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Welcome to the Arkansas Air & Military Museum, where the entire family can learn about military and aircraft history and more. Before you arrive at the museum, it’s best to familiarize yourself with some of the exhibits you’ll want to visit. There’s so much to take in that you don’t want to miss out. Here’s just a sampling of what’s in store for you at the museum.
General Aircraft Exhibits
If you’re interested in aircraft history, you’ll want to take in all the general exhibits. For example, there’s an exhibit about the Travel Air Model R “Mystery Ship,” which was built in 1928 for the 1929 air races. This race was the first time a civilian plane beat out military jets!
Another exciting exhibit is about the LearJet model 23. This jet was built in 1964, originally created by Bill Lear and further modified by Bobby Younkin. Lear was a successful manufacturer of aircraft instruments and a jet designer. He worked on the Lear 23 for about four years, and created more than 100 Lear 23s. Younkin, one of the most respected aerobatics pilots in the world, died tragically in a mid-air collision in 2005.
There are many more general aircraft exhibits at the museum; see the website for a full listing.
Military Aircraft Exhibits
If your specific interest is in military aircraft, then you will find five great exhibits at the museum on this topic. There is an exhibit about the Bell UH-1H Huey Helicopter, which is possibly the world’s most famous helicopter and one of the most recognized from the Vietnam era. The aircraft was used for medical evacuations, for troop transport, and as a gunship, and it flew for the first time in 1956. Another exhibit looks at the Boeing-Sterman N2S-S (PT-17), which many of America’s pilots in World War II trained on. The Douglass A-4 Skyhawk is another Vietnam-era aircraft that is on exhibit.
Diverse Shows
While the museum offers many exhibits on aircraft and the military, there is also a diverse array of other exhibits. For example, check out “Large or Small, We Lead Them All,” which is about the history of the Travel Air Company. And don’t miss the exhibit “Aviation Pioneer Louise Thaden,” which is about one of the most famous female pilots from the golden age of aviation. There is also an exhibit about other military vehicles, about such engines as the Rolls Royce Spry and military engines, and more!
For an educational experience that has a great deal of depth and brings to life the reality of the military and the creation of aviation, come visit the Arkansas Air & Military Museum. The museum is located at 4290 S. School Avenue in Fayetteville, Arkansas. It’s open on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Sundays to Fridays from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Entrance is $10 for adults, $5 for children aged 6 to 12, free for children younger than 5, and $25 for a family.
Image via Flickr by Gary Lee Todd, Ph.D.
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