The past few weeks have been very busy here at the museum for several reasons, one of which is the updating of our scale table exhibit. One of the new airplanes that has found a home there is a Chinese AEW, which was built and donated by George Maiorana. This 1/15 electric scale model is based on the Chinese version of the Soviet TU-4, which was an almost exact replica of the Boeing B-29. The AEW has an exceptional amount of detail, from the rotating radome, to the functional retracts, to the thousands of rivets on the covering. This model was first flown in 2002, and won numerous awards and accolades in the following years at events such as the Nats, Top Gun, Toledo, and the Masters. Flown by the husband and wife team of David and Vicki Pinegar, the AEW was consistently an excellent performer. We are excited to preserve such a fine model for the enjoyment and education of future generations!
