AAFHA and InfoAge Museum Collaboration:
Newly acquired, B-25J Curtiss Wright Dehmel Flight Trainer Simulator.
Army Air Forces Historical Association has exciting news. We have just acquired a Curtiss Wright, Dehmel Flight Trainer Simulator from the Aviation Hall of Fame Teterboro. The simulator was invented by Richard Dehmel, PHD, and was the first electronic flight simulator that solved the equations of flight, and have the controls and instruments of the trainer respond as an accurate equivalent of a real airplane. Curtiss Wright started production January 1943. The AAFHA Simulator has a cockpit layout of B25J.
How did this happen ? The answer is team work. AAFHA member Len Komar was assisting AHOF representative Alan Embree and Ralph Villecca AHOF President on project and noticed the unused simulator in storage. With full support with AAFHA C.O. Wayne Placek and board members, Len and Taryn Seminara began working on a plan to acquire the trainer and move to the soon to be AAFHA display room at Info Age museum in Wall Township. This project, months in the making, became reality on May 7, 2022.
AAFHA Members, Len, Kelly Komar and Pat Ragosta, met with AHOF members, Alan Embree and Andy Gamble and started to load the 8-piece trainer, with some sections weighting over 300 lbs., onto the truck for transport. The Info Age receiving team consisted of AAFHA member, Taryn Seminara and Info Age members. Although the AAFHA display room is not currently available, the trainer was placed in a used room where the AAFHA group will use this time to give the trainer (so named AAFHA Lady), the needed TLC before her unveiling. Many thanks to all who made its endeavor possible, but please know our work is not done. We will need teams for work dates to clean and document necessary repairs and replacement items. We are looking at Wednesdays or Saturdays starting in June. Please contact me and Taryn, if you are interested in helping out.
Len Komar
How did this happen ? The answer is team work. AAFHA member Len Komar was assisting AHOF representative Alan Embree and Ralph Villecca AHOF President on project and noticed the unused simulator in storage. With full support with AAFHA C.O. Wayne Placek and board members, Len and Taryn Seminara began working on a plan to acquire the trainer and move to the soon to be AAFHA display room at Info Age museum in Wall Township. This project, months in the making, became reality on May 7, 2022.
AAFHA Members, Len, Kelly Komar and Pat Ragosta, met with AHOF members, Alan Embree and Andy Gamble and started to load the 8-piece trainer, with some sections weighting over 300 lbs., onto the truck for transport. The Info Age receiving team consisted of AAFHA member, Taryn Seminara and Info Age members. Although the AAFHA display room is not currently available, the trainer was placed in a used room where the AAFHA group will use this time to give the trainer (so named AAFHA Lady), the needed TLC before her unveiling. Many thanks to all who made its endeavor possible, but please know our work is not done. We will need teams for work dates to clean and document necessary repairs and replacement items. We are looking at Wednesdays or Saturdays starting in June. Please contact me and Taryn, if you are interested in helping out.
Len Komar
All photos by Len Komar
June work session
On June 18 a small, dedicated group of AAFHA members attended a cleaning/repair detail for the Dehmel Flight Trainer Simulator at the InfoAGe Museum.
Photos by Len Komar. Click on each to enlarge.
