My wife and I were up in the Camden, Maine neighborhood a few weekends ago and had the good fortune to be on the Maine coast on the same weekend that the Owl’s Head Museum hosted their Wings and Wheels extravaganza.   The Owls Head Museum sits out on a point near Rockland.  It includes a beautiful enclosed facility with a nice selection of landmark cars sitting along side reproductions of some of the earliest flying machines and airplanes.  The grounds include a large show area where auto enthusiasts displayed their classic and collector cars and an airstrip which sits adjacent to a civil airport with hangers. If you find yourself along mid-coast Maine, I highly recommend a visit.

On this day, in addition to the museum itself, there was an air show and car show. While my little digital camera only captured specs in the sky, this shot is of a classic Curtis bi-plane being started by hand.  This fellow, while apparantly in very good shape, was worn down pretty badly trying to start this plane.  It did eventually start and the pilot proceeded to put it through its paces, which included numerous flips, rolls, stalls and low passes over the air-strip, all which thrilled the gathered crowd.

There was a pretty nice selection of privately-owned classic cars on hand including this 1949 Ford Convertible, with which my wife fell in love. It’s 239 cubic inch V8 produced 100 horsepower.  About 51,000 were sold but not many remain. This one was in fine restored condition but sadly…not for sale.  Sorry Honey!

Also on hand was a Blackhawk helicopter.  Spectators were allowed to climb around inside and get a sense for what it might be like to ride one of these aircrafts into battle.  I have to admit that I have even more respect for our service men and women after examining this well-built but very vulnerable machine and realizing that it is one of the primary methods of carrying troops in and out of war zones.

The museum itself is a great take regardless of whether or not they are having a special event.  It includes some spectacular reproductions of historic early aircraft like this Wright Brothers’ Wright Flyer, complete with Orville piloting the historic first flight dated December 17, 1903.  The Wright Brothers’ fundamental breakthrough was their invention of three axis control, which enabled the pilot to steer the aircraft effectively and to maintain its equilibrium. This method became standard and remains standard on fixed-wing aircraft to this day.

There were also a few less noteworthy vehicles such as this 1938 Eliot Cricket III built by Samuel Eliot.  It features a stainless steel body and steering via a control stick similar to that used in early aircraft. You would push the stick left or right to steer and forward to stop.  The Cricket was powered by a 130 horsepower Franklin four-cylinder engine, more than enough power for this very small car.  Eliot, who was an inventor, is also responsible for Boston’s first parking garage, built in 1933 on the corner of State Street and India Street.

Of course, the most famous automobile on display along with a reproduction of the first powered aircraft is a replica of the first patented automobile, the Benz, which sits majestically at the entrance to the museum. Built by Carl Benz of Germany in 1885 and patented in 1886, this vehicle is recognized as the first to use an internal combustion engine to power itself.  The single cylinder engine burned gasoline ignited by a spark plug, one of the first to use an electrical spark, and produced just 3/4 horsepower.  Steering was done by a hand-lever and pointer.

These are just a few of the many motor vehicles and aircraft on display at the Owl’s Head Museum so if you ever find yourself along the mid-Maine coast near Camden and Rockland, take some time to visit this interesting museum.  You’ll have fun and learn quite a few things, too!