1929 Curtiss-Wright Hangars in St. Louis: A Current Survey

By Carmelo Turdo

1929 Curtiss-Wright hangars were once scattered about the U.S. at most major airports where Curtiss-Wright did business. With time and aviation industry consolidation taking their toll on nearly all of these facilities, only a few remain in any condition.  We in the St. Louis area are very fortunate to have TWO of these magnificent historic landmarks not only still standing, but occupied by viable entities at St. Louis Downtown Airport. The Greater St. Louis Air & Space Museum is located in Hangar 2. Two other Curtiss-Wright hangars exist, one in South Carolina that has been converted into a bar and restaurant and another in "storage" in Oklahoma, planned for rebuilding at Wiley Post Airport at a later date. Restorations of these hangars will cost millions of dollars, and the time is coming when they will no longer be serviceable without full restoration. Curtiss-Wright Hangars 1 and 2 are pictured below.