Yanks Air Museum, Chino, California

Museum Reviews

Yanks Air Museum, Chino, California

Reviewed by Scott Taylor

Jennies with and without skin - a very well-done exhibit.

Yanks Air Museum Home Page

Yanks Air Museum

7000 Merrill Avenue,

Hangar A207, Box 35,

Chino, California

91710

(909) 597-1735

Directions: South from Pomona Freeway (Highway 60) on Euclid Avenue to Merrill Avenue, then east on Merrill to Chino Airport, or north from Riverside Freeway (Highway 91) on Highway 71 to Euclid Avenue, then north on Euclid to Merrill Avenue and east on Merrill to Chino Airport.

Incredibly, Chino airport is the home of not one but two world-class aviation museums. The Yanks Air Museum is a relative newcomer, but has an impressive collection of flying and static aircraft numbering over 120 aircraft. The focus of the collection is on US-built civil and military aircraft, and many of the aircraft are flyable. Aircraft in the collection run the gamut from First World War-era Curtiss Jennies to such modern staples as a Grumman F-14 Tomcat, EA-6B Prowler, and E-2 Hawkeye.

You gotta love VF-27's garish sharkmouth on a Hellcat!

The main museum building is a very clean, modern structure that houses both the hangar where the restored collection is kept and a nice gift shop. From what I could see, the collection is arranged somewhat chronologically if you walk through counterclockwise - you begin with the Curtiss Jenny and end with a very shiny Canadair Sabre Mk. 6. In between you find some real rarities, including the only flying Curtiss O-52 Owl in the world, a Kellett YG-1B autogyro, and a float-equipped N3N-3 "Yellow Peril" biplane. Coupled with that are such classic fighters as a P-40E Warhawk, an F6F-5 Hellcat, an FM-2 Wildcat, and a P-51D Mustang. In total, there are probably close to 30 fully-restored aircraft on display in the main building.

The only SBD-4 Dauntless in the world, with the wing of an SBD recovered from Guadalcanal alongside.

Two of the highlights for me were the YP-47M Thunderbolt, prototype of the fastest piston-engined fighter to see service during the Second World War, and an F-6B Mustang, one of the Allison-engined reconaissance versions of North American's immortal P-51. Both of these planes are stunning in their own way, both from the standpoint of rarity and of excellence in their restorations. I would have loved to see them fly, but c'est la vie - at least I saw them. The SBD Dauntless and Bell Cobras - both P-39 and P-63 - were also a sight to behold.

A pair of flying 'Cobras - examples of Bell's P-39 and P-63 side by side.

I particularly enjoyed going through the restoration hangar, where some exciting planes were being worked on. A Grumman TBF-1 Avenger was awaiting its turn, still in original paint, as a Ryan Brougham (the stock version of Charles Lindbergh's Spirit of St. Louis) was being restored. Beside it sat an F4U-4B Corsair which was almost done, while nestled under the wing of a B-25J Mitchell in RNZAF markings was a very rare Curtiss SB2C-3 Helldiver. The museum's F-5G Lightning photo recon bird was parked near the hangar doors, ready for flight. A portion of the hangar contained an interesting display of target drones, along with a number of ejection seats and flying suits.

In the restoration to flying queue is this very rare Curtiss SB2C-3 Helldiver.

This is a museum that is only going to get better with age. As more of the collection is restored to the museum's very high standards, an already great museum will become even greater. I am sure that the proposed expansion to be built in Greenfield, California will also be a destination of choice for airplane lovers. Highly recommended to anybody interested in aviation who finds him or herself in southern California.

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