October 3, 2020 - Tank Museum, Danville, Virginia

For some time I have wanted to check out the American Armoured Foundation (AAF) Tank Museum in Danville, Virginia.  But it's only open on Friday and Saturday.   Furthermore, the museum is not heated or air conditioned.  Danville is on the Virginia-North Carolina border -- a five hour drive from my house.  But Danville has an airport.  So, it would be an easy flight down, see the museum, then fly back.  However, the flying weather had to be good, and it had to be in the spring or fall so the temperature would be OK in the museum.  And of course, there is the Chinese Virus to consider.  Anyways, this Saturday the stars aligned, and we had good weather.  I checked and the museum was open.  My flying buddy Mugsy is a history buff like myself and agreed to fly down with me in his RV-8.

We met at St. Mary's Airport, topped off with fuel, then headed southwest to Danville, about 170 nm away.  About an hour and a half or less in the RV.

Here we are crossing the big Potomac River just prior to it entering the Chesapeake Bay.
   
Safe on deck at Danville Regional Airport.
   
 
   

Mugsy talking with the FBO Manager.
   

The Tank Museum is across town from the airport so we needed transportation.  The FBO has a courtesy car but it's only for short trips like lunch which I fully understand.  I considered Uber but the FBO has an Enterprise rent-a-car right at the airport so that's what we ended up doing.  It was inexpensive, convenient and quick.

The inside of the FBO. Not a good picture, sorry.
   
Less than an hour after landing we were at the Tank Museum.
   
The Tank Museum is a huge facility.  There are three big rooms.  The center room is the primary showroom with a row of tanks on each side facing each other.  It's pretty impressive the first time you see it.  This is one side.
   
The other side.
   
The first tank I came to was the German Panzer Mark IV.  Everyone has heard of the famous Tiger Tank which was a ferocious tank for its time to be sure.  But the Germans only built 1,359 of them total.  (In comparison, the Soviets built 20,172 T-34-85s and the Americans built 43,000+ M-4 Shermans).   The most numerous German tank of World War II was by far the Mark IV.  Much easier and cheaper to build than the Tiger or Panther, 8,404 were built and in service throughout the war. 
 
This particular Mark IV is a model H featuring the long 75mm/40 gun.  Up-gunned and up-armored, it could handle the T-34 model 41/42.  This tank went into service in August 1943 (after the Battle of Kursk).  Somehow it ended up in Czechoslovakia after the war where it was rebuilt and bought by Syria.  The Israelis captured it in the 1967 war.  The Israeli Tank Museum in Latrun traded it to the AAF Tank Museum and here it sits.
   
Side shot of the Panzer Mark IV.
   
The famous Soviet T-34 of World War II.  The T-34 Model 41 was the best tank in the world in 1941, featuring a 76.2mm gun.  This particular tank was a later model T-34-85 which was in operation from 1943-1945, featuring an 85mm gun, and is of 1950s Czech production.
   
I liked seeing the tanks in the dioramas.
   
A Soviet-built 152mm self-propelled howitzer, given to Saddam Hussein's Iraqi army in 1973 and captured during Desert Storm.
   
The big M-60, America's main battle tank during the 1960s and 70s.  It was replaced by the M-1 Abrams.
   
This T-54 was the Soviet Union's main battle tank during the 1950s and 60s.  China built about 9,000 of them as well.  The Soviet tanks all seem to have small turrets and long guns.  This particular tank ended up in Iraq and was captured during Desert Storm.
   
I was surprised to find that the museum had many other interesting things besides tanks to look at.  They had rooms of uniforms worn by famous generals of many countries.
   
And military headgear worn throughout history.
   
Rifles, machine guns, all sorts of things.
   
Even this large area for for indoor radio-controlled tank battles.
   
A Soviet built T-72 crushing a car.  Again note the small turret and the huge gun.  The T-72s were mostly for export.  This one went to Iraq and was captured during Desert Storm in 1991.   (Can it have been almost 30 years since Desert Storm already!?)
   
A view of the T-72 from the forward quarter.
   
The museum even had something aviation-related:  this AH-1 Huey Cobra.
   
We spent at least three hours in the museum, then had lunch somewhere in Danville, then soon were winging our way home.  We went high, found a nice tailwind, and zoomed home at more than 200 mph.
   
That's Richmond, Virginia at lower center.
   
About to cross the Chesapeake Bay Bridge.  Baltimore is visible at top center.
   
 
   
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