The Virginia Aviation Museum located on the edge of Richmond International Airport, is closing at the end of June.

The museum has a collection of 38 military & civilian aircraft, some original, some reproductions, that will hopefully be relocated and preserved. They include a 1917 SPAD VII; a 1970 Vought A-7D Corsair II, a Douglas A-4C Skyhawk, a Grumman F-14D Tomcat, and the only Vultee V-1AD Special known to exist, once owned by publisher William Randolph Hearst.

One of their star exhibits, a rare Lockheed SR-71 ‘Blackbird’ spy plane that sat for 15 years outside the front of the building was moved last year into the Virginia Science Museum.

According to reports, the museum’s troubles are not caused by a lack of visitors, but because the hanger they have been housed in since 1991 has “reached the end of its useful life” and they are unable to find a suitable alternative home.

Images: Bücker Bü 133C Jungmeister CC Flickr/mrccos.
               Vultee V-1AD Special CC Wikimedia/RuthAS