The
Strategic Air & Space Museum
in Ashland, Nebraska utilizes over 300,000 square feet
of exhibit, education, and event space to educate,
inspire, and entertain its guests. Organized in 1959,
the original mission of the museum was to commemorate
the contributions of the Strategic Air Command, which
until 1992 was headquartered at
Offutt Air Force Base
near Omaha, Nebraska.
The museum moved to its current location in 1998 upon
completion of a new indoor facility. The museum houses
an impressive collection of military aircraft and other
artifacts, many of which have been restored in the
museum's on-site restoration facility. As part of its
commitment to education, the museum has recently
established a partnership with the
University of Nebraska at Omaha's Office of STEM
Education
to provide cutting-edge educational opportunities for
students, teachers, families and adult learners.
Traveling exhibits, permanent exhibits and a variety of
special events provide additional unique experiences for
the museum's members and visitors.
One of the recent projects staff and volunteers have
been meticulously working on is the restoration of a
former World War II military transport aircraft, which
is no easy task. In fact, volunteers have spent three
years - the equivalent of 16,500 hours -
renovating the C-54 Skymaster. Finishing touches, such as adding on stickers, were
the last details made before being unveiled to the
public on November 16, 2015.
This Douglas C-54 Skymaster first flew in 1942 as a
military transport aircraft during World War II. It is
known for its role in the China Burma India Theater of
Operations, delivering personnel, supplies and fuel to
combat forces in China for operations against the
Japanese. Later on, the plane was used in the Korean War
to pick up wounded servicemen. The C-54 was also an
airliner and was one of the first types of aircraft to
carry the President of the United States.
The one at the museum was used by the United States Army
Air Force in 1945 and was eventually converted to an
EC-54 - it became one of only nine JC-54s used for
missile tracking and nose cone recovery. The plane was
retired from service in January of 1970. Starting in
mid-November, visitors at the museum are able to get an
up-close look at the aircraft, viewing it from all
angles. "We believe open barriers allow guests to
visualize the aircraft from a unique perspective in
order to gain an appreciation for the experiences of the
brave men who flew the aircraft," said Brian York, the
museum's curator.
Restoring a Flying Icon
The man leading the restoration effort is Mark Hamilton,
aircraft restoration manager at the museum. One of his
top priorities was making sure he got the correct paint
color match. Hamilton worked with Martin Senour and NAPA
to get the job done. "Their salespeople were extremely
helpful," said Hamilton. "I tried a lot of spray bombs
and aerosols, but the color wasn't matching up to the
original. Martin Senour understood that it's all in the
details and not only met our paint color demands, but
they donated the paint for the aircraft."
The C-54 was painted with seven gallons of Martin
Senour's white PRISM® 3.5 VOC Acrylic Polyurethane
Single Stage Color (65 Series) on the tail and upper
fuselage, and eight gallons of grey on the wings, lower
fuselage and control surfaces. "I really liked the
coverage and the gloss," Hamilton added.
PRISM is extremely durable, provides a high gloss finish
and is resistant to chemicals and solvents. It can be
air-dried or force-dried. PRISM also demonstrates
graffiti resistant properties that makes it ideal for
industries such as: public transportation, concrete
mixers, waste disposal, beverage and Department of
Transportation vehicles. It offers excellent hiding and
is available in thousands of colors.
While the C-54 has been completed, the work for Hamilton
and the volunteers at the Strategic Air & Space
Museum is never over. New aircrafts are constantly
arriving at the museum for the team to transform from
disrepair to original condition. It's hard work, but
they pride themselves on preserving artifacts and
educating the community.
To learn more about the C-54, please visit the Strategic
Air & Space Museum website at
sasmuseum.com.