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ON DISPLAY IN THE BASEMENT OF THE McLEAN COUNTY HISTORICAL
DISPLAY IN THE BASEMENT OF THE McLEAN COUNTY HISTORICAL MUSEUM IN BLOOMINGTON IS IS A
McLEAN COUNTY HISTORICAL MUSEUM IN BLOOMINGTON IS IS A SMALL HOME BUILT PLANE THAT ONCE
MUSEUM IN BLOOMINGTON IS IS A SMALL HOME BUILT PLANE THAT ONCE SET SEVERAL SPEED RECORDS.
THIS IS THE TILLBERG FLASH, ONE OF THE LARGER ARTIFACTS OF THE MUSEUM'S COLLECTION OF OBJECTS
OF THE LARGER ARTIFACTS OF THE MUSEUM'S COLLECTION OF OBJECTS THAT REPRESENTS THE CULTURE OF
MUSEUM'S COLLECTION OF OBJECTS THAT REPRESENTS THE CULTURE OF McLEAN COUNTY.
THAT REPRESENTS THE CULTURE OF McLEAN COUNTY. IT WAS BUILT IN THE EARLY 1930'S
McLEAN COUNTY. IT WAS BUILT IN THE EARLY 1930'S DURING THE HEIGHT OF THE
IT WAS BUILT IN THE EARLY 1930'S DURING THE HEIGHT OF THE DEPRESSION.
DURING THE HEIGHT OF THE DEPRESSION. OWEN TILLBURY WAS ENGINEER AT
DEPRESSION. OWEN TILLBURY WAS ENGINEER AT THE WILLIAMS OILMATIC FACTORY.
OWEN TILLBURY WAS ENGINEER AT THE WILLIAMS OILMATIC FACTORY. HE WAS AT SEVERAL AIR RACES AND
THE WILLIAMS OILMATIC FACTORY. HE WAS AT SEVERAL AIR RACES AND THOUGHT IT WAS INTERESTING HE
HE WAS AT SEVERAL AIR RACES AND THOUGHT IT WAS INTERESTING HE AND HIS FRIENDS COULD RACE THEIR
THOUGHT IT WAS INTERESTING HE AND HIS FRIENDS COULD RACE THEIR OWN PLANES AND MAYBE MAKE A FEW
AND HIS FRIENDS COULD RACE THEIR OWN PLANES AND MAYBE MAKE A FEW DOLLARS DURING THE DEPRESSION OF
OWN PLANES AND MAYBE MAKE A FEW DOLLARS DURING THE DEPRESSION OF THESE COURSES WERE DEFINED BY
DOLLARS DURING THE DEPRESSION OF THESE COURSES WERE DEFINED BY CHECKERED PYLONS. HE AND HIS
THESE COURSES WERE DEFINED BY CHECKERED PYLONS. HE AND HIS FRIENDS GOT TOGETHER AND
CHECKERED PYLONS. HE AND HIS FRIENDS GOT TOGETHER AND ENGINEERED THIS AIRPLANE.
FRIENDS GOT TOGETHER AND ENGINEERED THIS AIRPLANE. ONE OF THE FAMOUS LOCAL PILOT
ENGINEERED THIS AIRPLANE. ONE OF THE FAMOUS LOCAL PILOT THS OF THE TIME, ART CONAHAN WAS
ONE OF THE FAMOUS LOCAL PILOT THS OF THE TIME, ART CONAHAN WAS ASKED TO BE THE PILOT.
THS OF THE TIME, ART CONAHAN WAS ASKED TO BE THE PILOT. ART WAS A LOCAL PILOT AND BARN
ASKED TO BE THE PILOT. ART WAS A LOCAL PILOT AND BARN STORMER.
ART WAS A LOCAL PILOT AND BARN STORMER. HE WAS A VERY SMALL FELLOW.
STORMER. HE WAS A VERY SMALL FELLOW. SO THEY ACTUALLY BUILT THE
HE WAS A VERY SMALL FELLOW. SO THEY ACTUALLY BUILT THE PLANE, THE COCKPIT ESPECIALLY
SO THEY ACTUALLY BUILT THE PLANE, THE COCKPIT ESPECIALLY AROUND ART TO MINIMIZE ITS SIZE.
PLANE, THE COCKPIT ESPECIALLY AROUND ART TO MINIMIZE ITS SIZE. ONLY HAS A WING SPAN OF 12 AND A
AROUND ART TO MINIMIZE ITS SIZE. ONLY HAS A WING SPAN OF 12 AND A HALF FEET.
ONLY HAS A WING SPAN OF 12 AND A HALF FEET. THE PLANE WAS BUILT IN THE
HALF FEET. THE PLANE WAS BUILT IN THE UPSTAIRS ROOM OF THE CASTLE
THE PLANE WAS BUILT IN THE UPSTAIRS ROOM OF THE CASTLE THEATER JUST DOWN THE STREET
UPSTAIRS ROOM OF THE CASTLE THEATER JUST DOWN THE STREET FROM US.
THEATER JUST DOWN THE STREET FROM US. THE PLANE IS POWERED BY A
FROM US. THE PLANE IS POWERED BY A MOTORCYCLE ENGINE.
THE PLANE IS POWERED BY A MOTORCYCLE ENGINE. THE FIRST TIME THEY TOOK IT OUT
MOTORCYCLE ENGINE. THE FIRST TIME THEY TOOK IT OUT FOR A RUN, THEY DIDN'T GET THE
THE FIRST TIME THEY TOOK IT OUT FOR A RUN, THEY DIDN'T GET THE PLANE OFF THE GROUND.
FOR A RUN, THEY DIDN'T GET THE PLANE OFF THE GROUND. THAT WAS IN 1932, BUT IN 1933,
PLANE OFF THE GROUND. THAT WAS IN 1932, BUT IN 1933, THEY DID SUCCEED IN GETTING IT
THAT WAS IN 1932, BUT IN 1933, THEY DID SUCCEED IN GETTING IT OFF THE GROUND.
THEY DID SUCCEED IN GETTING IT OFF THE GROUND. IT RACED IN SEVERAL AIR RACES,
OFF THE GROUND. IT RACED IN SEVERAL AIR RACES, AND IT ACHIEVES ITS TOP SPEED OF
IT RACED IN SEVERAL AIR RACES, AND IT ACHIEVES ITS TOP SPEED OF 120 MILES PER HOUR WHICH AT THAT
AND IT ACHIEVES ITS TOP SPEED OF 120 MILES PER HOUR WHICH AT THAT TIME PERIOD WAS THE FASTEST
120 MILES PER HOUR WHICH AT THAT TIME PERIOD WAS THE FASTEST SPEED IN ITS RACE CLASS.
TIME PERIOD WAS THE FASTEST SPEED IN ITS RACE CLASS. THE FIRST COMPETITION WAS
SPEED IN ITS RACE CLASS. THE FIRST COMPETITION WAS CHICAGO AMERICAN AIR RACES JULY
THE FIRST COMPETITION WAS CHICAGO AMERICAN AIR RACES JULY JULY 6, 1933.
CHICAGO AMERICAN AIR RACES JULY JULY 6, 1933. IN ITS FIRST HEAT, THE FLASH,
JULY 6, 1933. IN ITS FIRST HEAT, THE FLASH, PILOTED BY ART CANAHAN FINISHED
IN ITS FIRST HEAT, THE FLASH, PILOTED BY ART CANAHAN FINISHED SECOND. IN THE SECOND HEAT,
PILOTED BY ART CANAHAN FINISHED SECOND. IN THE SECOND HEAT, CARNAHAN DECIDED TO USE A NEW
SECOND. IN THE SECOND HEAT, CARNAHAN DECIDED TO USE A NEW STRATEGY TO KEEP HIM OUT OF THE
CARNAHAN DECIDED TO USE A NEW STRATEGY TO KEEP HIM OUT OF THE PROP WASH OF THE LARGER PLANES
STRATEGY TO KEEP HIM OUT OF THE PROP WASH OF THE LARGER PLANES HE FLU UNDER ALL THE OTHER RACES
PROP WASH OF THE LARGER PLANES HE FLU UNDER ALL THE OTHER RACES INSTEAD OF FLYING ALONG SIDE OR
HE FLU UNDER ALL THE OTHER RACES INSTEAD OF FLYING ALONG SIDE OR BEHIND THEM.
INSTEAD OF FLYING ALONG SIDE OR BEHIND THEM. STRATEGY WORKED, AND THE FLASH
BEHIND THEM. STRATEGY WORKED, AND THE FLASH WON THE POLISH TROPHY.
STRATEGY WORKED, AND THE FLASH WON THE POLISH TROPHY. THE AIRPLANE CONTINUED TO RACE
WON THE POLISH TROPHY. THE AIRPLANE CONTINUED TO RACE DURING THE 1930'S WITH SEVERAL
THE AIRPLANE CONTINUED TO RACE DURING THE 1930'S WITH SEVERAL DIFFERENT AIR PILOTS.
DURING THE 1930'S WITH SEVERAL DIFFERENT AIR PILOTS. THEN SOMEWHERE IN THE LATE 30'S,
DIFFERENT AIR PILOTS. THEN SOMEWHERE IN THE LATE 30'S, IT STOPPED RACING.
THEN SOMEWHERE IN THE LATE 30'S, IT STOPPED RACING. THE PLANE WAS ACTUALLY LOST FOR
IT STOPPED RACING. THE PLANE WAS ACTUALLY LOST FOR SEVERAL DECADES.
THE PLANE WAS ACTUALLY LOST FOR SEVERAL DECADES. IT WAS REDISCOVERED IN THE
SEVERAL DECADES. IT WAS REDISCOVERED IN THE 1970'S BY A GROUP WHO BROUGHT IT
IT WAS REDISCOVERED IN THE 1970'S BY A GROUP WHO BROUGHT IT BACK TO McLEAN COUNTY AND HAD
1970'S BY A GROUP WHO BROUGHT IT BACK TO McLEAN COUNTY AND HAD IT RESTORED AND DONATED TO
BACK TO McLEAN COUNTY AND HAD IT RESTORED AND DONATED TO McLEAN COUNTY MUSEUM OF
IT RESTORED AND DONATED TO McLEAN COUNTY MUSEUM OF HISTORY. FOR A LONG TIME, IT
McLEAN COUNTY MUSEUM OF HISTORY. FOR A LONG TIME, IT WAS AT THE MUSEUM'S PREVIOUS
HISTORY. FOR A LONG TIME, IT WAS AT THE MUSEUM'S PREVIOUS SITE.
WAS AT THE MUSEUM'S PREVIOUS SITE. WHEN WE MOVED IN 1991, WE HAD IT
SITE. WHEN WE MOVED IN 1991, WE HAD IT RESTORED AGAIN.
WHEN WE MOVED IN 1991, WE HAD IT RESTORED AGAIN. IT SITS HERE FOR EVERYONE TO
RESTORED AGAIN. IT SITS HERE FOR EVERYONE TO SEE.
IT SITS HERE FOR EVERYONE TO SEE. UNFORTUNATELY, YOU CAN'T FLY IT
SEE. UNFORTUNATELY, YOU CAN'T FLY IT ANY MORE!
TO REACH McLEAN COUNTY HISTORIC 309-827-0428 OR GO TO WITH WWW MACKHISTORY.GOV.