Book published on Yankee Air Museum full of old, new pictures

“Yankee Air Museum,” a new book that was published by Barry D. Levine on Nov. 26, tells the story of the local museum from the early days when it was started and looks into its plans for the future.
The book has 160 color photographs and ends with two architectural renditions of plans for the new National Museum for Aviation and Technology at Willow Run.
Author Levine is a volunteer at the Yankee Air Museum. His interest in aviation history goes back to when his father took him out to watch airplane landings and takeoffs at Bradley Field in Windsor Locks, Connecticut.
Levine had access to an extensive library of images, interviews with museum personnel, and a wide range of aviation literature sources as background. This is his first book.
“This book’s goals are to acknowledge the tireless dedication of the volunteers who have preserved this history; highlight specific exhibits, events, and speakers; and discuss the museum’s founding and future plans,” Levin wrote.
The Willow Run Bomber Plant opened in 1941 and produced more than 8,600 B-24 Liberator bombers, a key element of the Allied arsenal in World War II.
In 1981, a group of aviation enthusiasts established the Yankee Air Museum in Van Buren Township, about a mile away from the original bomber plant. The museum built a substantial collection of flyable and static aircraft and aviation artifacts, many of which were destroyed in a 2004 fire.
Despite this loss, the museum remained open in temporary facilities while considering options for a permanent home. The museum then bought the last 144,000 square feet of the original bomber plant with a goal of renovating this facility into a state-of-the-art museum in the early 2020s.
The 96-page, paperback book is available for $22.99 from Arcadia Publishing at www.arcadiapublishing.com . It also is available at the Yankee Air Museum gift shop, (734) 483-4030.