National_WASP_WWII_Museum

National WASP WWII Museum

National WASP WWII Museum

Aviation museum in Sweetwater, Texas

The National WASP World War II Museum is an aviation museum located at the Avenger Field in Sweetwater, Texas focused on Women Airforce Service Pilots.

Quick Facts Established, Location ...

History

Further information: Avenger Field § History

The museum was established in 2003 by Deanie Bishop Parrish and her daughter Nancy Parrish. It opened in a 11,700 sq ft (1,090 m2) 1929 hangar in May 2005.[1][2][3]

A PT-19 was placed on loan to the museum in 2008.[4]

The museum announced plans for a 8,600 sq ft (800 m2) exhibition hall on the north side of the hangar to improve artifact storage and increase display area in October 2014.[3] The design eventually changed so that by the time it was dedicated in April 2017, the expansion had become an entirely separate building with an external appearance similar to the historic Hangar No. 1.[5][lower-alpha 1] Along with the completion of phase one of its development program, the museum hired a new executive director.[6] Then, in December, a BT-13 was donated to the museum by the American Aviation Heritage Foundation.[7]

The museum closed for its phase two expansion – the addition of a welcome center, office space and the Catherine Vail Bridge Education Center – in November 2020.[8]

The museum acquired an AT-6 in 2023.[9]

Collection

Stearman PT-18 Kaydet

Events

The museum holds an annual Homecoming and Fly-In.[15]

See also

References

Footnotes

  1. The original wooden hangar burned down in the 1950s.[6]

Notes

  1. [1]
    "History". National WASP WWII Museum. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
  2. [2]
    Semrad, Staci (28 May 2005). "WASP Museum to Open". San Angelo Standard-Times. pp. 1B–2B. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
  3. [3]
    Ren, Evan (21 October 2014). "Spreading Their Wings". Abilene Reporter-News. pp. 1A, 5A. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
  4. [4]
    Kendall-Ball, Greg (25 May 2012). "Flying Beauty Keeps Shine". Abilene Reporter-News. p. 9A. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
  5. [5]
    Erdrich, Ronald W. (28 May 2017). "Sweetwater WASPs Abuzz Over Return of Hangar No. 1". Abilene Reporter News. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
  6. [6]
    "WASP Museum Gets New Executive Director". Abilene Reporter News. 14 April 2017. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
  7. [7]
    "Restored BT-13 Donated to The National WASP Museum". Vintage Aviation News. 22 September 2017. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
  8. [8]
    Ellsworth, Nathaniel (31 October 2020). "WASP Museum Closing for Renovations". Abilene Reporter-News. p. 9A. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
  9. [9]
    "North American AT-6 Join's the National WASP WWII Museum's Fleet!" (PDF). Courtesy Aircraft Sales. May 2023. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
  10. [10]
    "Aircraft". National WASP WWII Museum. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
  11. [11]
    "Airframe Dossier - Travel Air-Curtiss-Wright 12Q, c/n 2023, c/r N496W". Aerial Visuals. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
  12. [12]
    "Airframe Dossier - North American AT-6D-NT Texan, s/n 41-34166 USAAF, c/n 88-15400, c/r N14166". Aerial Visuals. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
  13. [13]
    "Airframe Dossier - Stearman-Boeing PT-18 Kaydet, s/n 40-1949 USAAF, c/n 75-0506, c/r N51902". Aerial Visuals. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
  14. [14]
    "Airframe Dossier - Vultee BT-13A Valiant, s/n 42-88675 USAAF, c/n 10514, c/r N60795". Aerial Visuals. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
  15. [15]
    Alcocer, Hunter (20 April 2023). "National WASP WWII Museum to Host Homecoming Celebration". NewsWest9. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
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