The first paragraphs on this page tell about our visit to Anoka County-Blaine Airport. I'll continue the story here.

The Golden Wings Flying Museum caught us totally off guard. We were just nosing around the airport and saw this big hangar with a door open, so we peeked in. The sight was breathtaking! A gentleman was working on an airplane in the hangar and we asked if we could look around and take photos.

This is the kind of place where you feel like you should talk softly out of reverence for the collection. They are not only machines made of metal and fabric - - they represent the innovation, skill and courage of men and women of the past who contributed so much to aviation as we know it today.

The lighting in the hangar was a challenge, and the aircraft are parked pretty close together, but I did my best and I'm thankful for the opportunity. Enjoy!

Aeronca C-3 N15295, 1936 sn 623 with it's Aeronca 2-cylinder, 113-cubic inch, 36-hp engine. I wonder why it has been called a flying bathtub? LOL The Aeronca insignia, and more info.

Alliance Aircraft Argo N2M, 1929 sn 108. One of only 20 built. Photo 2, and more info.

Arrow Sport M N18764, 1938 sn 105, with Menasco PIRATE C4 D4, inverted 4-cylinder, 125-hp engine.

Buhl CA-3E N8451, 1929 sn 57, with a Packard diesel aircraft engine. Fantastic history/info here.

Cunningham Hall PT-6F N444, 1938 sn 381. Look at all the lines here! This is the freighter version of the PT-6. It was built with a Wright R-975 but now has the P&W R-985. More info here.

Fairchild FC-2-W2 M13934, 1928 sn 531. It wouldn't win a beauty contest but it probably made up for it as a workhorse. It would have been built with the 400-hp P&W Wasp but now has the 450-hp R-985 as used in Twin Beechs, BT-13s, Beavers and lots of Stearmans. You can learn more here, including photos that show the wings in the folded position.

Fairchild PT-19 M-62A-4 N55406, 1942 sn T42-1394. They're a contemporary of the Stearman series, and although I've flown many Stearmans I never had the opportunity to fly one of these. That wide gear certainly makes it much more docile than the Stearman! This is the open cockpit version of the Fairchild PT's, with a 175-hp, inverted 6-cylinder Ranger engine. Lots of info and history on this bird here.

Fairchild PT-23, Howard, M62C N64097, PT-23A 1943 sn 123. The PT-23 is the same airframe as the PT-19 but with a 7-cylinder, 220-hp, Continental W-670 engine. Many of the Fairchilds were actually built by others under contract, and N64097 was built by Howard, the people who are famous for the DGA series. Info/history here.

Fairchild PT-26 M-62A-3 Cornell N63568, 1943 sn T43-4499. The PT-26's had the 200-hp Ranger, an electrical system (I think) and the canopy for Canadian flight training. This is a nice one!

Fairchild PT-26 M-62A-4 N79185, 1942 sn FC180. Another beautiful PT-26. The Fairchild PT aircraft have several series of construction numbers (serial numbers) because they were built by several manufacturers, and are harder to figure out than many other. Stearmans, for example, all start with 75- and it's easy to figure out. Info/history here.

Fleetwings Seabird N16793, F401 sn 1. Rare in several ways including it being of spot welded stainless steel construction! This is the 3-passenger prototype, and the production models were 4-passenger. Built with a 285-hp L-5 Jacobs, it now has the 300-hp R-755-A2 Jake with a fixed pitch, Curtiss Reed prop.. Click here for more info.

Ford 4-AT-B N1077, 1927 sn 10. This is the smaller Ford, with three Wright R-760 engines and Hamilton Standard ground adjustable props, both as used on the Navy N3N. For more info/photos click here, and for a really detailed history, click here!

Ford 4-AT-B N9610, 1928 sn 42, with P&W R-985's and Hamilton Standard ground adjustables. The Fords have a distinctive nose and tail. This is the one that Harold Johnson looped, spun and snap-rolled years ago. For photos, Info and videos, click here.

Ford Bushmaster 2000 N7501V, 1966 sn 1, the first of two of this series built. They have the P&W R-985s and 3-blade Hartzell props. The vertical tail is very different from the old Fords. More info/photos here.

Keystone-Loening K-84 Commuter N63K, 1929 sn 305, awaiting restoration. The wings have been rebuilt and are standing up against the wall behind the Waco ASO. More info here.

Piper PA-22-150 N3764P, 1955 sn 22-3488. A very pretty short-wing Piper that is called a Pacer even though it is only marginally so. It is a PA-22 Tri-Pacer converted to a taildragger. It's a mod that has a similar effect to going from riding a tricycle, to a bicycle. Looks like an aux fuel tank under the rear seat there.

P&W R-985-SB. This is the predecessor to the "450", R-985 that most of us know. It is the old SB version with the clips over the rocker covers instead of having the studs and nuts. I remember when we had an SB in our fleet of 450-Stearman sprayers.

Stearman C3-B N6438, 1928 sn 169, with a Wright J-5, 9-cylinder radial engine. More info here.

Stearman E75 N317PT, PT-13D 75-5474 with the R-680-17, "225 Lycoming." This is a beauty, and as I recall, the sheetmetal is annodized instead of being painted.

Stinson SM-6000-B N11153, 1931 sn 5021, with three R-680 "300 Lycomings" and Hamilton Standard 2B20 counterweighted, constant speed props. My guess is that the heat ducting that you see on the front engine, is not original but is from a Beech AT-10. Lots of photos and info here.

Travel Air A-6000-A N377M, 1929 sn A6A-2003, a real workhorse built by Curtiss Wright. It now has a 425-HP P&W R-985-SB (as shown above). See more info here, and click on the photos there to see large images. The info there says it has an R-1340, but I don't believe it is.

Waco ASO 1929 N608N, 1929 sn 3070, in Texaco colors, with a Wright R760 engine. They really get off and up with that engine!

Waco CUC-1 N15233, 1935 sn 4318, a pretty cabin Waco named "Wind Harp", with a Wright R-760-E engine and Curtiss Reed prop. More info here.

Waco UKC N13897, 1934 sn 3842, a Pure Oil Waco with a W-670, "220 Continental" and Curtiss Reed prop. Check here for more info and some interior shots.