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Exhibits > Restoration

Restoration DivisionPreserving the Air Force's proud legacy, the Restoration Division restores aircraft and aerospace vehicles to historically accurate and visually striking levels. Division members are well versed in a variety of skills ranging from machine and woodworking expertise to precision craftsmanship in sheet metal and painting. Their knowledge of aircraft spans years of technology -- from World War I fabric covered aircraft to the elite fighters of today's Air Force. 

Restoration workers also maintain the museum's vast aircraft collection, move aircraft into exhibit position and work hand-in-hand with the Exhibits and Research Divisions and museum management on ever-changing gallery displays. The Restoration Division relies heavily on a dedicated, talented cadre of volunteers in accomplishing its mission. 

Click here to watch "From Conception to Reality: Restoration Division" (00:02:55)
Click here for a list of parts needed by the Restoration Division Chief

The Restoration staff is currently working on the following projects. Click on the thumbnails below to view larger images.

B-17F Memphis Belle B-17F Memphis BelleĀ®
The sheet metal repairs to the aft fuselage and the sheet metal around the tail gun position have been completed. The radial engines are still being restored and built up and the ball-turret is being assembled and nearing completion. The left inboard wing has been completed and the trailing edge of the right inboard wing is now installed. The landing gear has been installed in both inboard wings. Restoration has started on the right and left outboard wings. Sheet metal repairs and cleanup have been done as needed. A fixture has been fabricated for the horizontal stabilizer so the skin can be removed to gain access to corrosion. The forward fuselage is being stripped of miscellaneous interior items, and plastic media blasting has been completed, and structural repairs are now being done. A B-17F Norden bombsight mount has been fabricated, and items that are missing are being fabricated with the help of Boeing blueprints. The missing glycol heater and duct work has been fabricated and installed. Miscellaneous panels and pieces are also being stripped for restoration. Click here to view a photo slide show of the Memphis Belle restoration or here for more information and photos

Note: The original Memphis Belle was on static display in Memphis, Tenn., until October 2005. At that time, it was transported to the museum where it is now undergoing restoration. The B-17 with "Memphis Belle" markings seen at many air shows is not the original aircraft.
B-17D The Swoose B-17D The Swoose
All items are in the process of being evaluated for restoration. The interior has been removed from the aircraft and the fuselage is being treated for corrosion control. Repair and fabrication of the nose compartment ring frames is nearing completion and skin is being done now.  The aft tail cone is being treated for corrosion control by hand, and the radio room, waist gun position and tail cone are now being stripped.  The cabin door has undergone sheet metal fabrication and repair. The corroded right longeron has been completed and the left one is being restored. The lower flexible machine gun emplacement has been fabricated and fitted to the aircraft by a contractor. Other parts are being machine fabricated by the volunteer machinists as needed. Miscellaneous parts are being inventoried and catalogued. Volunteers have restored the rudder and fabric covering has been completed. Click here for more information and photos.
 C-123K C-123K
Volunteers continue to work on cleaning and polishing the exterior of the aircraft in the Modern Flight Gallery. Click here for more information and photos.
Curtiss A-25A rudder
A rudder has been obtained from the National Naval Aviation Museum to use as a pattern to duplicate the missing rudder on the museum's A-25A.  Click here for more information and photos.
  Douglas A-1H
The aircraft is being evaluated.  Assembly and prepartion for the Southeast Asia Gallery will take place soon. Click here for more information and photos

 
EC-121
The aicraft is being put on steel boxes in the Southeast Asia Gallery. Click here for more information and photos.
GAU-8/A GAU-8/A
General restoration work has been completed on the GAU-8/A storage boxes for the loader, which were used on the A-10. The restoration staff is in the process of acquiring the missing feed chutes.

 
MiG-21
The MiG-21 has been moved to the Restoration Hangar. The paint is being stripped and the aircraft will be assembled. Finally, new markings will be applied. Click here for more information and photos.
 Minuteman I Minuteman I
The missile has been moved to the Restoration area and is being disassembled and sanding and corrosion repairs have been made. A corrosion inhibitor, new painting and coatings have also been installed, and the base has been completed and installed. Click here for more information and photos.
O-46A
The Restoration staff has started on the O-46A by fabriacting fixtures to hold items while the skins are removed to gain access to the inner granular corrosion. Click here for more information and photos.  
 R-3350 Engine R-3350 Engine
Volunteers are restoring the engine and fabrication of a display stand is now complete.

 
WB-50
Volunteers in the restoration division are cleaning up the bomb-bay and aft area. Click here for more information and photos.  
XC-99 XC-99
The final pieces of the XC-99 have arrived at the museum. Corrosion control on the right-center wing box has been completed and the left-center wing box is being done now. Once the corrosion has been treated, re-assembly will be done by a contractor. Once re-assembly has been completed, restoration will be able to take place.

The restoration staff has recently completed the SG 38 Glider in the Early Years Gallery, A-3 Lifeboat, EB-57, C-7, EF-82G, F-84E HH-3, UH-1 and YMQ-9 Reaper, in the Modern Flight Gallery, and RQ-1 Predator in the Cold War Gallery, Minuteman III Missile in the Missile & Space Gallery, and the VC-137C (Air Force One) in the Research & Development Gallery.  The restoration staff also put new markings on the C-47 in the Air Power Gallery and the C-124 in the Modern Flight Gallery.

Visitors can see the restoration facility by signing up for the museum's Behind the Scenes Tour offered every Friday throughout the year (with some exceptions).

Click here to view more photos of current and past restoration projects.

Updated December 2010

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