Here is this week’s challenge for “What is it Wednesday?” - a close up of something in the museum or our collection for you to guess what it is in the comments!![]()
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What is it?! We are looking for what it might be part of within the museum and, for more of a challenge, what the exact part is and what it does! ![]()
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Thanks to everyone who played last week… the answer for August 28 was a ballistic computing cam in the Kommandogarat 40 fire control computer… see the previous post for the full details!![]()
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Good luck on this week’s challenge! ![]()
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#americanheritagemuseum #historymuseum #visitma
The answer to the “What is it? Wednesday” question of August 28th is one of the ballistic cams used in the German Kommandogerät 40 that is part of the anti-aircraft battery exhibit in the Defense of the Reich gallery. The Kommandogerät (“command device”) is a fire control computer that used a combination of optics and mechanical computing to develop a firing solution that would be relayed to the anti-aircraft gun crews, like the 8.8 cm Flak 36 German 88 mm anti-aircraft cannon we have displayed. What is pictured is a solid computing cam that, when combined with precision gears connected to rollers on follower arms, could solve multivariate calculus problems in real-time to provide accurate fire to track bomber formations and time shells to detonate at precise altitudes. There are a number of these cams within the Kommandogerät 40 and combined they made a powerful mechanical analog computer that made Flak the most dangerous defensive weapon against daylight precision bombing. ![]()
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Stay tuned for the next “What is it? Wednesday” later today! ![]()
#americanheritagemuseum #whatisitwednesday
Join us for a great 5K run around the American Heritage Museum grounds this Saturday, September 7th in support of the Travis Manion Foundation. We invite you to run, walk, or ruck to honor our nation’s first responders who selflessly sacrificed on September 11th and service members who have served in the wars since. Join us to raise awareness and honor the fallen. Participants get a 50% admission discount to the American Heritage Museum. For more information and to register see: www.travismanion.org/events/911-heroes-run/2024-bostonnew-england-ma/
The American Heritage Museum not only honors those who served in the service of the United States, but we also honor those who served with our allies during all wars and conflicts. Because of this, we’d like to take a moment in honor of Polish Aviation Day on August 28th, to highlight the story of Stefania Wojtulanis-Karpińska, a female pilot of the Polish Air Force at the outbreak of WWII. After the Soviet invasion of Poland in September 1939, she evacuated to Romania with the Polish Air Force and made her way to France where she once again had to flee in 1940 as France fell. She made her way to England and was assigned to the Polish Air Force Headquarters in London until later in 1940. In January 1941, she and Anna Leska became the first two Polish women pilots to join the British Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA), which delivered aircraft to operational units from factories and ferry aircraft for maintenance. This role, very similar to that assigned to female WASP pilots in America, required pilots to learn and fly a wide variety of aircraft types in all sorts of weather and mecahnical conditions.![]()
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As it turns out, the American Heritage Museum’s Supermarine Spitfire IX, BR601 was one of the aircraft that Wojtulanis-Karpińska flew in her career with the ATA. On July 9, 1942, she ferried BR601 from Prestwick, Scotland to its first operational unit, 64 Squadron at Hornchurch, Essex, stopping in three places in poor weather before arriving on July 11th. The photo in this post is her in BR601 and her logbook entries of those flights!![]()
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74 years later, BR601 would fly once again after a full restoration by Biggin Hill Heritage Hangar and arrive shortly after in the United States to join the collection of the Collings Foundation. Though not currently on display at the American Heritage Museum, Spitfire BR601 is maintained in flying condition and is stored off site to fly at events. The next event it will be taking part in will be Green Mountain Aviation Field Days in Burlington, VT on September 14-15, 2024. Eventually, when our expansion is built, BR601 will be displayed at the AHM.![]()
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#polishaviation #wwii #spitfire #supermarinespitfire #worldwarii #femaleaviator
Here is this week’s challenge for “What is it Wednesday?” - a close up of something in the museum or our collection for you to guess what it is in the comments!![]()
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This one might be a little more challenging! What is it?! We are looking for what it might be part of inside the museum and what exactly it might be for even more challenge!![]()
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Thanks to everyone who played last week… the answer for August 21 was the crew compartment of the Daimler Mk.I Dingo scout car in the Pacific War Gallery. The Dingo was used in Burma by the 16th Light Calvary of the British Indian Army armored car regiment.![]()
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#americanheritagemuseum #historymuseum #visitma
World War II Tank Driving Experiences and Tank Rides!
The mission of the American Heritage Museum is to bring visitors an immersive experience in history to give a greater appreciation for those who lived it and an excitement to learn more. For the ultimate immersive experience, the American Heritage Museum is offering YOU the opportunity to ride aboard or even DRIVE a real tank from World War II… the M4A3 Sherman Medium Tank, the M24 Chaffee Light Tank, or the M36 Jackson Tank Destroyer.
Being a crew member or driving a tank is not particularly comfortable. These metal beasts are all business, designed to go over most obstacles with ease and destroy anything in its path. Once in a tank, it is clearly evident you are driving a machine with great power. When you’re in a tank, things don’t happen to you – You happen to them!
From April through October, the American Heritage Museum offers tank riding and driving programs in the Sherman, Chaffee, and Jackson right here at our tank training area right behind the museum in Hudson, Massachusetts. You’ll check in for your experience and be transported back to 1944 as you step aboard!
Learn about each tank riding or driving program in the listings below and book online if you desire! You may also call us to book at 978-562-9182 M-F from 9am to 5pm (ET).
All tank driving experiences are considered tax-deductible contributions and 100% of the donations for the experience goes into the upkeep and restoration of the vehicles and growth of the programs at the American Heritage Museum.
World War II Tank Driving Instruction Programs
Hour-Long Training Experience with 20-minutes of you at the controls of the M24 Chaffee or M4 Sherman. Select your tank driving experience below:
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World War II Tank Ride Programs
10-minute ride experiences aboard the M36 Jackson Tank Destroyer, M24 Chaffee light tank, and the M4 Sherman medium tank. Select your tank driving experience below:
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M36 JACKSON
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M24 CHAFFEE
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M4 SHERMAN
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Buy a Gift Certificate!
Do you have a special someone that you’d like to give the gift of a tank driving experience or tank ride to? We have gift certificates available for immediate shipping! Recipients can choose their own date to schedule their experience once they receive our experience certificate package.
