blows the exhaust out the back. Since physics saws that "for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction", the hot gasses shooting out the back of the plane push the jet forward.
Next, we went to the hangar containing the WWII fighters and switched to a new tour guide to describe that era.
The Scouts were extremely attentive and well-behaved. The size and "coolness" of the aircraft seemed to command and keep their attention.
Here's one of the few remaining examples of the ME-109 German aircraft, painted in the scheme of a German ace shown in the picture in front of the plane.
This is a Russian fighter of the day...I think this would make a great template for a homebuilt replica. It has sleek but simple lines.
The P-40 American aircraft, famous for it's shark nose and use by the Flying Tigers volunteer force aiding China during its fight with Japan.
All the kids got to "ring the alarm bell"....scramble! scramble! Everyone to their planes!
It's pretty loud...
The smaller pilots can sometimes need a little assistance reaching that high....
After a great tour, we went across the street to a very nice park area. Under a shade pavillion, we had snacks and refreshments.
Each Scout was given a patch for their brag vests, as well as a souvenir foam toy airplane. It didn't take long, though, for the kids to identify a jungle jim and other playground equipment begging for their attention...off they go!
