Greater St. Louis Air & Space Museum Receives Restored F-4 Phantom Cockpit on Loan

By Mark Nankivil

The Greater St. Louis Air & Space Museum has received a restored F-4 Phantom II cockpit on loan through the spring of 2012.  The owner, Joe Steimann, restored the cockpit and nose section of the aircraft to resemble F-4E s/n. 68-0338 flown by the 131st TFW,  Missouri Air National Guard, formerly based in St. Louis.  The cockpit is actually from a German F-4F that was damaged in an engine fire, and after being used as a trainer was destined to be scrapped.  Steimann purchased the remnants of the cockpit and restored it.  The cockpit can be seen at airshows and corporate events during the airshow season, but you can see it now at the Greater St. Louis Air & Space Museum located in historic Curtiss-Wright Hangar 2 at St. Louis Downtown Airport.  For more information about the museum, please visit http://airandspacemuseum.org/.

Joe Steimann and the F-4 Cockpit Before Restoration (Joe Steimann Photo)

The F-4 Cockpit Arrives at the Greater St. Louis Air & Space Museum (Mark Nankivil Photo)

The F-4 Cockpit Is Readied for Display in the Museum's Hangar (Mark Nankivil Photo)

The F-4 Cockpit is Now In the Museum's Hangar (Mark Nankivil Photo)