Fighter plane to return to Montco museum

HORSHAM An F-8 Crusader fighter plane that has been under restoration for the last nine years is set to return to its permanent display at the aviation museum in Horsham this weekend.

The F-8 was a key part of the U.S. fleet during the Cold War, flying low-altitude surveillance missions leading up to the Cuban Missile Crisis, and battling Soviet MiG planes in the Vietnam War. The F-8 was retired from service more than 25 years ago.

The 1957-vintage aircraft, owned by the Harold F. Pitcairn Wings of Freedom Aviation Museum, is the earliest model of the F-8 and one of the few intact examples in the United States, according to the museum.

The plane had been displayed on the front lawn for years but was removed in 2006 for restoration. Volunteers spent more than 4,600 hours "restoring the plane to a state that resembles its original factory appearance," the museum said in a statement.

The museum is to remain open, and visitors are invited to watch as the aircraft is moved to its new exhibit, from 11 a.m. to noon Sunday. Admission is $6 for adults, $4 for children 6 and older, and free for younger children and active-duty military personnel.

The museum, at 1155 Easton Rd., is on the grounds of the former Willow Grove Naval Air Station and is run almost entirely by volunteers from the Delaware Valley Historical Aviation Association. The association is raising funds to rebuild and expand the museum as one of the key entertainment components planned for the redevelopment of the former military base.

More information is available online at www.wingsoffreedommuseum.org. - Jessica Parks