Historic Aircraft Restoration Museum Updates Hangar Lighting, Prepares for Active Year

By Carmelo Turdo

The Historic Aircraft Restoration Museum is preparing for an active year ahead by making physical improvements to the museum hangars while also planning for even more exciting news in the near future. Anyone visiting Creve Coeur Airport in recent days could see a kind of "musical planes" occurring in front of the museum hangars as aircraft are shifted to accommodate the crew replacing the overhead fluorescent lights with LED fixtures. Most of the rare vintage aircraft in the museum are in flying condition, and catching many of them outside, even on a cloudy day, is a real treat. 

Creve Coeur Airport has added more aviation services and community attractions in the last few years, now with three flight schools, the Gateway Youth Aeronautical Foundation, the Army Aviation Heritage Foundation, maintenance facilities, flying clubs and corporate aircraft on the field. The airport is studying plans to accommodate the growing demand for additional hangar space, more educational facilities and a runway extension to serve larger aircraft. More details on the airport's expansion plans will be posted when available.

Here we feature some views of the museum aircraft being rotated as the lighting project continued this week.

1911 Curtiss Pusher Replica Pre-Runup Photo Shoot at Creve Coeur Airport

By Carmelo Turdo

The Historic Aircraft Restoration Museum's 1911 Curtiss Type D-III Pusher replica was rolled out last Thursday for a foggy morning photo shoot at Creve Coeur Airport. The Aero Experience joined antique aircraft expert and photographer Don Parsons, Museum Director Albert Stix and legendary aircraft restorer Glenn Peck to capture the aircraft's classic lines in the field on the north side of the airport. The replica follows the original design, though incorporates some structural modifications originally intended to support its airworthiness. Though there are plans to for an engine runup later this fall, there will be no attempt to fly the aircraft.

The newest addition to the aircraft is the recently installed mahogany propeller from Culver Props in Rolla, MO. The choice of Culver Props was natural, as the company is known for their high-quality wood propellers produced to exacting standards for full and partial-scale replicas as well as for ultralight and experimental aircraft. The OX-5 engine was assembled from crates of parts and run on a test stand before the current installation.

This 1911 Curtiss D-III Pusher replica still employs the forward elevator, later removed after Lincoln Beachey flew his damaged D-III in a competition without it to great effect. The 1912 Model D "headless" Pusher was naturally the next variant produced. The museum's aircraft began as a build-from-plans project by Eddy Ridenour in Dayton, Ohio and was partially completed when it was purchased by the museum in 2019. Since then, the wings have been re-covered and the engine assembled, run and installed. More work on the turnbuckles and cables will be needed prior to the runup of the engine and possible taxi tests.   

Here we show the Curtiss D-III replica photo shoot as it unfolded between 6:30 A.M. and 8:30 A.M. August 5th:

The Curtiss D-Series of aircraft was advanced for its day. They were used by the U.S. Army Signal Corps and for U.S. Navy sea trials in the first decade of manned powered flight. The flight control system would seem unusual to modern aviators: ailerons were operated with the shoulders, the front elevator and rear rudder were operated by the control wheel/column. Records were broken, amphibious flight was developed and a second observer crew member became a practical option. Much of the progress in the U.S. aviation industry prior to WWI can be credited to Glenn Curtiss and the D-Series aircraft.

Red Tail Cadets Take Field Trip to Creve Coeur Airport

By Carmelo Turdo

The Red Tail Cadets closed out their third week of flight training at Elite Aviation with a field trip to Creve Coeur Airport. Following three full days of flight training and ground school, the Cadets took a few hours on Wednesday afternoon to visit three educational organizations on the field: Gateway Youth Aeronautical Foundation, Gateway Chapter of the Army Aviation Heritage Foundation and Flying Museum, and the Historic Aircraft Restoration Museum. Each destination offered a unique perspective on the development of aviation over the decades. Here we feature the highlights of each tour.

Gateway Youth Aeronautical Foundation

The Gateway Youth Aeronautical Foundation was formed to inspire youth interest in aviation. This is accomplished by providing the "one event experience" that can change a young person's life. Currently, the Foundation offers the F-4 cockpit mobile exhibit for use at local and regional events, and future attractions will include virtual reality flight simulation and a flying Bell OH-58 Kiowa helicopter.

Gateway Chapter of the Army Aviation Heritage Foundation and Flying Museum

The Foundation provides flight opportunities in the Vietnam-era UH-1H Huey and AH-1F Cobra and the static display of their OH-58 Kiowa at airshows and aviation events around the country. Special thanks to pilot Bill MacIntire for hosting the Cadets and allowing them access to the helicopters!

Historic Aircraft Restoration Museum

The museum restores, preserves and flies antique and vintage aircraft for the education and enjoyment of current and future generations. The collection includes aircraft from the 1920s and 1930s, some of which are the sole remaining example of the type or have been used in movies and TV commercials. Aircraft from the museum can be seen at special events, such as the American Waco Club Fly-In, held annually at the airport. Special thanks to Albert Stix who led the tour and shared his extensive experience with the aircraft in the collection.