Author Topic: Pioneer Village, Minden Nebraska  (Read 10691 times)

Offline Second Air Force

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Pioneer Village, Minden Nebraska
« on: September 26, 2011, 02:44:50 AM »
Today we visited the small Midwestern town of Minden, Nebraska, the home of Pioneer Village. This is a very large collection of artifacts of Americana and also includes a few items of interest to warbird enthusiasts. The collection was built over thirty years by Harold Warp, the son of Norwegian immigrants to Nebraska. Mr. Warp developed "Flex-O-Glass" clear plastic in the 1920s and became very wealthy, spending much of the proceeds to build the Pioneer Village collection.

Here are just a few photos of some interesting artifacts.

The placard for this engine would lead one to believe it is a DB 605 but there are a number of casting marks that have a 601 on them. To the museum's credit the sign does mention that the engine is displayed upside down.
http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/DB601001.jpg
Pioneer Village, Minden Nebraska

http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/DB601002.jpg
Pioneer Village, Minden Nebraska

http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/DB601003.jpg
Pioneer Village, Minden Nebraska

http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/DB601004.jpg
Pioneer Village, Minden Nebraska


This one shocked me a bit.
http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/WaltherHWK.jpg
Pioneer Village, Minden Nebraska

http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/WaltherHWK109-500.jpg
Pioneer Village, Minden Nebraska

http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/WaltherHWK001.jpg
Pioneer Village, Minden Nebraska

http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/WaltherHWKDataplate.jpg
Pioneer Village, Minden Nebraska


I'll post a few more photos later--we're going to spend a good bit of tomorrow going through the rest of the facility.

Offline No.1

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Re: Pioneer Village, Minden Nebraska
« Reply #1 on: September 26, 2011, 06:07:58 AM »
Very interesting item mate! I did not know for this village, sound that there is much more nice things to see, not related to aviation

Offline Second Air Force

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Re: Pioneer Village, Minden Nebraska
« Reply #2 on: September 26, 2011, 05:02:38 PM »
There's no reason for most people to know about the Pioneer Village, especially outside the U.S., No.1. They have never advertised heavily even in the States.

Mr. Warp collected everything imagineable and I'll take some representative photos today.

Offline No.1

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Re: Pioneer Village, Minden Nebraska
« Reply #3 on: September 26, 2011, 05:05:27 PM »
Thanks ;)

Offline ta152c

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Re: Pioneer Village, Minden Nebraska
« Reply #4 on: September 26, 2011, 11:44:42 PM »
Outstanding stuff, the Walther booster looks stunning with all that rivet detail. Love the engine :)

Offline Second Air Force

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Re: Pioneer Village, Minden Nebraska
« Reply #5 on: September 27, 2011, 05:12:51 AM »
Outstanding stuff, the Walther booster looks stunning with all that rivet detail. Love the engine :)

More shots of the Walter from today's visit. Other than the slight damage at the exhaust nozzle it seems you could fill 'er up and fly away!
http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/WalterHWK002.jpg
Pioneer Village, Minden Nebraska

http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/WalterHWK003.jpg
Pioneer Village, Minden Nebraska

http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/WalterHWK004.jpg
Pioneer Village, Minden Nebraska

http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/WalterHWK005.jpg
Pioneer Village, Minden Nebraska
« Last Edit: September 27, 2011, 05:38:39 AM by Second Air Force »

Offline Sall

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Re: Pioneer Village, Minden Nebraska
« Reply #6 on: September 27, 2011, 10:15:56 AM »
Great details Scott... ;) :-clap :-clap

Offline Second Air Force

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Re: Pioneer Village, Minden Nebraska
« Reply #7 on: September 27, 2011, 05:21:40 PM »
Here are the rest of the photos of the DB 601. I apologize for not getting better pictures but there was just no way to get a better angle for the other side of the engine. The museum has so many artifacts that everything is very, very tightly displayed. Again, bear in mind that the engine is upside down in these piccies.
http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/DB601005.jpg
Pioneer Village, Minden Nebraska

http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/DB601006.jpg
Pioneer Village, Minden Nebraska

http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/DB601007.jpg
Pioneer Village, Minden Nebraska

http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/DB601009.jpg
Pioneer Village, Minden Nebraska

http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/DB601010.jpg
Pioneer Village, Minden Nebraska

http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/DB601011.jpg
Pioneer Village, Minden Nebraska



These last two are the data plates on the fuel injection unit:
http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/DB601012.jpg
Pioneer Village, Minden Nebraska

http://i174.photobucket.com/albums/w117/2AF/DB601013.jpg
Pioneer Village, Minden Nebraska

Offline No.1

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Re: Pioneer Village, Minden Nebraska
« Reply #8 on: September 27, 2011, 06:14:17 PM »
Images are just great! I would be happy of any of us could do build with scratch some of this nice details presented here :)

Offline Sall

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Re: Pioneer Village, Minden Nebraska
« Reply #9 on: September 27, 2011, 06:23:13 PM »
 :-clap

Offline Second Air Force

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Re: Pioneer Village, Minden Nebraska
« Reply #10 on: September 27, 2011, 11:06:11 PM »
It's too bad I couldn't get to the engine data plate to see which variant this is. It definitely isn't for anything that could fire a cannon through the prop shaft as there isn't an opening in the gearbox to allow for the gun barrel extension. The placard with the engine didn't give any info on where Mr. Warp acquired it, either.

Offline Wingman81

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Re: Pioneer Village, Minden Nebraska
« Reply #11 on: October 05, 2011, 10:08:09 PM »
Maybe I will visit my friends in Nebraska in the next 2 years....then i will go there  :-green :-obey

Offline Second Air Force

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Re: Pioneer Village, Minden Nebraska
« Reply #12 on: October 05, 2011, 11:58:38 PM »
Let me know if you're able to come over and I'll try to come up and meet you!