Warbirds and Airshows
By David D Jackson

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Indiana Museums - Aviation, Military, Automotive and Fire

Freeman Army Airfield Museum
Seymour, IN

Date Visited:  1-28-2017

The Freeman Army Airfield Museum is located at the Freeman Municipal Airport on the south side off Seymour, IN.  I visited the museum when it first opened in 1995, and this was my first visit since then.  Since its opening, the museum has expanded significantly!  It now occupies two former WWII Link Trainer buildings.  While it is like many other museums around the country that tell the story of a former WWII airfield, the Freeman Field Museum is unique in that it is at the location of  the Air Material Commands Foreign Aircraft Evaluation Center.  For many WWII aviation enthusiasts, the Foreign Aircraft Evaluation Center is infamous for bulldozing and then burying many one-of-a-kind and rare WWII aircraft at Freeman Field.  Needless to say, this was not one of the US Army Air Force's more stellar moments.  The museum has half of a building dedicated to the few relics recovered over the years.  It is well worth the trip to view these artifacts. 

The original mission of Freeman Field was as an advanced trainer base.  From 1943-45, there were 250 AT-10 Wichitas located at the field. 

The Freeman Army Airfield Museum has very limited hours on Saturdays only, so one must plan  a visit accordingly.  Combining this museum with the Virgil Grissom Memorial/Museum in Mitchell, IN is recommended for an interesting day trip.

 
The main museum resides in one of the five original Link Trainer buildings still standing.


On display are several aircraft and AT-10 items including this windshield from a Wichita. 


There are literally hundreds of photos from WWII on the walls of the museum .   The museum has a collection of 323 WWII Freeman Field period photos that visitors can be purchase on CD for a reasonable price.


One of the many photos of foreign aircraft that were tested and then buried at Freeman Army Airfield. 


This room has models and photos of German aircraft brought to Freeman Field.


This room was not open in 1995 when I originally visited the museum.  It has many weapons, uniforms and other military artifacts of WWII on display.


This is the original flight planning map from base operation at Freeman Army Airfield.  A very nice display for the museum. 


This is one half of the annex dedicated to the items that have been exhumed during digs at the airport.  This room is what sets the Freeman Army Airfield Museum apart from other museums of its type.


The top blade is from center engine on a JU-52.  The wooden blade below it is from a Ju-88.  Wood was utilized for the JU-88 late in WWII, due to the shortage of aluminum.  In the middle is a blade from a Savoia-Marchetti SM.79, while the next down is from a either a Breda Ba.65 or Ba.88.  Bottom is from a Hawker Typhoon.  Freeman Field evaluated foreign aircraft, which included those of our allies.  The president of the museum told me that the Typhoon blade is very rare, and someone had visited to measure this one in order to make a new one.


On the reverse side, the top three blades are from an M-109 and the bottom two from a Spitfire.

For aviation and WWII enthusiasts, the Freeman Army Airfield Museum is a location of significant interest.  It has much to offer that other museums don't.  I recommend a visit here.

 

 

 


 
Home  Indiana Museums    Indiana Tanks on Outside Display   The Beginning    Revisions   First Flight of P-38F Glacier Girl  
USS Theodore Roosevelt    WWII Aircraft Manufacturing Sites    Gateguards
 2007 Airshows   2008 Airshows  22009 Airshows   2010 Airshows    2011 Airshows    2012 Airshows   2013 Airshows   2014 Airshows    2015 Airshows  2016 Airshows    2017 Airshows    2018 Airshows  
2019 Airshows   2020 Airshows   2021 Airshows   2022 Airshows   2023 Airshows   2024 Airshows
Aviation Museums of the Pacific Northwest
   Display Helicopter Locations   CAL FIRE   PV-2 Harpoon Photos     F6F Hellcat Photos
   Warbird Sightings   WWII US Air-Air Victories   Guest Photos    Indiana Warbirds   Featured Photos  Other Items   Links

Historic Sites   Historic Forts   Historic Texas Independence Sites   Pre-Historic Sites   Historic Manhattan Project Sites   GM Heritage Center


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