Swift Museum

Last updated
Swift Museum
USA Tennessee location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location within Tennessee
Established2008 (2008)
Location Athens, Tennessee
Coordinates 35°23′48″N84°33′30″W / 35.3967°N 84.5583°W / 35.3967; -84.5583
Type Aviation museum
FounderCharlie Nelson
Website www.swiftmuseumfoundation.org/museum

The Swift Museum is an aviation museum located at the McMinn County Airport in Athens, Tennessee.

Contents

History

Background

The Swift Museum Foundation was established by Charlie Nelson in 1968. [1] In the early 1980s, it purchased the Globe Swift type certificate and production tooling from Univair. [2]

It acquired the first production Swift in 2007. [3]

Museum construction

The foundation announced plans for a 10,000 sq ft (930 m2) hangar in April 2008. This would allow the museum to consolidate aircraft that had been stored in multiple buildings around the airport. [4] After five years, ground was broken on the first phase, a 3,200 sq ft (300 m2) office and parts storage building, in March 2013, and it was completed later that year. [5] [6]

After signing a new lease with the airport that expanded the size of its parcel in 2015, the second phase, a 6,400 sq ft (590 m2) hangar, opened the following year. [7] [6]

The third phase, a 3,200 sq ft (300 m2) expansion for additional parts, was finished in time for the 50th anniversary of the foundation in October 2018. [8] [1] [6] In the meantime, the museum had worked with AirCorps Library to digitize its collection of drawings and manuals. [9]

The sole LoPresti Fury was donated to the museum in 2019. [10]

Collection

Events

The museum holds an annual fly-in. [12]

References

  1. 1 2 Copeland, Ashley (11 June 2018). "Swift Museum Foundation Celebrates 50 Years". Daily Post-Athenian. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
  2. ↑ "50 Years of Swift History". Swift Museum Foundation. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
  3. ↑ "Museum Gets First Swift Airplane". Knoxville News Sentinel. 2 June 2008. p. B2. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
  4. ↑ Moses, Greg (15 April 2008). "Swift Plans New Museum". Daily Post-Athenian. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
  5. ↑ Hughes, Autumn (15 March 2013). "Swift Museum Breaks Ground on New Home". Daily Post-Athenian. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
  6. 1 2 3 Barnes, Sparky (7 April 2019). "Paying Homage to the Sleek Swift". General Aviation News. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
  7. ↑ Brusseau, Andrew (2 April 2015). "Swift Museum Lease Extended". Daily Post-Athenian. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
  8. ↑ "Swift Museum to Honor Completion of Latest Phase". Daily Post-Athenian. 1 October 2018. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
  9. ↑ Aube, Ester (26 September 2017). "Preservation at Work: Digitizing at the Swift Museum". AirCorps Aviation. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
  10. ↑ Copeland, Ashley (4 March 2019). "Swift Museum Gets Gift with New Airplane". Daily Post-Athenian. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 Tulis, David (22 August 2019). "Swift Museum Fly-Out Highlights Two-Place Classics". AOPA. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
  12. ↑ Day, Heather (12 June 2023). "2023 Swift Museum Foundation Annual Fly-In". Swift Museum Foundation. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
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