Wikipedia

Atterbury-Bakalar Air Museum

The Atterbury-Bakalar Air Museum is an aviation museum located at the Columbus Municipal Airport in Columbus, Indiana.

Atterbury-Bakalar Air Museum
Atterbury-Bakalar Air Museum is located in Indiana
Atterbury-Bakalar Air Museum
Location within Indiana
Established1992 (1992)
LocationColumbus, Indiana
Coordinates39°15′18″N 85°53′53″W / 39.2549°N 85.8980°W / 39.2549; -85.8980
TypeAviation museum
FounderWendell Ross[1]
Websitewww.atterburybakalarairmuseum.org

History edit

Background edit

Further information: Bakalar Air Force Base

In mid-1988, an F-4 was flown to the airport as a sling load underneath a helicopter and was placed on display a few months later.[2][3]

Establishment edit

The museum's 3,168 sq ft (294.3 m2) building was dedicated on 11 November 1992.[4][5] The restoration of the former base chapel, renamed the Lewellen Memorial Chapel, was completed in 1998.[6] It opened a new exhibit called A Century of Flight in 2003 featuring a 1:4 scale replica of the Wright Flyer.[7]

The museum broke ground on the Bruce Dalton Media Center, the first half of a two part expansion, in July 2009.[8][9] It began construction of a second, 3,700 sq ft (340 m2) addition in July 2013.[10] The addition opened in April 2014 along with a new barracks exhibit.[11][12] Then, in 2017, it announced plans for an 1,800 sq ft (170 m2) expansion to store artifacts and serve as a restoration shop.[12]

The museum acquired a C-119 from Greybull, Wyoming and began disassembling it in 2019.[13] The last parts arrived in July of the following year and it was placed on display in May 2021.[14][15]

Exhibits edit

Exhibits at the museum include an airport beacon, a reproduction barracks, a CG-4A glider nose section.[16][17][18] Local manufacturers such as Cosco Housewares, Cummins Engine Company, and Noblitt Sparks are also represented with displays of some of their products.[19] Other objects include a motorized cutaway of an R-3350 engine.[20] A collection of five 1:8 scale aircraft models hang from the ceiling.[21][22]

Collection edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Wendell Ross". The Republic. 22 December 2015. p. A9. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
  2. ^ "Bakalar Green". Atterbury-Bakalar Air Museum. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
  3. ^ "Phantom Lands New Assignment". The Republic. 10 October 1988. p. A1. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
  4. ^ Smith, Yolanda (9 August 1992). "Atterbury-Bakalar Air Museum Off, Flying". The Republic. p. B1. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
  5. ^ "Veterans Remembered". The Republic. 11 November 1992. pp. A1. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
  6. ^ McCawley, Harry (23 September 2011). "Veterans Dedicated to Airport Chapel". The Republic. p. A4. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
  7. ^ Blair, Bryan (8 May 2003). "The Sky's the Limit". The Republic. pp. 12–13. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
  8. ^ McCawley, Harry (10 July 2009). "Dalton Promoted Gliders 'til Very End". The Republic. p. A6. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
  9. ^ Ellis, Cecelia (28 July 2008). "Air Museum Expansion to Get Off Ground". The Republic. pp. A1, A3. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
  10. ^ McCawley, Harry (19 July 2013). "Air Museum Beginning Expansion". The Republic. pp. A1, A3. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
  11. ^ McClure, Julie (6 April 2014). "Sharing Their Stories". The Republic. pp. A1, A7. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
  12. ^ a b Kent, Matthew (14 March 2017). "Grant to Fuel Museum Project". The Republic. pp. A1, A8. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
  13. ^ East, Andy (12 February 2020). "Piece by Piece". The Republic. pp. A1, A6. Retrieved 3 December 2023.
  14. ^ East, Andy (2 February 2021). "Getting Closer". The Republic. pp. A1, A4. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
  15. ^ East, Andy (20 May 2021). "On the Move". The Republic. pp. A1, A6. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
  16. ^ "The WWII-Era Rotating Beacon". Atterbury-Bakalar Air Museum. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
  17. ^ "The Atterbury Barracks Display". Atterbury-Bakalar Air Museum. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
  18. ^ "World War Two Glider Pilots". Atterbury-Bakalar Air Museum. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
  19. ^ "Columbus Manufacturers". Atterbury-Bakalar Air Museum. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
  20. ^ Webber, Mark (18 February 2019). "Flying High". The Republic. pp. A1, A4. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
  21. ^ McCawley, Harry (29 October 1996). "Model Airplanes Recreate History". The Republic. p. A4. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
  22. ^ McCawley, Harry (14 November 2000). "Air Museum Welcomes B-17 to Model Formation". The Republic. p. B4. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
  23. ^ "Project "Charlie 119"". Atterbury-Bakalar Air Museum. Retrieved 3 December 2023.
  24. ^ "The F4C Phantom Jet Fighter". Atterbury-Bakalar Air Museum. Retrieved 3 December 2023.

Further reading edit

External links edit

 
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