heroicrelics.org

Air Zoo

The Air Zoo, located in Portage, Michigan, has apparently undergone a number of name changes in its history. It started out as the Kalamazoo Aviation History Museum. Later known as the "Kalamazoo Air Zoo," it seems to have dropped the "Kalamazoo" to simply be known as the "Air Zoo" (Kalamazoo is just north of the freeway, while the Air Zoo is located just south of the freeway).

When I first visited in February 2009, the Air Zoo was comprised of three buildings located on the periphery of the Kalamazoo-Battle Creek International Airport: the Main Campus, which is the "front entrance" to the museum, containing the ticketing desk, simulators, and many of the aircraft; the East Campus, containing additional planes and the new Michigan Space Science Center; and the North Campus, which contained their restoration center (and additional space artifacts not on public display).

The North Campus was not ordinarily open to visitors. However, I knew that the Air Zoo inherited most of the artifacts from the old Michigan Space & Science Center after it closed in 2003, and I was able to arrange a special tour to see these artifacts again.

In October 2011, the Air Zoo opened an expansion to their Main Campus. Many of the planes (including all of the WWII planes) and the space artifacts (other than the F-1 rocket engine) were moved to the new Main Campus space. Most of the photos I currently have are from when these artifacts were still in the East Campus building.

Of course, of the exhibits on public display, the highlights for me were the F-1 and J-2 engines. When it was located in the East Campus, the C-47 was displayed such that it allowed access to its interior; that was also a treat, as I had never been aboard a C-47 before. (Unfortunately, the C-47, as it is currently displayed in the Main Campus, no longer allows visitors access to its interior.)

As of now, I have not yet sorted through all of my pictures from the Air Zoo, but some other page references this location. Thus, this is a "place holder" version right now, with only the pictures actually referenced. Come back some time later to see if I've finished up, or drop me an email to request me to prioritize the rest of these pictures.

 
Air Zoo
Air Zoo
F-1 Engine
F-1 Engine
J-2 Engine (East Campus)
J-2 Engine (East Campus)
NERVA Thrust Chamber
NERVA Thrust Chamber
V-2 Engine (East Campus)
V-2 Engine (East Campus)
A-7 Engine (East Campus)
A-7 Engine (East Campus)
A-7 Engine ("As Removed")
A-7 Engine ("As Removed")
LR-105 (Atlas Sustainer) Engine (East Campus)
LR-105 (Atlas Sustainer) Engine (East Campus)
LR-91 Thrust Chamber
LR-91 Thrust Chamber
APS Engine
APS Engine
Redstone Center Unit
Redstone Center Unit
Redstone Tail Unit
Redstone Tail Unit
Redstone Aft Unit
Redstone Aft Unit
Atlas Mod III Guidance Console
Atlas Mod III Guidance Console
Mercury Space Suit (East Campus)
Mercury Space Suit (East Campus)
Mark IV Pressure Suit (East Campus)
Mark IV Pressure Suit (East Campus)
Project Mercury Chimp Couch (East Campus)
Project Mercury Chimp Couch (East Campus)
Gemini Boilerplate "El Kabong" (East Campus)
Gemini Boilerplate "El Kabong" (East Campus)
Gemini Crew Trainer (East Campus)
Gemini Crew Trainer (East Campus)
Pegasus
Pegasus
S-I Model
S-I Model
S-IV Model
S-IV Model
LM Rendezvous Radar Antenna
LM Rendezvous Radar Antenna
Skylab Shower
Skylab Shower
Skylab Lower Body Negative Pressure Experiment
Skylab Lower Body Negative Pressure Experiment
Sopwith Camel
Sopwith Camel
P-40 Warhawk
P-40 Warhawk
B-25
B-25
P-47
P-47
P-39
P-39
Redstone ST-80 Stabilized Platform
Redstone ST-80 Stabilized Platform
Titan II Kick Motor
Titan II Kick Motor
C-47 (East Campus)
C-47 (East Campus)
C-47 Interior
C-47 Interior
Waco CG-4A Glider (East Campus)
Waco CG-4A Glider (East Campus)
Wildcat (East Campus)
Wildcat (East Campus)
Hellcat (East Campus)
Hellcat (East Campus)
Corsair (East Campus)
Corsair (East Campus)
Norden Bombsight
Norden Bombsight
Ha-1112
Ha-1112
V-1 Restoration
V-1 Restoration
V-1
V-1
XP-55 Ascender
XP-55 Ascender
SR-71
SR-71
SR-71 AG-330 Start Cart
SR-71 AG-330 Start Cart
J58 (SR-71) Engine
J58 (SR-71) Engine
Wasp Major R-4360 Engine
Wasp Major R-4360 Engine
Wasp Major R-4360 Engine Cutaway
Wasp Major R-4360 Engine Cutaway
F-86
F-86
Refueling Drogue
Refueling Drogue
Wildcat Restoration (Aug 5, 2013)
Wildcat Restoration (Aug 5, 2013)
Wildcat Restoration (Aug 7, 2013)
Wildcat Restoration (Aug 7, 2013)
Wildcat Restoration (May 2014)
Wildcat Restoration (May 2014)
Wildcat Restoration (Sep 2015)
Wildcat Restoration (Sep 2015)