Crashed in Alaska 1933. Fuselage recovered in 1986

The Fleetwings Model 36 was a plywood skinned aerial target which was given the military designation PQ-12A. It was powered by a Lycoming O-435 of 225 hp and could be manually flown for testing & evaluation when designated as the YPQ-12A (background). The protrusion hanging down from the right hand wing housed a TV camera that fed images to a mother-ship for remote guidance to intercept an enemy aircraft. In October 1943 the aircraft successfully downed a test drone over the Muroc Bombing and Gunnery Range by detonating a 500 lb bomb housed under the cockpit fairing. Note that the last two digits of the serial on the tail have been crudely changed from "49" to "45". Photo from: William Engle via Tim Martin

Designated as an Assault Drone, the plywood skinned BQ-2A was powered by 2 x Lycoming R-680-13 engines of 300 hp each. A 2000 lb bomb could be carried in a compartment just aft of the wing. It shares the Fleetwings Model 37 number with the XBQ-1 and has the same airframe, however the fixed landing gear was jettisonable for better performance. A TV camera mounted in the LH wing leading edge allowed its guidance onto target from a mother-ship. First flight was on 21 August 1943. The design was deemed to be too expensive for operational use, so the program was cancelled in December 1943. Photo from: William Engle via Tim Martin

The Fleetwings Model 27 was a private venture radio controlled aerial gunnery target built in 1940 and known as the A-1. It had fabric covered 20ft span wings with split flaps and fabric covered empennage and flight controls. A Continental A65 engine gave a top speed of 180 mph. The radio set was located in a compartment positioned on the center of gravity, so with the equipment removed it could carry a pilot. On 1 April 1940 test pilot William H. Engle took it for a flight from the Aircraft Radio Corporation airfield at Boonton/NJ. Military designation believed to be OQ-1. No further examples were built. Photo from: William Engle (son of Fleetwings test pilot William H. Engle) via Tim Martin

Designated as an Assault Drone, the plywood skinned BQ-1 was powered by 2 x Franklin O-405-7 engines of 250 hp each. A 2000 lb bomb could be carried in the compartment seen here just aft of the wing. A TV camera mounted in the aircraft allowed its guidance onto target from a mother-ship. In this photo, test pilot William H. Engle is attempting to ferry the aircraft to Wright Field, Dayton/OH, but an oil leak from the LH engine forced a return to Lancaster/PA. The leaking oil can be seen on the landing gear and wheel fairings. On 17 July 1944 the aircraft was wrecked in an engine failure induced forced landing near Wright Field, resulting in cancellation of the program. Photo from: William Engle (son of the test pilot) via Tim Martin

This is the ORIGINAL aircraft built by the three Gonzales brothers from San Francisco in 1912. Included in this display are many documents, artifacts, and photographs highlighting their contributions to the local aviation community.

Half man, half helicopter. This 'strap-on helicopter' was powered by rocket motors mounted at the rotor tips. The tail rotor was for steering. Tested by the US Navy against the Hiller ROE and Gyrodyne RON but RH-1 does not seem to be a naval designation and nor is a serial known. Photo by: Ralph Crane / Life

First flew May 3, 1961. Progress was slow as Victa concentrated on Airtourer production and in 1964 work on the R-101 ceased without achieving type approval. Handed to the Camden Museum of Aviation at Camden airport and now stored at an off-airport facility. Eric Allen photo

The Stinson Model U was a slightly enlarged 1932 development of the SM-6000, with the side engines mounted on stub wings. American Airlines was the main operator. The last airframe off the line in June 1933, NC12196 served as an executive transport for San Francisco Examiner executives, including the newspaper's famous owner William Randolph Hearst. It is seen here against the backdrop of Mt Shasta near Dunsmuir. One of Hearst's estates was nearby at Wyntoon. NC12196 to Aerovías Nacionales of Costa Rica in 1938 as TI-34. Photo from: San Diego Air & Space Museum

Metoděj Vlach, after whom the museum is named' was a racing driver who built this first Czech aircraft 1911/'12, that was flown from Mladá Boleslav. This replica was built in 2002 and is powered by a Skoda Favorit engine. It is flown on occasions, but needs an experienced pilot. The minimum speeds is 40km/h and the maximum is 80km/h.

Built in 1968. Ex N1334 and imported to Sweden in the late 1980s.

An amateur aircraft built by Polish modeler Jerzy Ostrowski in 1977-1983. In the 1980s it was one of the few private planes in Poland. The aircraft was operated with various engines from 1983 to 1998.

This is the one and only example built and it was hoped to attract an order from the U.S. Army. Unfortunately engine cooling problems delayed testing to the point where the USA entry into World War II killed off the project. Here it is undergoing systems checks at Pitcairn Field (NAS Willow Grove after after 1942) which are being conducted by the manufacturer. Power was from a 130 h.p Franklin AC-298, 6-cylinder. NX29033 was registered to Kaiser-Fleetwings and was cancelled in 1965. Photo from: William Engle (son of Fleetwings project test pilot William H. Engle) via Tim Martin

In 1946, the Gyrodyne company acquired rights to the Bendix Model J and developed it into the GCA-2. N74101 was reportedly the same airframe as the Bendix J prototype, N74102. The aircraft was reworked again in 1949 as the GCA-2A Helidyne compound helicopter with auxiliary engines on outriggers. Testing took place at small Fitzmaurice Field on Long Island. Photo from: Vertical Flight Society

The Hill Helicopters HX50 design was unveiled in 2020 by Jason Hill, founder and chief engineer of the company. Two mock ups were presented in 2023, one with retractable wheeled undercarriage and the other with skids as pictured at HAI Heli Expo 2024. Aimed at the private helicopter owner, first flight is expected in 2024 after testing of the company designed 500 HP turbine engine. There are 1,000+ orders for the HX50 and HC50 (commercial certified version to follow in 2026) at the time of uploading.

Bought by shipbuilder Henry Kaiser in 1943, the Fleetwings company in Bristol, Pennsylvania produced the Kaiser-Fleetwings BTK dive and torpedo bomber and also this two-seat helicopter. The sole example to be flown was tested from a lake in a park in Bristol in 1944 and 1945. Reportedly designed for anti-submarine work from the decks of Liberty cargo ships, the XH-10 was never tested by the military. XH-10 was a company designation, with the name Twirley Bird supposedly also given to the type.

The first aircraft built by Allan Loughead (later Lockheed), the Model G, was first flown on 15 June 1913. During the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition, the Loughead brothers sold passenger rides operating from San Francisco's Marina Yacht Harbor. The adjacent Marina Green was used by landplanes during the fair and was known as Montgomery Field from 1919 until 1924. The cruiser USS Milwaukee is seen in the background. Photo from: SFO Museum

The only one of the type built. Registered in 1983 and cancelled in 1985.