A King of Prussia man and a team of dedicated volunteers are bringing a piece of American military history back to life, writes Theresa Katalinas for The Reporter.
Drew Mansueto is a senior fabricator at the Harold F. Pitcairn Wings of Freedom Aviation Museum in Horsham, where he has been restoring aircraft since 2019. His current project is the F-8 Crusader, a U.S. Navy and Marine Corps fighter jet that flew from 1957 through 1977.
Volunteers have logged at least 1,000 hours on the aircraft since June 2024, with completion expected this summer.
The F-8 has a direct Montgomery County connection. It was delivered to the now-closed Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Willow Grove in December 1957 and flew 2,786 hours before retirement. The museum sits adjacent to the former base.
The restoration isn’t cheap. Supplies alone have run $10,000. The team of up to 18 volunteers recently finished the Marine One helicopter after more than 5,000 man-hours and thousands in materials.
The crew includes a former Navy aeronautical engineer, a 20-year Army veteran volunteer, and a restoration manager from Upper Moreland. New volunteers are welcome, especially those with backgrounds in cars, sheet metal, or aircraft.
To learn more about Horsham’s Wings of Freedom Aviation Museum, visit The Reporter.
