The Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum (WOTR) is located on the former Lowry Air Force Base in Denver, Colorado, United States. The museum preserves the history of Lowry AFB's operations from 1938 to 1994 in its collections, archives, and research library. Features of the museum's collection include the USAF's B-1A Lancer and B-52 Stratofortress bombers and many other military and general aviation aircraft.
History
From 1937 to 1994, Lowry Air Force Base, located on the eastern edge of the city of Denver, served the nation and the surrounding community in many distinguished ways. The air base, primarily a technical training center, graduated more than 1.1 million enlisted members and officers in skills ranging from armament to photography, tremendously strengthening the country’s war efforts in World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War and the Cold War. In addition, from the 1980’s, Lowry Air Force Base remained one of Colorado’s largest employers, with approximately 10,000 military and civilian men and women, providing an economic impact approaching $1 billion annually.
In 1994, the United States Air Force transferred Hangar 1 to a group of volunteers, who established Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum. Today, the Museum includes more than 182,000 square feet of hangar space and 50 iconic aircraft dating from 1939 to 1990.
In 1997, the Colorado State Legislature passed House Bill 1269 that made Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum Colorado's official air and space museum, and the site of the Colorado Aviation Historical Society's Colorado Aviation Hall of Fame.
Aircraft exhibits
Military
- Vought A-7D Corsair II (No. 73-0996, "Speedwell", Colo. Air Nat'l Guard) attack fighter
- Rockwell B-1A Lancer (No. 74-0160) strategic bomber, prototype number 3 and one of only two surviving B-1As of the original 4 made
- Douglas B-18A Bolo (No. 39-25) 1938 medium bomber based on the Douglas DC-2 airliner
- Boeing GB-52B Stratofortress (No. 52-0005) strategic bomber
- Northrop Grumman EA-6B Prowler arrived fall 2015 from Whidbey Island NAS
- Martin EB-57E Canberra (No. 55-4293) electronic warfare bomber
- McDonnell-Douglas F-4E Phantom II (No. 66-0286, "Julie") fighter-bomber
- Grumman F-14A Tomcat (Bu. No. 159829) fleet defense fighter from VF-211 "NG-102"
- Republic RF-84K Thunderflash (No. 52-7266) parasite tactical reconnaissance fighter from the FICON project
- North American F-86H Sabre (No. 53-1308) fighter
- North American F-100D Super Sabre (No. 56-3417) fighter-bomber
- McDonnell F-101B Voodoo (No. 58-0271) air defense all-weather interceptor
- Convair F-102A Delta Dagger (No. 56-0984) air defense interceptor
- Lockheed F-104C Starfighter (No. 56-0910) fighter-bomber
- Republic F-105D Thunderchief (No. 60-0508) fighter-bomber
- General Dynamics FB-111A (No. 68-0287) fighter-bomber
- Lockheed T-33A Shooting Star (No. 56-1710) trainer aircraft
- Cessna U-3 Blue Canoe (No. 57-5894) trainer aircraft
- Beech UC-45 Expeditor (No. 42-37496) transport aircraft
- Schweizer TG-4 (SGS 2-33) Primary Glider as used by the USAF Academy (No. N1192S)
Civilian
- Adam M-309 CarbonAero a pre-Adam A500 civilian utility aircraft based on a Burt Rutan design (No. N309A)
- Aviat Pitts Special sport aerobatic biplane aircraft (No. N15JB)
- Ball-Bartoe Jetwing experimental blown wing aircraft
- Christen Industries Christen Eagle II sport aerobatic biplane aircraft with a 230Â hp Lycoming engine (No. N6LA)
- HL-20 Personnel Launch System built by Langley Research Center on loan
- Learjet 24 executive jet transport (No. N241JA)
- McDonnell Apollo Boilerplate BP-1101A boilerplate for Project Apollo (No. 101), on loan from Smithsonian
- Murray Model T homebuilt helicopter, 1st to register in Colo. (No. N7222)
- Piper J-3-65 Cub light aircraft with Continental engine (No. N42427)
- Rand Robinson KR-1 homebuilt kit aircraft (No. N60BV)
- Schweizer SGS 1-24 Brigadoon, on loan from National Soaring Museum, Elmira, New York (No. N91888)
- Sky Star Aircraft Corp Kitfox homebuilt kit high-wing aircraft
- Aerosport Woody Pusher homebuilt high-wing pusher prop with 75Â hp Continental engine (No. N393EA)
- Space Station Freedom command module mockup built by Martin Marietta with CASIS' Science in Space Exhibit of the ISS
- U.S. NASA Astronauts with Colorado connections.
- Aircraft engine collection on display, both propeller and jet engines
- Nuclear weapons collection on display
- The Aviator Uniform Collection Exhibit Room.
- The Cold War Exhibit.
- The History of Avionics Exhibit Room.
- The Colorado Air National Guard Heritage Exhibit Room with Buckley Field and Buckley Air Force Base exhibits.
- The Colorado Aviation Historical Society's Heritage Hall featuring the Colorado Aviation Hall of Fame.
- Rocky Mountain Airways Flight 217 Memorial
- Former United Airlines DC-10 And Boeing 727-200 Cockpits, with open flight engineer post.
- Lucasfilm X-Wing Starfighter: a 3/4 scale replica built to promote the re-release of the first three Star Wars films in 1997.
- MaxFlight: a 360° full-motion flight simulator.
Education and services
- Wings Aerospace Academy A tuition-free Colorado charter school program that focuses on preparing students for experiences and careers in aerospace and aviation, grades 6-10.
- Teachers Flight Program to give Colorado teachers flying experience state-wide.
- Summer Space Camp program for kids, including space sciences.
- Christmas Kid's Day program for kids winter break in late December.
- Annual Aeromodeling Expo in February for exhibits, inside and outside remote controlled(R/C) aircraft flying, R/C and modeller club displays, and hobby store booths.
- The Technical Research Library Services.
See also
- CAF Rocky Mountain Wing Museum, Grand Junction, Colorado
- Colorado Aviation Historical Society, Denver, Colorado
- Peterson Air and Space Museum, Colorado Springs, Colorado
- Pueblo Historical Aircraft Society, Pueblo, Colorado
- Pueblo Weisbrod Aircraft Museum, Pueblo, Colorado
- Spirit of Flight Center, Lafayette, Colorado
- Vintage Aero Flying Museum, Hudson, Colorado
- Related lists
- List of aerospace museums
References
External links
- Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum official website
- Aerial view from Google Local
