Photo of the Day - Stearman Model 4D

[tbutler]

From the Kansas Aviation Museum, Wichita KS.

In this position, it looks almost like a caged bird in a zoo; wings straining at the pillars keeping it locked in.

The museum is housed in the terminal building from the original Wichita Municipal Airport; in the '40s it was one of the busiest airports in the country, at a convenient refueling site for aircraft making cross-country trips. In the 1950s it was taken over by the USAF as McConnell AFB, with the former terminal used as an administration building. In the 1980s it was abandoned by the Air Force, before being taken over by a volunteer group and being turned into a museum. While many areas of the building have been refurbished and brought up to the Art Deco look they had in the airport's civilian heyday, other parts are still very raw, and you can see that in this shot.

Comments

[yhlee]

Yes! I love the way the pillars frame it, and give the sense of a story. Be freeeeee someday, O airplane!

[tbutler]

Alas, not likely to happen. This is a room on the second floor; you'd have to take it apart to get it outside. (In prior years, I've seen them working - very slowly - on restoration.)

More important, though, the museum operates on a shoestring. Sadly. :( I like what I've seen of the people there, but frankly they have very little in the way of money. Only now, 20+ years after taking over the building, have they been able to afford putting in central climate control - important for visitors' comfort, but just as important for keeping the exhibits in good shape. Worse, almost three years ago a tornado hit the museum, scuffing up several of the airplanes that weren't destroyed; it's important to get the paint back on them before they deteriorate further, but again it's a problem of money.

All of which is to say, getting it flightworthy again would be expensive, and right now they can't afford to do it. ;_;

[yhlee]

Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that. It sounds like a great museum. I hope things get better.