Gypsies At Heart: Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome Museum

We have been wanting to visit the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome Museum and the Flight Show since we got here and we finally got a Sunday afternoon off so that we could do that. After we parked the truck, we wandered around the various museum buildings and took a look at a lot of very old airplane and, to our surprise, a multitude of antique automobiles.

The Aerodrome was founded by Cole Palen as a living museum of vintage aircraft from 1900 to 1937. Aerodrome founder Cole Palen bought a few old planes in 1951 when a Long Island hangar at the site of Charles Lindbergh's trans-Atlantic take-off made way for a shopping plaza. Palen collected pre-WWII planes for the rest of his life and reproduced hard-to-find historical planes, usually with original engines.

Bleriot XI (original 1911)

According to Wikipedia "Palen's aerodrome boasts one of the finest collections of antique aircraft in the world including an original Bleriot XI. This is the oldest flying aircraft in the United States and the second oldest in the world".

Louis Bleriot is the designer and manufacturer of this plane which had many models of this French design. This plane was found in a barn near Boston after a fire and was procured and restored by Old Rhinebeck Aerodome. The body was broken in half just after the cockpit. This plane has flown in many shows at the Aerodome but now needs some maintenance. The Bleriots were comparatively reliable Gnome engine and its long range gas tank. It won many cross country races even though its top speed with a 50 HP engine was 56 MPH.

Demoiselle - Modern Version - This is a French 1909 plane

This plane was nicknamed the "infuriated Grasshopper"

Morane Sauliner "N" - French 1914

This is considered to be the Grand Daddy of the modern fighter plane. It was the first to carry a forward firing machine gun. Triangular steel plates on the back of the propeller blade deflected the bullets.

Siemens-Schuckert D-III Replica

The original was German made in 1918.

Deperdussin Copy - French made in 1913

This is the first airplane to exceed 100 MPH

1908 Brush Runabout

Fokker Triplane DR-1 (copy) - Made in Germany 1917

Thomas Pusher Model 2 - Made in Bath, NY

This plane was flown from Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome to New York City where it and its pilot, Cole Palen, appeared on the TV Program "I've Got A Secret". The Aerodrome was the creation of Cole Palen.

Sears Motor Buggy that retailed for $395

This was advertised as speedy, economical, noiseless, durable and safe - a child can run it. It had a top speed of 25 MPH.

Chanute Glider Circa 1896-1902

I am standing in front of a Wright Flyer "Kittyhawk" 1903 - USA

Orville and Wilbur Wright became the first to achieve powered controlled sustained flight on December 17, 1903 in Kittyhawk, North Carolina with the Wright Flyer. The Wright Brothers also designed the 12 HP engine that lifted the 40' wingspan Flyer into the air. This reproduction was built in the 1970's by Howard Kelem and the students and faculty of August Martin High School in Jamaica, New York.

Wright Flyer

1910 Maxwell

Three of the buildings holding planes

Pitcarin Mailwing - American Plane Built in 1929

It was designed to carry the night airmail. In later years Pitcarins became popular as crop dusters because of their load carrying ability.

Pitcarin US Mail Carrier

The Gift Shop and More Museum

Thomas-Morse S4B American Plane 1917-18

This was the American's effort to provide a fighter for the Great War. It was discovered in a barn in Wisconsin, restored and flown by Dwight Woodward . This is the last example of 100 S4B's.