Evergreen Air & Space Museum

P-51D- Mustang

Spitfire

F4-U Corsair

P-38 Lightning

       Portland, Oregon enjoys a terrific reputation as a cosmopolitan urban center.  Conveniently located on the banks of the Columbia River at the mouth of the Willamette River as it joins the larger Columbia.  West of Portland, in what is called the Willamette Valley is the Oregon wine country.  Covering the low hills that undulate across the fields,  grape vines, staked and wired on their trellises, achieve a martial stance in the precise alignments of the rows.   Rarely are these vines old and knarled: they are relatively youthful, having been planted within the last 10 years.  Small ag towns such as Dundee, Carlton, Bergman, and Yamhill punctuate a landscape shaped by fields of grasses for fodder for the cattle ranches.  A few silos remain, but seem out of place.  This vineyard center features one of America's most preferred wines: Pinot Noir, the red grape that has captured the taste buds of many wine drinkers.
      The largest urban center is in McMinnville, about 35 miles west of Portland.  It's a college town, home of liberal arts school Linfield College.  Nearby, is the McMinnville Airport which can handle small commuter aircraft and general aviation aircraft.  Next to the airport is the Evergreen Air & Space Museum.  The brainchild of Del Smith, founder of Evergreen Aviation.  Initially, in 1960, Del Smith began innovative aerial agricultural spraying and seeding, providing fast, efficient methods that changed the face of farming and harvesting technique.  Over time, he assembled a private collection of vintage aircraft from the early and mid- 20th century.  A full-sized replica of the 'Spirit of St. Louis" is just one of many.  World War II war birds are represented in many vintage forms. A P-51 is here; a P-40, a P-38 Lightning; a B17- Flying Fortress, and an F4U- Corsair fighter in its resplendent Navy blue.
     The center piece of the aviation hangar is Howard Hughes Hercules transport seaplane, aka 'the Spruce Goose'.  This massive craft is stunning in its central position.  Over 100 yards wing tip to wing tip gives credence to aeronautical engineering in the 1940's wartime era.   It actually flew(film provided) with Hughes at the controls.   It has been restored and repainted and is available for interior examination/touring.  The 8 GE propeller engines give testimony to the size of the plane.

P-40 Warhawk

H4 Hercules 8 engine all wood transport