Adam's Profile: Arkansas Air and Military Museum

The Aviation Legacy of Fayetteville and the Arkansas Air and Military Museum

Located in the rolling forest-covered hills of northwest Arkansas, the city of Fayetteville is known for being home to the University of Arkansas. However, for aviation enthusiasts, Drake Field (also known as Fayetteville Executive Airport) is a hidden gem that houses the Arkansas Air and Military Museum. This museum preserves the rich history of the Diamond State’s contributions to aviation and honors both veterans of past wars and those currently serving.

Early Aviation in Fayetteville

Fayetteville's first experience with airplanes came on October 5, 1911, just one year after the first recorded airplane flight in the state. That flight was made by James C. “Bud” Mars in a Curtiss Pusher on May 21, 1910, in Fort Smith. For the Washington County Fair in 1911, local store owner Jay Fulbright invited 25-year-old aviator Glenn L. Martin, who would later found the Glenn L. Martin Company, now part of Lockheed-Martin, to bring his airplane to the fair. After shipping and reassembling the aircraft onsite, Martin took off on a short flight from the grounds of the Washington County Fair in a pusher biplane built by Martin but sharing design elements from the contemporary Curtiss Pushers of the era. The event amazed the spectators, who witnessed something that only a few years before would have been considered science fiction.

The Zerbe Air Sedan: A Unique Aircraft

After World War I, Fayetteville became the setting for the brief appearance of the Zerbe Air Sedan, an unusual and ungainly flying machine. Designed by Jerome (or James) Slough Zerbe, an engineer, patent attorney, and author, the Zerbe Air Sedan was a quadruplane with four pairs of wings in a stepped configuration. It used a surplus French rotary engine and a plywood passenger cabin. The roll axis was controlled by wing-warping, a practice common in pre-WWI aircraft that had since been replaced by ailerons. Unfortunately, Zerbe died in New York before the construction was completed. Thomas E. Flaherty finished the aircraft, and in April 1921, during a high-speed taxiing test at the fairgrounds, the Air Sedan reportedly took off before a wing support broke, causing a crash. Despite some embellished reports, an article in the Arkansas Gazette claimed the craft flew only six or seven feet off the ground before the accident. Though Flaherty survived, the Zerbe Air Sedan disappeared from history.

The Development of Fayetteville’s Airfield

In 1929, Fayetteville’s first dedicated airfield was created one mile north of the current site of today’s airport. Dr. Noah Drake, a Professor of Geology at the University of Arkansas, donated $3,500 to purchase land for the airfield. As bigger airplanes proved the airfield too small, the city approved a bond worth $20,000 to establish Fayetteville Municipal Airport in 1936. It was a humble grass airstrip with two wooden hangars. In 1938, the U.S. government sponsored the Civilian Pilot Training Program (CPTP), which trained civilian pilots for the growing aviation industry. In 1939, Fayetteville Airport hosted its first CPTP class. Two years later, one of the hangars burned down, leaving many planes exposed to the weather. When Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, the airport was requisitioned for military flight training.

The White Hangar: A Hub for Training

Henry George, the local fire chief, proposed a domed hangar large enough to house up to 40 training aircraft. Initially rejected due to metal shortages, the plan was approved when George suggested using wood. The hangar, named the White Hangar, was officially dedicated in 1944. Over 2,700 flying cadets were trained at Fayetteville Airfield from 1939 to 1944. After WWII ended in 1945, the airport was renamed Drake Field in honor of Professor Drake. The White Hangar became a hub for commuter airlines until the 1980s, when services moved to Northwest Arkansas National Airport.

The Arkansas Air and Military Museum

In late 1985, local aviation enthusiasts decided to form an aviation museum ahead of the 150th anniversary of Arkansas’ statehood. With the approval of the then-mayor, volunteers restored the old White Hangar, and in August 1986, the Arkansas Air Museum was officially opened. In 2007, the Ozark Military Museum merged with the Arkansas Air Museum, forming the current-day Arkansas Air and Military Museum.

Exhibits and Aircraft

Visitors enter through a doorway on the west end of the White Hangar, where they will find exhibits on the creation of Drake Field and U.S. military history from the First World War to the Vietnam War. Among the exhibits are a hand-cranked hoist used to erect the large wooden trusses that still hold the hangar up to this day.

Inside the White Hangar, visitors will come across a number of aircraft and aviation-related artifacts. Among the first aircraft present is a Stinson Junior S, registration NC12143, restored and flown by Jim Younkin, a professor of engineering at the University of Arkansas. On the other end of the hangar sits a flying replica of the Travel Air Type R “Mystery Ship.” Next to the Younkin Mystery Ship is Learjet 23 N23BY, the ninth example to roll off the production line in 1965. Perhaps the rarest aircraft inside the White Hangar is the last surviving example of a Howard DGA-18.

Other Exhibits and Aircraft

The White Hangar also houses two homebuilt replicas of WWI fighters, a North American SNJ-5 Texan, and a Piper J-3 Cub. On one wall, a rare wing section from a Curtiss R3C Army/Navy racer is on display. The hangar also contains several aircraft that evoke the spirit of general aviation, including a Curtiss-Wright CW-1 Junior and a Pietentol Air Camper.

Sitting outside between the museum’s two hangars is a Lockheed C-130H Hercules. In addition to the White Hangar, the former Ozark Military Museum hangar houses ground vehicles and further aircraft, including a Bell AH-1S Cobra and two Bell UH-1 Iroquois/Hueys. Two examples of the Piasecki H-21 Shawnee are also on display.

Additional Displays and Information

This hangar also houses a Boeing-Stearman PT-17, two liaison aircraft, and exhibits focused on Drake Field’s history as a commuter aircraft. Outside, a group of former military jets can be seen, including a Lockheed T-33A, North American T-2C Buckeye, Ling-Temco-Vought A-7B Corsair II, and Douglas A-4C Skyhawk.

The Arkansas Air and Military Museum is open from 9am to 4pm Tuesdays through Saturdays, closed on Sunday and Monday. Admission is $11 for adults, $6 for children between ages 6 and 16, and free for children under 5. To learn more about the museum, visit the website.