Edward T. Maloney, American aviation historian, Died at 88

Edward T. Maloney was born on May 21, 1928, and died on August 19, 2016.

He was an aviation historian.

Maloney was also a museum curator based in Southern California.

Edward was responsible for building much of the collection of historic air frames displayed at the Planes of Fame Museum at Chino Airport, Chino, California.

He had the foresight to recognize that today’s scrap is tomorrow’s history, and began collecting odd air frames for a future museum.

Edwards first item was reportedly the Ohka Kamikaze rocket in the current collection, acquired in 1946.

Edward T. Maloney opened his first aviation museum at Claremont, California on January 12, 1957, and then moved to LA/Ontario International Airport, Ontario, California in the 1960s.

Edward T. Maloney collection included several military aircraft including a rare P-26 Peashooter, a P-51A, a Hanriot HD.1, a Heinkel He 162, the Northrop N9M flying wing testbed, the nose section of a B-36 Peacemaker bomber, and the last active USAF B-17 Flying Fortress bomber, Piccadilly Lilly II (44-83684), in United States Air Force operation, a former drone-director.

This B-17 starred in the Twelve O’ Clock High television series, 1964-1966 and the Inter-active displays included a vintage World War II gunnery training machine.

After Maloney was forced to relocate from the Ontario Airport hangar in 1969, his collection moved to its present location at Chino Airport, California.

He remained active in the preservation of aviation history until his death

He died due to colon cancer.

Edward T. Maloney passed away at 88 years old.