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Free Traveling Guides » States » Florida » OrlandoFlying Tigers Warbird Restoration Museum
The Flying Tigers Warbird Restoration Museum, situated on the North Hoagland Boulevard in Kissimmee, Florida, is a working museum with refurbishments of vintage aircraft in progress. It is one of the most popular attractions in Orlando and is best known for its extensive collection of exhibits on vintage aircraft from World War II to the Vietnam War. The Museum is also home to a number of workshops where pieces of decrepit and rutted metal are wonderfully restored into magnificent flying machines. The pieces of battered and crumpled metal have been collected from jungles and swamps around the globe.
The Flying Tigers Warbird Restoration Museum was established in 1988. It has been named after the Flying Tigers from the ‘Curtis P-40 War-hawks’, which flew in China against the Japanese. Situated at the Kissimmee Airport, the museum’s workshops have restructured nearly 27 WWII aircrafts to flying condition until date. Some of the major aircrafts restored at the Museum include bombers, such as the Consolidated B-24 Liberator, the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, North American B-25 Mitchell, Douglas A-26 Invader, and fighters, such as Lockheed P-38 Lightning, Curtis P-40 War-hawk, Vought F4U-4 Corsair, and the American P-51 Mustang.
The major static aircrafts put on display at the Museum include a Russian MIG-21MF, Northrop F-101A Voodoo, North American F100-D Super Sabre, Piasecki HUP Retriever helicopter, Lockheed F-104 Star fighter, and LTV A-7 Corsair II. The Museum also holds a collection of flyable aircrafts, including De Havilland DH100 Vampire, American T-6G, Grumman C-1 Trader and S-2 Tracker, and Fouga Magister. The Museum also used to own and operate a 5-day Tom Reilly’s Restoration School where the participants were given an opportunity to learn the trade; everything from hydraulics, brakes, and control systems to propellers, electrical systems, welding, and sheet metal fabrication.
The site located just next to the old museum hanger still offers Warbird flights in the North American T-6 Texans. Guided tours through this museum, complete with a number of fascinating hands-on exhibits, are offered to the guests by museum owner Tom Reilly. Unfortunately, due to the severe damage caused by Hurricane Charley, the Flying Tigers Museum in Kissimmee was closed in 2005. It is now being moved to Douglas, Georgia. However, this museum is a ‘must-see’ for all the aviation buffs and is truly worthwhile.
- Address: 231 N Hoagland Blvd.,
Kissimmee, FL 34741
- Hours: 9 AM - 5 PM daily
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