One of three surviving S-39 amphibians of the 21 built in the early 1930s, NC803W flown by the Civil Air Patrol during WW2 on U-boat spotting missions. It was recovered from Alaska in 1963 as a crashed wreck, with restoration at NEAM completed in 1996

Built as a JRF-5 for the USN in 1942, this Goose was registered N1523V in 1955. In 1958/59 it was converted by Kaman to become the only K-16 tilt-wing experimental aircraft with YT58 turboprops for VTOL/STOL development work. Ground runs were carried out here at Windsor Locks in 1960 and in 1962 it was flown aboard a C-133 to Moffett Field for wind-tunnel tests. After return it was never flown. Given to the museum in 1965, by 1975 it had been restored and had its huge props fitted after 2000, but these have been removed again. The C-124 and C-133 behind were both destroyed in the 1979 tornado.

Built by Douglas at Tulsa, this Invader flew combat missions with the 416th BG of the 9th AF in Europe from December 1944 to August 1945. Post-war it was registered N86481 and I saw it as such when stored at Bradley during my first visit in 1973. In 2012 a nine-year restoration was completed.

This A-10 last served with the 118th FS, 103rd FW of the Connecticut ANG here at Bradley, but earlier saw Gulf War operations with the 354th TFW (Myrtle Beach NC) and returned with the name "The Full Armor of God". In November 2021 it was placed back on display after an extensive renovation.

The Huskie will be well remembered by those attending USAF Armed Forces Days in the 1960s, often performing fire suppression demonstrations. This one had the honour of acting as a guard for Air Force One over the stewardship of three different Presidents. Until recently is was on display next to NEAM's Kaman HOK-1 but it is now in the storage shed.

Until recently this record-breaking F-104 was on display, but a week before before my visit it was unfortunately removed to the storage hangar to make space for an F-15. While based at Hahn AB with the 479th TFW in 1962, it reached a speed of Mach 2.5 at 92,000 ft. When I saw it in 1975, it was outside in a plain light-grey scheme. Four years later it was badly damaged in the infamous tornado that wrecked so many fine airframes in the collection.

Originally intended for American Airlines, this DC-3 was diverted to the USAAF as a C-49J during the war, taking serial 43-1973. Converted back to DC-3 specification, it entered service with Eastern as NC44792 and N44792 after 1948. Sold on as N792G and later familiar as N165LG of Florida Airmotive, it was acquired by NEAM in 1992 and from 2016 received this splendid restoration to its immediate post-war state.

The NEAM has several Kaman helicopters in its collection, appropriate as they are a Connecticut company. A total of 184 SH-2s were built, the USN withdrawing the last of theirs in 2001

A truly unique exhibit at the NEAM is this CBY-3 which underwent an eight-year restoration completed in 2020. A one-off, twin-boom, aerofoil-section fuselage, high-lift airliner, it was built by Canadian Car & Foundry in 1944, registered CF-BEL-X while in the experimental stage. Despite significant interest from the industry and a trouble-free test program, no orders were forthcoming. The designer Burnelli moved back to the US and it was registered N17N, the Loadmaster flying commercially in N Canada and S America until withdrawn at Baltimore. In 1964 it was moved in derelict state to Bradley.

Previously served the 208th Aviation Co, CT NG, here at Bradley International. The sign leaning on the cargo pod covers a serial from a different CH-54

Delivered as an F-89D-40-NO, this Scorpion underwent F-89J conversion but was dropped from the USAF inventory in 1962 after a flying accident. It was damaged in the 1979 Windsor Locks tornado but has just undergone complete renovation, going back on display in CT ANG marks in summer 2023. The tail is from 53-2492

Suffering somewhat from long-term outdoor exposure, this 'Whale' was constructed as an A3D-2 and taken on charge by the USN in 1957, assigned to Heavy Attack Squadron 8 (VAH-8), NAS Whidbey Island, WA. After transfer there to VAH-13 then VAH-123, it was transferred to the NATC, NAS Patuxent River, in whose faded colours it is now on show. It was flown to the Bradley Air Museum. in 1976

Painted to represent B-25H 43-4381 "Dog Daize" of the 82nd BS, 12th BG operating in Indochina in 1943/44, this is really 43-4999. After storage and post-war disposal, it was sold on to the Dominican Air Force with s/n 2502, returning to the US as N3970C in 1952. It became derelict at West Trenton-Mercer County Airport, NJ after another Latin American sale fell through and was eventually seized by the airport authorities for non-payment of fees. In 1970 it was donated to the Bradly Air Museum and survived damage in the 1979 tornado, undergoing restoration from 1986 to 1993

Delivered to the US Army in 1962 as a CV-2B and named "The Ruptured Duck" while based at Fort Benning GA, this Caribou was reassigned to the USAF in 1967 and operated from Cam Rahn AB with the 458th TAS. On return from Vietnam, in 1976 it transferred to the 150th TAS at McGuire AFB, NJ then the 135th TAS, Martin State, MD. In 1980 it went back to the US Army with the National Guard here at Bradley Field, coming under the control of the Connecticut Aviation Classification Repair Activity Depot in 1990 in these unusual colours. Given to museum by 1992 having made the last flight by a C-7

This B-29 was recovered from the Aberdeen Proving Ground by the Bradley Air Museum in 1973 and although damaged in the 1979 tornado, was restored between 1998 and 2003 (using the rear fuselage of 44-61739). Although the aircraft was too late to see war service, it was painted to represent 46-1566 (without serial) which had flown with the 468th BG/58th BW from Tinian.

Beautifully restored, this early F-100 was another local resident, operated by the CT ANG's 118th TFS/103rd TFG from 1959 to 1964

This is a single Lockheed Model 10 built as an XR2O-1 for the Secretary of the Navy with BuNo 0267. Post war it flew as N57573 with various corporate operators and airlines, including a short period with Provincetown-Boston Airline in early 1962. It joined the Wings and Wheels Museum in Orlando in the early 1980s and was later transferred to its current location, where it was restored in these Northwest Airlines colours by 2010

It's 49 years since I'd been to this collection, back then known as the Bradley Air Museum. At that time, the only surviving VS-44 of the three built was lying dismantled and unrestored at the Naval Air Museum, Pensacola, having been donated by Antilles Air Boats who had used it to ferry passengers among the Virgin Islands until damaged beyond repair in January 1969 on hitting rocks while taxiing at Charlotte Amalie. In 1983 it was transferred on permanent loan to NEAM, first being shipped by barge to Sikorsky Memorial Airport, Stratford, CT where restoration took place between 1987 and 1997

Photo by Tom Hildreth.