Keep 'em Flying!

The Northern Ohio Museum of Aviation is now the National Air Racing Museum!

The board of directors have decided to refocus the direction of the Museum on the National Air Races, in which Cleveland played a vital role. NARM

The event circulated to different cities for nine years and was finally brought to Cleveland in 1929 by a group of local businessmen headed by Louis W. Greve and Frederick C. Crawford. Greve was president of the Cleveland Pneumatic Tool Company, which made the hydraulic undercarriages that held the wheels on airplanes. Crawford was general manager and later president of Thompson Products Inc., now a part of TRW Inc. Thompson Products developed the experimental sodium-cooled cylinders, which enabled Charles Lindbergh’s Spirit of St. Louis to reach France.

Over a 20 year span, from 1929 to 1949, Cleveland and Hopkins Field were host to the greatest flying spectacle on the planet, holding the prestigious Thompson and Greve Trophy Races.

The Museum intends to honor all of Air Racing, not just Cleveland's roll, and will encompass aircraft and artifacts from Racing's "Golden Age" to post WWII Fighters which were turned into Air Racers.

We are working on a new website and will be moving to www.airracemuseum.org soon. See you there!

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Welcome to the Northern Ohio Museum of Aviation, the home of Benny Howard's famous Golden Age Air Racers, "Mike" and "Ike"! 

N.O.M.A. was incorporated in the State of Ohio in June of 2006 and is a 501 (c) 3 non profit corporation.   Our mission is to educate the public about the historical and technological impact that Northern Ohio has had on the aviation industry during the 20th Century.  Through the preservation, restoration, and operation of historically significant aircraft that have a connection to Northern Ohio, the Museum intends to foster a better understanding and appreciation of aviation advancements that have occurred here. 

The Museum is currently based at the Wadsworth Municipal Airport (3G3) in Wadsworth, Ohio and the  collection is available for viewing by appointment only until we establish a permanent home.  Current aircraft  and artifacts in our collection include  the original Howard DGA-4 "Mike" and DGA-4 "Ike" air racers from the 1930's, a Piper L-4J Grasshopper that served in Italy with the 5th Army during the second world war, a 1941 Troy, Ohio built WACO UPF-7 Biplane that served in the Civilian Pilot Training Program at a glider training base in Texas during World War II,  and one of two Menasco  B-6 race engines known to exist.  This Menasco is the original Race engine from the Howard "Ike" air racer.

The Museum's future plans include the acquisition of more regionally significant aircraft, and the construction of a permanent preservation and restoration facility.  A tentative list of aircraft to be placed on loan to the Museum include an airworthy Grumman TBM Avenger Torpedo Bomber, a North American T-6 Texan, and a replica of the 1929 Heath Baby Bullet National Air Racer.  N.O.M.A. will also underwrite the restoration of both of the Howard air racers with a goal of having one aircraft airworthy by 2010 in order to commemorate the 75th anniversary of Benny Howard's 1935 Cleveland National Air Race victories.

The Northern Ohio Museum of Aviation is a publicly supported organization.  Historically speaking, the restoration, preservation,  and safe operation of rare and significant aircraft has always been costly endeavor, both in terms of time and money. N.O.M.A. is continually seeking support to continue our mission.  For ways you can help, click here to visit our Campain page.  Credit card donations may be made through www.paypal.com   The email address to our account is wacodrvr@aol.com.  Please help "Mike" and "Ike" return to the air!

 

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