Winter 2016 Newsletter
Letter from the President
In This Issue
Happy fall, y’all, our valued members. I hope you had a remarkable Michigan summer and are now enjoying all the beauty that autumn brings to the upper Midwest.
Veterans Day Weekend. . . . . . . . 2
We are all fully re-energized after a remarkable summer at the Air Zoo. With a full slate of summer camps, a restoration center that has doubled its Lake Michigan aircraft projects with the addition of the SBD 2173, and, of course, the magic of POPnology, I am proud to say that we have continued to grow our positive impacts all over our community.
Advancement: Donor’s Corner . . 5
Our membership program has also greatly expanded in several ways. We continue to add new benefits to our members, like discounts to more local retailers and membership into the North American Reciprocal Museum (NARM) Association. With NARM, Air Zoo members like you will be treated as members to over 800 museums and cultural centers on the continent. Add that to our membership in ASTC, and you now have membership to over 1200 museums and learning centers across the globe!! As I’m sure you’ve also noticed, we’ve streamlined our membership levels and right-sized our pricing structure to increase that value of your membership even more. This fall we’re also hoping to expand your interaction with our exhibit floor. Over successive months we will be introducing three new small-scale, hands-on, permanent exhibits. KEVA blocks let you
Education: Solar Oven S’Mores.3 Membership: NARM. . . . . . . . . . 4 Membership: Sky Kids’ Club. . . . 4 East Campus: SBD-2P 2173. . . . . 6 East Campus: Paint Schemes. . . . 6 East Campus: Martin B-57. . . . . . 6
build multi-story structures using only friction and gravity to hold your designs together. Imagination Playground is an opportunity for young engineers to construct designs using large foam blocks of many shapes and sizes. Flexhibits will engage people of all ages in interactively “learning by doing” the fundamental principles of flight for the Air Zoo’s airplanes and spacecraft, including, drag, lift, and, of course, Bernoulli’s Principle. And don’t forget about all of our exciting Veterans Day weekend and winter break activities that our entire community will enjoy. I look forward to seeing you, your family, and your friends for some fun at the Air Zoo very soon!!
Collections: Those We Honor. . . 7 Collections: Artifact Highlight. . . . 7 Fly Buy Store: 2017 Calendar!. . 8
Contact Air Zoo 6151 Portage Road Portage, MI 49002 269.382.6555 866.524.7966 (toll free) Membership. . . . . . . . . 350.2815 Monetary Donations . . 350.2812 Fly Buy Museum Store. . 350.2828 Hours of Operation:
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Veterans Day Weekend at the Air Zoo Our community is full of individuals who have chosen to dedicate all – or a portion – of their lives to serve and protect. This Veterans Day weekend the Air Zoo is proud to dedicate the weekend to them. Beginning on Friday, November 11, and running through the entire weekend, veterans, active duty military personnel and first responders will receive free admission to the Air Zoo as a token of our gratitude. In addition to offering free admission to our veterans, active duty military and first responders, we have an exciting lineup of events to honor our community’s service personnel. Our weekend of activities will kick off with a ceremonial raising of the American flag on Friday morning at 9 am, immediately followed by a Veterans Day breakfast for veterans, military personnel and first responders. From 9 - 11 am, our community heroes will be invited to take part in a continental breakfast (while supplies last) on our main exhibit floor, followed by tours of the Air Zoo at 11 am and 2 pm. Throughout the weekend, military personnel and first responders will also receive a discount in our café and store (some exclusions apply). The Air Zoo will also have a display of our community heroes – “Those We Honor” – for the second year in a row; this popular event features images of local service personnel, provided by their family and friends. Finally, through Operation Gratitude, visitors to the Air Zoo will be invited to write encouraging thank you letters to active duty military personnel. On Sunday three of our aircraft – the P-47, Wildcat, and Airacobra – will have open cockpits from 12 - 5 pm. Our weekend of events will culminate on Sunday, November 13 with a ceremonial flag lowering at sunset and a luminaria display. Personalized luminarias are available for purchase for $1 at the Air Zoo’s ticket counter, and will be displayed in the main lobby until the luminaria display. The evening will conclude with music from the Out of Favor Boys on the Air Zoo’s main event floor, and the Air Zoo will be open late – until 8 pm – on Sunday, November 13. On behalf of all of the staff at the Air Zoo, we want to offer a heartfelt thank you to all of the veterans, active duty military and first responders in our community. We hope you are able to enjoy this weekend of events in your honor. Please contact our Events Department at events@airzoo.org or (269)350-2848 with any questions about this event, or visit our event page for up to date information (daily events are subject to change).
Education Department: Edge-ucation Experiment: Solar Oven S’Mores Steve Spangler: http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/lab/experiments/solar-oven/
Use solar energy to make a tasty, sweet treat in a pizza box. Materials: •Large pizza box (in pretty good shape) •2 Clear page protectors •Black construction paper •Duct tape •Wide, clear packing tape •Box knife •Scissors •Thermometer (optional) •12” (30 cm) Wooden food skewer •Glue stick (Elmer’s Glue® works, too.) •Aluminum foil (wide, heavy duty if possible) •Ruler •Pen or pencil
Experiment 1. On the outside of the lid of the pizza box, measure and draw a square that’s about 2′′ (5 cm) from the four edges of the box. Cut along the front and two sides of the square using a box cutter or scissors. Don’t cut along the hinge side but you may need to score the cardboard slightly along the hinge side. The square becomes a flap that lifts up on the hinge side in place of the lid. 2. Measure and cut a piece of aluminum foil large enough to line the entire bottom and two sides of the pizza box. Be sure to use the foil with the shiny side out. You may need to join two narrower pieces to do this. Fold them together along an edge and press the seam between them flat and tight against the table. 3. Apply glue to the bottom and two sides of the box and lay the foil piece on it. Smooth and press the foil onto the glue. 4. Measure and cut a piece of aluminum foil large enough to cover the inside surface of the flap you cut into the lid in Step 1. Cover this inside surface with glue then smooth and press the foil onto it shiny side out. 5. Measure and cut a piece of black construction paper that’s 1-2′′ (2-5 cm) smaller along each edge than the bottom of the pizza box. You may need to use more than one piece of paper if the box was for a large pizza. 6. Center the black paper on the foil bottom of the box. Hold it in place using the clear, wide packing tape around the edges of the paper. Tape it directly to the foil. 7. Tape your plastic creation to the inside of the box lid so it’s smooth and tight. DON’T tape it to the flap you cut out; tape it inside the lid. The flap should still move freely and the plastic should cover the flap’s opening from underneath the lid. 8. Tape your plastic creation to the inside of the box lid so it’s smooth and tight. DON’T tape it to the flap you cut out; tape it inside the lid. The flap should still move freely and the plastic should cover the flap’s opening from underneath the lid. 9. Use the sharp end of the skewer to poke two small dents about 2” (5 cm) apart into one side of the lid. Make them about .5” (1 cm) from the flap and about halfway along the flap. Don’t poke all the way through. You’ll use these dents as a way to prop the flap open during cooking. See Step 12. 10. Wrap a 5” (13 cm) piece of sticky tape around the skewer near its flat end. Do it in such a way that the tape crosses itself on the stick. The skewer and tape make the letter “T”. This will be the “kickstand” you use to prop open the flap. 11. Use the sticky tape on the skewer to attach the skewer to the side of flap that has the dents in the lid you made in Step 9. The pointy end of the skewer goes toward the hinge of the flap. The top half of the tape goes over the flap and the bottom half goes under the flap. 12. You’re almost ready to cook! Open the lid and load your oven with a few s’mores. For this recipe, use one graham cracker as a “pan” to hold the chocolate and the marshmallow. Put on the top cracker when you’re ready to eat it up. Keep the s’mores kind of spread out on the black paper in your oven. 13. Before you close it up for cooking, you might want to tape a thermometer near the black paper inside the box. Put it in a spot that you can see through the plastic liner so you can keep track of the temperature inside your solar oven. 14. When you’re ready, go out into the midday sunshine, set up in a spot that will have full sun for a long time, and open the flap. Adjust the flap to reflect as much heat as possible into the oven. You’ll have to leave it for a while but check on it every so often so you can keep it pointed toward the oven in the sky. Your treats will be ready soon!
How Does It Work? The “Solar Oven” you made is more correctly known as a solar cooker. A true oven can reach temperatures far above the heat trapped inside a pizza box. Duh! Your cooker works on the principle of collecting heat energy and retaining or directing it for cooking. To make the process work, you cover as much of the interior of the box as possible (including the flap) with reflective material in order to direct as much heat as possible into the center of the cooker. In this case, you use the shiny side of aluminum foil. It’s important to adjust the flap and the position of the box to grab all the heat you can as the sun moves across the sky. The actual “cooking” surface is black construction paper because black absorbs heat very well. As heat is retained, the air inside the oven also heats up and the plastic helps hold it in the small space. You load in your treats and the next thing you know, you’re eating delicious, melted-by-the-Sun s’mores!
Membership Department: Member Update Tamra Stafford
Membership Manager We have some exciting new member opportunities coming up that you won’t want to miss out on. Brand New Member Benefit! We have partnered with the North American Reciprocal Museum Association to offer our members a great new opportunity. The North American Reciprocal Museum (NARM) Association is one of the largest reciprocal membership programs in the world with members in the United States, Bermuda, Canada, El Salvador and Mexico! NARM has 842 arts, cultural, and historical institutions, along with botanical gardens, children’s museums, science and technology centers and more, that offer their individual NARM qualified members’ reciprocal benefits. This means that with your Air Zoo family or grandparent membership, you will now be treated as a member at over twelve hundred museums across the country with both the NARM and ASTC benefits offered to you as our valued Air Zoo members! If you have a family or grandparent membership, make sure to stop by the ticket counter to pick up your NARM gold sticker to place on your existing Air Zoo membership card on your next visit.
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Consider giving the gift of a membership to the Air Zoo for your family and friends. Contact the Air Zoo for more information.
Sky Kids’ Club! Kathleen Larsen Education Manager
Attention Air Zoo Members! The Air Zoo is now offering a brand new program for kids ages 6 – 11 years old who are Air Zoo members! This is a completely free program called Sky Kids’ Club, and it includes exclusive age-appropriate events, contests, behind the scenes opportunities, and birthday surprises to all Sky Kids’ Club members. To take part in this unique program, all you have to do is sign up by filling out a Sky Kids’ Club form at the Air Zoo ticket counter. Our first special event launches on Saturday, November 12, 2016 at the Air Zoo Main Campus. From 11 am – 1 pm or 1 pm – 3 pm, or until supplies run out, Sky Kids’ Club members can take part in our Design and Fly Challenge for free! After designing and testing various paper and foam gliders, participants test their designs in three flight challenges; long distance flight off the mezzanine, dog fighting techniques, and the stunt show. Members, you can even sign up your kids for the Sky Kids’ Club on November 12th by filling out the short form! Guests (6 – 11 years old) who are not members may also join this event for an additional $2 charge per participant after admission; however, they will not be eligible for the other benefits available only to Sky Kids’ Club members. One Saturday each month through May 2017 (except for April), the Air Zoo will offer an exclusive free event for Sky Kids’ Club members from 11 am – 3 pm. Be sure to like the Air Zoo on Facebook and visit our Air Zoo Education Blog: Igniting Minds at http://bit.ly/2aj13J8 for more details. Don’t miss this opportunity for your kids to be an even bigger part of the Air Zoo team and STEAM education in SW Michiganv!
Advancement Department: Donor’s Corner Maria Newhouse
Advancement Associate Did you know that in the last year the Air Zoo has had visitors from all 50 states and nearly 20 foreign countries? Our ability to impact the lives of the young and young at heart is continually growing, and is work we could not do without our volunteers, members and donors. The Air Zoo is so appreciative of the many individuals who support our mission by giving of both their time and resources. As we move into the fall, the Air Zoo is in need of several items to continue this important work. Thank you for considering giving of your time and resources again to support us as we move forward! In-Kind Donations We are excited to share that we are preparing a kids’ corner in the back of the Fly Buy, where we will hold classes, activities and preschool programs for our smallest flyers. In preparation for opening this space, we are seeking donations of the following kid-friendly furniture:
• Lockable cabinets that can hold storage bins/totes • Kid friendly bookshelves that can anchor to a wall • Bean bag chairs or other comfy kid chairs • Circular or otherwise kid friendly rug for circle time Please contact our Education Manager, Kathy Larsen, if you are able to provide any of these items. She can be reached via phone at (269)350-2814 or email at klarsen@AirZoo.org.
Brick Pavers: A Lasting Legacy Did you know you can honor a loved one by purchasing a brick to be installed in the front patio of the Air Zoo? For more information, contact our Development Associate, Maria Newhouse, at (269)350-2813 or mnewhouse@AirZoo.org. Monetary Donations Your generous gift will help the Air Zoo continue to provide meaningful and impactful programming and experiences. Donations to the Air Zoo can be made online; checks made payable to the Air Zoo can also be mailed to: Air Zoo Development Department 6151 Portage Rd. Portage, MI 49002
EAST CAMPUS: Preservation Report DOUGLAS DAUNTLESS SBD-2P - NEXT IN QUEUE FOR RESTORATION Submitted by: Greg Ward, Senior Conservator This week, the official Preliminary Preservation Report was submitted to the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Florida. Once approved by the Restoration Department, we will begin to stage major sections of the aircraft here in our workshop, assign project directors, and select technicians to assist. Anyone interested in volunteering to work on the SBD-2P should contact Greg Ward, Air Zoo Senior Conservator at gward@airzoo.org. On 06/19/09 A and T Recovery lifted SBD-2P, BuNo 2173 from Lake Michigan on behalf of the Pacific Aviation Museum, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The museum had received a generous donation to support the discovery, recovery, restoration, and presentation of the aircraft from Fred Turner. Mr. Turner made the donation in honor of his longtime friend Admiral James “Jig Dog” Ramage.
THE FUN PART… RESEARCHING VARIOUS PAINT SCHEME CHOICES Submitted by: Greg Ward, Senior Conservator BuNo. 2173 shows evidence of at least three period paint schemes, and they are as follows: Paint Scheme 1 – (1941-1942) - The image above shows the oversized National Insignia, consisting of a large white star on a large blue field with the red center dot, and the red-andwhite-striped rudder. The oversized National Insignia also appeared on both the top and bottom of each wing panel. This paint scheme was used in late-1941 to early-1942, sporting a base coat of Non-Specular Blue-Gray on the top surfaces, and Non-Specular Light-Gray Camouflage on the lower surfaces. This early paint scheme falls within the date range when the written record indicates this particular aircraft was stationed at NAS Pearl Harbor, first on January 3rd, 1942. Paint Scheme 2 – (1942-1943) - The image above shows the oversized National Insignia, consisting of a large white star on a large blue field with a sloped white chevron on the vertical fin. The oversized National Insignia, appeared on both the top and bottom of both wing panels. This scheme was used in late-1942 to early-1943, sporting a base coat of NonSpecular Blue-Gray on the top surfaces, and Non-Specular Light-Gray Camouflage on the lower surfaces. This later era paint scheme falls within the date range when the written record indicates this particular aircraft was stationed at NAS Pearl Harbor, first on November 14th, 1942, and then again on January 7th, 1943.
Paint Scheme 3 – The image above shows the Star & Bar National Aircraft Insignia. On September 14, 1943, the red border stripe was eliminated from the National Aircraft Insignia and use of Insignia Blue was ordered in its place. The Star and Bar National Aircraft Insignia appeared on the top of the Port wing and bottom of the Starboard wing. This particular paint scheme was in use on the day when BuNo. 2173 crashed into Lake Michigan on February 18, 1944, sank to the bottom, and didn’t see the light of day once again until June 19, 2009, 65 years later.
MARTIN B-57 INTRUDER REPAINT - A WORK IN PROGRESS Submitted by: Greg Ward, Senior Conservator If there was ever any doubt about the staggering amount of square footage on a B-57 Bomber, just ask any of the Air Zoo technicians who sanded and painted this machine by hand. Being an outdoor project, Mother Nature has offered up more than her share of challenges along the way. It’s either been too hot, too wet or too windy to touch. Nevertheless, our dedicated team of volunteers don’t take no for an answer, and it shows. The final finishing touches are now going on the airplane in a race Volunteer Dan Brant poses proudly with his 11-1/2-foot wide National Insignia, located against time before Winter. on the top left wing. Dan will tell you, “This was the easy one! Now we have to lay out the bottom of the right wing before the snow flies!”
CONSULT THE CONSERVATOR – Technical questions? Please feel free to email Greg Ward, Senior Conservator at gward@airzoo.org.
Collections Department: Submission Request: Those We Honor Exhibit Christy Kincaid
Collections Registrar Are you, or is a family member, a veteran that has served in the armed forces? We are seeking photos of our local heroes to be a part of the upcoming exhibit “Those We Honor” which will be on display as part of our Veterans Day celebrations, and pays tribute to local veterans from all branches and time-periods. WHO?: The exhibit will honor local veterans from all branches and time-periods WHAT?: The Air Zoo is seeking candid or posed photos from days spent in service, or favorite photos of the veteran from any period of their lives. Submit as many photos as you like, but please include name, hometown, branch of service, rank, duties performed, years served, and any other important info. We’d love to have personal quotes or brief anecdotes, but just the basic info above is required. HOW TO SUBMIT: The preferred method is sending digital scans of photos via email with the subject line “Those We Honor – Veterans Name” to Christy Kincaid at ckincaid@airzoo.org. Or mail hardcopies of photos to: Air Zoo, ATTN: Christy Kincaid 6151 Portage Rd. Portage, MI 49002. Photos will not be returned. We are requesting copies in the highest resolution possible (contact Christy via the email provided, or via phone at (269)350-2819 with questions). We are hoping to have all submissions by November 5th, 2016.
Artifact of the Quarter Laurie Burkhardt Collections Registrar Yosegki Hinomaru
Donor: Laurie A. Kaniarz on behalf of her father, Frank A. Kaniarz, U.S. Army
Accession #: 05.04.93.50.1B
When drafted into the military, Japanese soldiers would be given a memento from their loved ones, called Yosegki Hinomaru. Translated as “Good Luck Flag”, these flags were often filled with poems, slogans, prayers, and even ink handprints from these soldiers’ mothers, wives, and children. They would be found folded and secured underneath the soldiers clothing so their families could always be with them. Often times, these flags became souvenirs for allied soldiers. This Yosegki Hinomaru came home with Frank Kaniarz from Okinawa. Faintly on the flag you can see ink markings from Japanese writing. Translated it says “May the fates and the Gods bring you safely back to us.” Unfortunately, this Japanese sniper did not make it home, but passed in a small secure cave on Okinawa at about the age of 18. Source: Obon Society
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2017 Air Zoo Calendar Our 2017 Air Zoo calendar is in stock now! Start the new year right and enjoy dynamic Air Zoo images all year. Makes a GREAT holiday gift for just $10.