NORTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. - The Rhode Island National Guard Air Show is just days away, but the harsh winter left its mark on Quonset.
A snow-packed roof caused a partial collapse at the Air Museum.
Now, the museum could be forced to close for good.
Still, a treasure trove of relics sit outside. The aircraft have seen battles in several of wars and survived.
The same hope is surrounding the building.
"We are the biggest part of the Air Show,” said David Payne, president of the Quonset Air Museum. “We have twelve aircraft there."
Co-founder of the museum, Larry Webster, said keeping the museum on Quonset land needs to happen.
"It should be here,” Webster said. “To move these aircraft to another location or part of the state would be extremely expensive."
It might also be a hit to Rhode Island history.
"They go away - we just had a cutoff of all the aviation history in Rhode Island,” Webster said.
Now, all the historical artifacts are out of the building, and the museum is working with the Rhode Island Airport Corporation on a plan to move forward.
"Some people are throwing out $3 million for preserving the aircraft,” Webster said. “With a small hangar, much more money might be required."
Story and video: http://www.turnto10.com
No comments:
Post a Comment