  Location within Colorado | |
| Established | 2008 |
|---|---|
| Location | Colorado Springs, Colorado |
| Coordinates | 38°49′16″N104°43′18″W / 38.8212°N 104.7216°W |
| Type | Military aviation museum |
| Founder | Jim Fry |
| Director |
|
| President | Bill Klaers [1] |
| Chairperson | James Slattery [1] |
| Website | worldwariiaviation |
The National Museum of World War II Aviation is an aviation museum located at Colorado Springs Airport in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
The origins of the museum date to the founding of WestPac Restorations at Rialto Municipal Airport in Rialto, California in 1997 by Bill Klaers and Alan Wojciak. Due to the planned closure of the airport in 2014, Jim Fry convinced the owners to move the business to Colorado Springs Airport, where he had built three hangars in 2006. There the National Museum of World War II Aviation was established. It opened to the public six years later in October 2012. [2] [3] [4] [5]
In 2014, the museum received two grants totaling $6 million to build a 60,000 sq ft (5,600 m2) "Aviation Hall". [6] In 2016, Jim Slattery loaned 15 aircraft to the museum. [7] In early 2018, it received an official "national museum" designation from the United States Congress. [8] [9] The museum began construction on a new 40,000 sq ft (3,700 m2) hangar in November 2018. [10] [11] The museum received donations of a Lockheed P-38 Lightning and Stinson V-77 Reliant in late 2019. [12] [13]
Construction of the 40,000 sq ft (3,700 m2) Kaija Raven Shook Aeronautical Pavilion was completed in 2019. [14] [15]
The museum has a series of exhibits that trace the history of the United States' involvement in World War II. [16]
The museum has several interactive displays and simulators including a fully functional Link trainer that is demonstrated daily. Simulators that visitors can experience include an N3N simulator and a modified Link trainer. Projects under development include a bombardier simulator using a Norden bomb site and a simulated B-17 waist gunner position shooting down enemy aircraft.
In addition to its aircraft, the museum also maintains a collection of land vehicles:
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