Aviation Park is now home to a restored 1964 Beechcraft A-23 Musketeer airplane on display for the education and enjoyment of visitors to the park.
The plane is a single-engine piston plane that seats up to three passengers in addition to the pilot.
According to an article in KingAir magazine, the Musketeer line of planes was an attempt to meet the demand for low-cost aircraft for the entry-level market that began to boom after WWII.
The restoration and refurbishment of the airplane was completed by the Town Center Community Alliance, a nonprofit affiliate of the Town Center Community Improvement District (TCCID).
According to the press release announcing the completion of the project, the plane was donated by Kennesaw-based Hawthorne Aviation and restored by DLK Aviation Incorporated, an aircraft repair firm also based in Kennesaw.
“Engineering, design, and installation was provided by DeNyse; other partners include Fly LBI, Priority Jet, and Brahma Marketing,” the press release states.
Tracy Rathbone Styf, executive director of the Town Center CID, stated in the press release, “The plane installation has been a project more than two years in the making and is the first phase of our S.T.E.M. educational exhibit. Seeing the plane in the air makes us even more eager to complete the remaining exhibits at Aviation Park and further share the rich history of aviation throughout Cobb County.”
Jennifer Hogan, director of the Alliance, stated in the press release, “We are thrilled to see this project complete and are so grateful to the many partners that helped make it happen. Everything about this project from the tail number to the direction and orientation of the installed plane has been very intentional. Having this plane installed sets the stage for the remainder of the planned exhibits at the park.”
The press release explains the custom tail number of the plane as follows:
The custom tail number for the plane is “N20RYY” which is consistent with industry standards for naming similar planes. The prefix, “N”, stands for its country of origin which, in this case, is the United States of America. Typically followed by numbers, the number “20” was selected to commemorate the year of installation. Lastly, the final letters, “RYY”, reflect the three-letter airport code for Cobb County International Airport.
To learn more about the coming exhibits visit the Alliance’s website: https://www.towncentercid.com/alliance/alliance-programs/.
