Aviation museum

Not that there is much call for any of you'se folks out that a way to get to western NY, but if you do, a visit to the Glenn Curtis Museum in Hammondsport should be on your list of "to do's".  The Mrs and I went there today for a visit (she is a quilter and they had a massive quilt display this month), and there are many things there to see from bicycles, motorcycles (which is Mr. Curtis' claim to fame), automobiles, aircraft, both civilian and military, jet engines, simulators,etc.  I could go on for a while, but in a nutshell he started with bikes, went to motorcycles, set land speed records with motorcycles, made his own motorcycles, many of which utilized crude V-8 engines...  Many of his motorcycle engine developments were transferred to aviation applications.  There is also hardware from other aviation manufacturers there, including British, Ford and GM sources.  Also some marine applications there as well.  I saw something there that I found quite obscure-  a radial aircraft engine that, instead of fixing the crankcase to the fuselage and spinning the crank inside of it with the prop on the crank, the crank was instead fastened to the airframe fuselage, and the crankcase was spun around it with the prop fastened to the crankcase.  Weird, but it worked.  Had some big single bank and dual bank radial aircraft piston engines in 7, 9,  14 and 18 cylinder designs.  Really neat stuff there.  Hammondsport is being credited as being the "cradle of aviation" given its history related to Glenn Curtis, and the popularity and development of hangliding in the area.  Obviously Ohio, and North Carolina  have the upper hand on the earliest of records for aviation, but much development and manufacture was accomplished in this area around NY.  It is a far cry from the Air Force Museum in Dayton OH area, but for a small local museum developed around the accomplishments of basically one persons life (for the most part), it truly is a must see if you are through the area.  Admission is $8.50 adult, $7.00 senior, under 6 free.  I think student rate is $5.00.

And it is also on the western edge of Finger Lakes Wine Country.... scores of vineyards and wine tours available there in a small area. If you are so inclined.