The late Ray Watkins would be a happy man this week if he were alive to witness one of the prized pieces of his aviation collection getting a proper display in the Logan County History Center.
Art Kemp, a World War II combat pilot from Bellefontaine, looks at a historic Clarence Wissler restored by the Historic Aviation Organization of Logan County, a group he formerly belonged to. Mr. Kemp and others turned out Sunday afternoon at the Logan County History Center to view the the Wissler WA-6 replica with original fuselage before it is hoisted into its final display location above the atrium of the transportation wing later this week. (EXAMINER PHOTO | REUBEN MEES)
The fuselage and other parts of the WA-6 airplane that is being hung in the atrium of the museum’s transportation wing once was a part of Mr. Watkins’ collection, along with a wide variety of other pieces of local aviation history, Jeff Duffy of the Historical Aviation Organization of Logan County said.
Mr. Duffy and his friend Art Kemp, a World War II combat veteran, were among the local aviation buffs who took the opportunity to look at the historic plane built by Bellefontaine aviation mechanic Clarence Wissler prior to it being hoisted into its final display location above the atrium of the museum’s aviation wing.
“Ray Watkins passed away in Septmeber 1999, but this was part of his historical aviation collection,” Mr. Duffy said. “Ray had the prints for that plane. He would have been real proud to see this today.”
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