Excerpts from the Rocket Belt Pilot’s Manual, By William P. Suitor – former Bell Rocket Belt pilot, with permission of the author. You, the trainee pilot, strap into the Rocket Belt. It has to fit so you are not hanging on to the control arms as you begin to lift. If this happens movement of […]
Museum Names New Executive Director
Lindsey Lauren Visser was selected as Executive Director as the organization looks toward its future growth. “It is an exciting time for the Niagara Aerospace Museum.” said Board President Don Erwin, “We have big plans, and we feel confident Lindsey Lauren is the right person to lead our organization.” Visser is a historian and experienced […]
P-39 Comes Home
Upon entering the Niagara Aerospace Museum, you will see the fuselage of this Bell P-39Q, SN 44-9211, that has a most unique history. It was one of the 9,584 P-39s that rolled out of the Bell Aircraft Wheatfield plant from 1940 -1944. It was also one of the 4,773 P-39s sent to Russia during WWII […]
Bell Lunar Landing Research/Training Vehicle
This month we highlight the Bell Lunar Landing Research Vehicle (LLRV) and Lunar Landing Training Vehicle (LLTV). While the museum doesn’t have an actual LLRV or LLTV on display, we have a scale model illustrating its unique propulsion system and expert docents happy to discuss this incredible piece of Western New York aerospace history. Neil […]
Museum Receives grant from the Space 3.0 Foundation
The museum received a “One Small Step” grant from the Space 3.0 Foundation for the purchase of a document scanner that we will use in our library. With this scanner, the museum can now digitize paper materials in our library for easier searching and sharing with researchers. Materials to be scanned include technical documents, correspondence, […]
Bell Agena Rocket Engine
At the conclusion of WWII, the United States became embroiled in a Cold War with the Soviet Union. It became evident that in order to evaluate the Soviet strengths and weaknesses, the United States had to have access to aerial surveillance. This culminated in the United States developing “Spy-in-the-Sky” satellites. In June of 1956 Lockheed […]