Kansas Aviation Museum
Encyclopedia
Kansas Aviation Museum is located in Riverside Township, Sedgwick County
, near Wichita, Kansas
at 3350 George Washington Blvd. It is known for exhibiting aircraft made by the Boeing Company, which has a large presence in Wichita. It features the Boeing B-29 Superfortress
(Doc), B-47 Stratojet
, B-52 Stratofortress
, and the KC-135 Stratotanker
.
NOTE: As of late October 2008 the B-29 "DOC" is not on view at the Museum. It has been moved at least for the winter months to Building 10 (odd shaped building just east of the Museum) at McConnell Air Force Base
on the Kansas Air National Guard side for storage. The general public cannot enter that building with the exception of the McConnell open house and air show.
The Kansas Aviation Museum is in the Terminal and Administration building of the former Municipal Airport in Wichita
. The building and landing area are constructed on ground that had never been plowed and was known as the California section. The Park Board purchased 640 acres (2.6 km²) in 1928 and, with Glen Thomas as architect, started the building on July 1, 1930, but construction soon halted due to the Great Depression
and lack of funds. The building sat uncompleted until 1935 with a dedication on Sunday March 31, 1935.
Wichita was the last stop before crossing the Rocky Mountains
to Denver
or Los Angeles
in those days. The airport was greatly needed for fuel and more importantly weather updates. As told in story after story, many people who landed,ate at the restaurant and milled about were legends of industry and film. Fred Astaire
, Bob Hope
, Howard Hughes
and countless other famous people all walked the terrazzo floors in what is now the Kansas Aviation Museum. It was tagged the "Country Club without dues". During the oppressive heat of the 30's people would come out to the airport at night,spread out a blanket,enjoy the cool breezes and watch the incoming and outgoing aircraft. The building and its grounds set about 75 feet (22.9 m) higher than downtown and always have a breeze blowing. The runways were paved in the late 30's as a WPA project as was finishing the building in 1935.
During World War II
the airport became the fifth busiest in the United States being a convenient stop off in the middle of the US and with the endless flight testing of tens of thousands of aircraft being built in Wichita for the War effort. The additions on the east and west end of the building were added in 1942 and 1943. The upper part of the control tower was added in 1940. It was the first control tower to have slanted windows.
After WWII and into the 50's a new division of the military called the US Air Force decided they needed an air base in centrally located Kansas which would later become a Strategic Air Command
base. They didn't want to spend years designing and building an airport, they wanted one now. The Air Force and the City of Wichita came to an agreement on price (it wasn't all wine and roses) and the building was sold to the Federal Government in 1951. The city bought land,designed and began construction of the new Wichita Municipal airport on the west side of Wichita. Both civil and military flights shared the airport until October 1954 when the last commercial flight took off. The Air Force continued to use the building (called Building One) until about 1984 when they shut the doors and abandoned it marking it off as surplus. It sat empty and partially gutted for at least six years until the Kansas Aviation Museum was formed in 1990 and began work. An application for the building to be placed on the Historic Register was filed on March 6, 1990 and was later approved. The outside of the building has been restored but still needs some work. The south part of the building now looks very close to how it looked in 1935.
Much remains to be done to the inside and millions more will have to be spent to bring it back to its 1930's heyday look. The building is without a doubt one of the most beautiful buildings in Wichita and possibly in Kansas.
The architecture of the building is Art deco with its strong and obvious geometric shapes and sharp angles. At the front above the triple doors to the lobby is the famous Bas-relief of the Spirit of St.Louis crossing the Atlantic with Ireland in sight. A bas-relief sculpture is raised or sunken and not a flat piece of art work which makes it stand out that much more. the building was also constructed in the Art Deco
theme.
Sedgwick County, Kansas
Sedgwick County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. The county's population was 498,365 for the 2010 census. The largest city and county seat is Wichita. The county was named after General John Sedgwick...
, near Wichita, Kansas
Wichita, Kansas
Wichita is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas.As of the 2010 census, the city population was 382,368. Located in south-central Kansas on the Arkansas River, Wichita is the county seat of Sedgwick County and the principal city of the Wichita metropolitan area...
at 3350 George Washington Blvd. It is known for exhibiting aircraft made by the Boeing Company, which has a large presence in Wichita. It features the Boeing B-29 Superfortress
B-29 Superfortress
The B-29 Superfortress is a four-engine propeller-driven heavy bomber designed by Boeing that was flown primarily by the United States Air Forces in late-World War II and through the Korean War. The B-29 was one of the largest aircraft to see service during World War II...
(Doc), B-47 Stratojet
B-47 Stratojet
The Boeing Model 450 B-47 Stratojet was a long-range, six-engined, jet-powered medium bomber built to fly at high subsonic speeds and at high altitudes. It was primarily designed to drop nuclear bombs on the Soviet Union...
, B-52 Stratofortress
B-52 Stratofortress
The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is a long-range, subsonic, jet-powered strategic bomber operated by the United States Air Force since the 1950s. The B-52 was designed and built by Boeing, who have continued to provide maintainence and upgrades to the aircraft in service...
, and the KC-135 Stratotanker
KC-135 Stratotanker
The Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker is an aerial refueling military aircraft. It and the Boeing 707 airliner were developed from the Boeing 367-80 prototype. The KC-135 was the US Air Force's first jet-powered refueling tanker and replaced the KC-97 Stratotanker...
.
NOTE: As of late October 2008 the B-29 "DOC" is not on view at the Museum. It has been moved at least for the winter months to Building 10 (odd shaped building just east of the Museum) at McConnell Air Force Base
McConnell Air Force Base
McConnell Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located four miles southeast of the central business district of Wichita, a city in Sedgwick County, Kansas, United States. The base was named in honor of Wichita brothers Fred and Thomas McConnell, both Air Force pilots and World War II...
on the Kansas Air National Guard side for storage. The general public cannot enter that building with the exception of the McConnell open house and air show.
History and Architecture
- Source: * Kansas Aviation Museum
The Kansas Aviation Museum is in the Terminal and Administration building of the former Municipal Airport in Wichita
Wichita, Kansas
Wichita is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas.As of the 2010 census, the city population was 382,368. Located in south-central Kansas on the Arkansas River, Wichita is the county seat of Sedgwick County and the principal city of the Wichita metropolitan area...
. The building and landing area are constructed on ground that had never been plowed and was known as the California section. The Park Board purchased 640 acres (2.6 km²) in 1928 and, with Glen Thomas as architect, started the building on July 1, 1930, but construction soon halted due to the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
and lack of funds. The building sat uncompleted until 1935 with a dedication on Sunday March 31, 1935.
Wichita was the last stop before crossing the Rocky Mountains
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...
to Denver
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
or Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
in those days. The airport was greatly needed for fuel and more importantly weather updates. As told in story after story, many people who landed,ate at the restaurant and milled about were legends of industry and film. Fred Astaire
Fred Astaire
Fred Astaire was an American film and Broadway stage dancer, choreographer, singer and actor. His stage and subsequent film career spanned a total of 76 years, during which he made 31 musical films. He was named the fifth Greatest Male Star of All Time by the American Film Institute...
, Bob Hope
Bob Hope
Bob Hope, KBE, KCSG, KSS was a British-born American comedian and actor who appeared in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in radio, television and movies. He was also noted for his work with the US Armed Forces and his numerous USO shows entertaining American military personnel...
, Howard Hughes
Howard Hughes
Howard Robard Hughes, Jr. was an American business magnate, investor, aviator, engineer, film producer, director, and philanthropist. He was one of the wealthiest people in the world...
and countless other famous people all walked the terrazzo floors in what is now the Kansas Aviation Museum. It was tagged the "Country Club without dues". During the oppressive heat of the 30's people would come out to the airport at night,spread out a blanket,enjoy the cool breezes and watch the incoming and outgoing aircraft. The building and its grounds set about 75 feet (22.9 m) higher than downtown and always have a breeze blowing. The runways were paved in the late 30's as a WPA project as was finishing the building in 1935.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the airport became the fifth busiest in the United States being a convenient stop off in the middle of the US and with the endless flight testing of tens of thousands of aircraft being built in Wichita for the War effort. The additions on the east and west end of the building were added in 1942 and 1943. The upper part of the control tower was added in 1940. It was the first control tower to have slanted windows.
After WWII and into the 50's a new division of the military called the US Air Force decided they needed an air base in centrally located Kansas which would later become a Strategic Air Command
Strategic Air Command
The Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...
base. They didn't want to spend years designing and building an airport, they wanted one now. The Air Force and the City of Wichita came to an agreement on price (it wasn't all wine and roses) and the building was sold to the Federal Government in 1951. The city bought land,designed and began construction of the new Wichita Municipal airport on the west side of Wichita. Both civil and military flights shared the airport until October 1954 when the last commercial flight took off. The Air Force continued to use the building (called Building One) until about 1984 when they shut the doors and abandoned it marking it off as surplus. It sat empty and partially gutted for at least six years until the Kansas Aviation Museum was formed in 1990 and began work. An application for the building to be placed on the Historic Register was filed on March 6, 1990 and was later approved. The outside of the building has been restored but still needs some work. The south part of the building now looks very close to how it looked in 1935.
Much remains to be done to the inside and millions more will have to be spent to bring it back to its 1930's heyday look. The building is without a doubt one of the most beautiful buildings in Wichita and possibly in Kansas.
The architecture of the building is Art deco with its strong and obvious geometric shapes and sharp angles. At the front above the triple doors to the lobby is the famous Bas-relief of the Spirit of St.Louis crossing the Atlantic with Ireland in sight. A bas-relief sculpture is raised or sunken and not a flat piece of art work which makes it stand out that much more. the building was also constructed in the Art Deco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
theme.
See also
- Mid-America Air MuseumMid-America Air MuseumThe Mid-America Air Museum is an aerospace and aircraft museum located in Liberal, Kansas, at the Liberal Mid-America Regional Airport.Located within a hangar that formally belonged to Beech Aircraft and on an airfield that served as a B-24 Liberator training base during the Second World War, the...
, Liberal, KansasLiberal, KansasLiberal is the county seat of Seward County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 20,525.- History :S.S. Rogers built the first house in what would become Liberal in 1872. Rogers became famous in the region for giving water to weary travelers... - Combat Air MuseumCombat Air MuseumThe Combat Air Museum is located in Williamsport Township, Shawnee County, near Topeka, Kansas at Forbes Field airport. The Museum rents two hangars from the MTAA. It is one of a handful of major aviation museums in the United States located on an active air field...
, Topeka, KansasTopeka, KansasTopeka |Kansa]]: Tó Pee Kuh) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Shawnee County. It is situated along the Kansas River in the central part of Shawnee County, located in northeast Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was...
External links
- Wings Over Kansas: Aviation Hall of Fame Inductees 1986-1999 List
- Administrative Building from the National Park ServiceNational Park ServiceThe National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
site Aviation: From Sand Dunes to Sonic Booms: A National Register of Historic Places Travel Itinerary