Owner Of Rare Biplane Sympathetic To Museum Creation

A group of enthusiasts in Memphis, Missouri is setting about a fundraising project to create a place of honor for the Pheasant H-10, a late-1920s-vintage experimental biplane which has become all but extinct. The Pheasant Aircraft Association says it has only $2,000 in the bank so far, and another $10,000 in pledges. The Long Island owner of the plane sought wants $75,000, but association founders say he also shares their interest in seeing the H-10 return home.

There are thought to be only three H-10s remaining in existence. One is in the AirVenture Museum in Oshkosh. EAA notes the Pheasant Aircraft Company was started by flight school operator Lee Briggs, who managed to build 11 of the planes before a crash during certification testing put the program into trouble. It was sold to new owners in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, but failed during the Great Depression of the 1930s.

Back in Missouri, the old building in Memphis in which the company started is still in good condition and has a mural of the H-10 on an outside wall. Dr. Larry Wiggins, a member of the association, says there's still appreciation in town for the history. He tells HeartlandConnection.com, "Everybody knew about this plane for years here. I think it'll draw a lot of people to Memphis..."

Fellow association member Fred Clapp adds, "There is a good deal of memorabilia that'll go with it. So, therefore we will have some other things on display. For example some original blueprints, and drawings and that type of thing."

The group apparently doesn't have a web presence, but can be reached for more info or donations by phone.

FMI: (660) 465-8984 ; (660) 341-2307