In need of a road trip? The Armstrong Air & Space Museum in Wapakontea, Ohio just received a new artifact on Aug. 5 — what would have been astronaut and former Cincinnatian Neil Armstrong’s 90th birthday.
The first Learjet 28 Longhorn (literally; its serial number is 28-001) is currently housed in the nearby Neil Armstrong Airport in New Knoxville, Ohio and is important not only because it was flown by Armstrong, but also because he set five records in the plane.
In February 1979, while a professor at the University of Cincinnati’s College of Engineering, Armstrong test-flew this Learjet and set five Fédération Aéronautique Internationale records as well as the “National Aeronautic Association class records for time to climb to an altitude and altitude while flying the Learjet aircraft,” says the museum.
The “time to climb” record took Armstrong and co-pilot Pete Reynolds a little more than 12 minutes to climb to 49,000 feet over the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.
In a press release, Museum Board President Gregory Myers said that the addition of the Learjet 28 to the museum’s collection will help further the story of Armstrong’s many accomplishments after he retired from NASA and its display will exhibit his passion not only for flying but also “pushing the limits of aviation.”
Experience Coordinator Greg Brown gives of the history and tour of our newest artifact.
Posted by Armstrong Air & Space Museum on Saturday, August 8, 2020
Eventually the jet will move to the museum itself, tentatively to be displayed on the grounds in July 2021. If you want to see the aircraft before it’s on display, you can visit the Neil Armstrong Airport and check-in with the airport manager at the terminal building when you arrive. (As always, a great idea to call or reach out the them before making a trip up there. Info at neilarmstrongairport.com.)
The Armstrong Air & Space Museum is located at 500 Apollo Drive, Wapakoneta, Ohio. Get details about hours, admission and COVID-19 policies at armstrongmuseum.org.
This article appears in The Burger Issue 2020.
