The aircraft visitors see in the Museum’s galleries are the visible result of thousands of decisions made far from the finished display. Before a damaged wing can be rebuilt, a missing component fabricated, or historic markings reapplied, staff and volunteers must determine what survives, what has changed, which evidence can be trusted, and which chapter of an aircraft’s history the finished object should represent.

The restoration of the Museum's Grumman F4F Wildcat.

For more than six decades, the Museum’s restoration program has combined archival research with metalwork, woodworking, fabric covering, engine work, painting, and other specialized skills. Projects have ranged from stabilizing rare original aircraft to rebuilding damaged airframes and constructing full-scale reproductions when no original example was available. The work has taken place in the Ford Building and at Gillespie Field, where generations of staff and volunteers have passed technical knowledge from one project to the next.

Visit this fascinating online exhibit to learn more about the Museum’s World Class Restoration teams.