Greater St. Louis Air & Space Museum Adds Exhibits In Historic Hangar at St. Louis Downtown Airport

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By Carmelo Turdo

e Greater St. Louis Air & Space Museum continues to grow at its current location in historic 1929 Curtiss-Wright Hangar 2 at St. Louis Downtown Airport in nearby Cahokia, IL.  The museum, established in 1982 as the St. Louis Aviation Museum by McDonnell Douglas employees and retirees at Spirit of St. Louis Airport in Chesterfield, MO, currently maintains a collection of exhibits and aircraft that well represent the contributions of St. Louis aviation and aerospace since the 1920s.  Rare items on display include Mercury and Gemini space suits, two working Link Trainers from the 1940s-50s, a Lockheed Jetstar executive jet once owned by Howard Hughes and a Meyers OTW trainer (number 50 out of 102 made).  Several aircraft restoration projects are planned, and the museum is in search of more docents and a sponsor for the future restoration of the historic hangar.

Here is a look at just some of the current exhibits from the gallery and hangar full of aircraft, engines and related items. The museum is open Friday-Sunday, 10am-4pm.

 

 

EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2014: The EAA AirVenture Museum

Fred Harl and Carmelo Turdo

Part of the EAA AirVenture experience is a visit to the EAA AirVenture Museum, a jewel of homebuilt aviation history housed in a beautiful, modern facility at nearby Pioneer Airport.  Along with the main gallery featured here, there are other hangars with aircraft on display across the grounds near KidVenture and the helicopter ride staging area.  Included in this feature are the homebuilt aerobatic, racing and experimental aircraft, including record-breaking Rutan designs that have become aviation legends due in part to the advocacy efforts of the Experimental Aircraft Association.