Wikipedia

Texas Air Museum – Stinson Chapter

The Texas Air Museum – Stinson Chapter is located on Stinson Municipal Airport (which is the second oldest continuous operating airport in the United States). The Stinson Municipal Airport (SSF) is located six miles south of downtown San Antonio, Texas.[1] The museum has many static aircraft, along with several rare examples under restoration. This is a non-profit 501(c)(3) all volunteer museum. Funding comes only from admissions, gift shop sales and public donations.

Texas Air Museum – Stinson Chapter
Texas Air Museum - Stinson Chapter logo
Texas Air Museum – Stinson Chapter is located in Texas
Texas Air Museum – Stinson Chapter
Location of the Texas Air Museum – Stinson Chapter
Established12 November 1999 (1999-11-12)
Location
Coordinates29°20′24″N 98°28′33″W / 29.33993°N 98.47597°W / 29.33993; -98.47597
TypeAviation museum
Collection size
26 planes, 6 replicas, and 1 helicopter
FounderJohn Douglas Tosh
DirectorJohn Douglas Tosh
Websitewww.texasairmuseum.org

History

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The original Texas Air Museum opened in 1985 and operated out of Rio Hondo, Texas, by founder John Houston with his wife and son.[2] In 1993, a second Texas Air Museum was opened in the City of Slaton on the Larry T. Neal Memorial Airport near Lubbock, Texas. The third Texas Air Museum, located on Stinson Municipal Airport, was founded by John Douglas Tosh, a World War II veteran,[3] on October 9, 1999. The original Rio Hondo museum closed its operations in 2002, and this museum's assets were divided between the Slaton and Stinson museums.[4]

The Texas Air Museum - Stinson Chapter is San Antonio Texas only aviation museum open to the general public. The museum's mission has been dedicated to tell the stories of San Antonio's and Texas' vital role in the development of civilian and military air power. It pays tribute to aviation pioneers, notably the co-founders of Stinson Airport Katherine Stinson, her sister Marjorie Stinson and brother Edward Stinson. The museum also highlights technical achievements in the realm of aviation, and above all, pays respect and honor to those who gave their lives to defend freedom.

Collection

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The museum's newest collection of aircraft[5] to be restored includes one Stinson Model R (NC12159 - believed to have once owned by Arlene Davis), one SM-8A Stinson Junior, one PT-23, one PT-26, one AT-17 Bobcat, two PT-19, one frame of 1928 Heath Parasol and one Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner. All these projects were received in October 2023.[6]

The museum's newest library collection is photographs from John W. Underwood with a few photos of Stinson Model R aircraft. One Model R belonging to American aviator and air racer Arlene Davis.

On display are rare Sweetheart Pillowcases from various World War II military installations in Texas.

Sweetheart pillowcases from various World War II installations in Texas. On displayed at Texas Air Museum - Stinson Chapter.

Aircraft on display

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HUS-1A Seahorse
145728 Delivered to the Navy in 1958. Is painted in original Navy orange when assigned to NASA's Project Mercury used in training Navy Underwater Demolition Team Frogmen in space capsule recovery. Reassigned to the Marine Corp as one of forty HUS-1s fitted with amphibious pontoons, re-designated UH-34E in 1962.
Northrop F-89B Scorpion
49-2434 Delivered November 1951. Was the first airframe converted as a B model. Is the oldest surviving F-89.
McDonnell Douglas F-4C Phantom II
63-7415 On 20 November 1963, The U.S. Air Force Tactical Air Command accepted its first two production McDonnell F-4C Phantom II jet fighters[7] and this museum has the original F-4C-15-MC 63-7415 on display.
McDonnell F-4C Phantom II jet fighters, F-4C-15-MC 63-7415
McDonnell F-101 Voodoo
59-0421 1959 McDonnell F-101B-115-MC Voodoo C/N 745 was originally assigned to the United States Air National Guard Niagara Falls International (IAG / KIAG)
Stolp Starlet SA 500
N808JR Built 1973
WACO GXE
NC7970 Aircraft number 1801. Built 1929. Has rare Curtiss OXX-6 V8 Engine Curtiss OXX
Piper J3C-65
NC32851 Built 1940
Spinks Akromaster ‘N31SA’ (27294093188)
Spinks Akromaster
N31SA Built prior 1970
McClish Funk B85C
N77712 Built 1946
Merlin IV C Expediter 556
N566UP Built 1983
Pietenpol Air Camper
N36RN Built 1968 (Home Built) with 5 cylinder Lambert Radial Engine
Eichmann Aerobat I -NX17638- (27294090208)
Eichmann Aerobat I Experimental Aircraft
NX17638 Built (est.) 1937 with 40 HP Continental Engine by Mr. Ellis Eichmann in Brownsville, Texas
Palomino
N64TT Built 1965 The only known surviving two-place, tandem-seating Palomino. This is the third generation of the Midget Mustang built by Bert Wilcut.[8]
Piper Tri Pacer
N4782A (SN 22-3933) This is an incomplete static display once used as by St. Philip's College (United States) as a training aid.
Masoncraft
2015 Single seat Homebuilt aircraft powered by 750cc Kawasaki engine.
Skyjacker Super Sport
N32765 1982 Experimental Amateur-built by Ralph V. Sawyer, builder of the Sawyer Skyjacker II. Serial no. 2
JD-2 Dyke Delta
1966 version donated from Pyson, Arizona.

Scale replica aircraft on display

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Aircraft scheduled for restoration

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  • Northrop F-89 Scorpion
  • Fairchild PT-19 1943 Serial Number T43-5112(USAAF 42-34446) FAA Civilian registration N56547, Fairchild M-62A/PT-19A. Assigned to the 308th Army Air Forces Flying Training Detachment located at Arledge Field in Stamford, Texas, from March 1941 to 30 September 1944.
  • Fairchild PT-19 1943 Serial Number T43-5106 (USAAF 42-34440) FAA Civilian registration N54411, Fairchild M-62A/PT-19A. Also assigned to the 308th. It was delivered from the Hagerstown, Maryland, factory to Texas.
  • Fairchild PT-26 1943 Serial Number T43-4374 (USAAF 44-19262) NC75902 Fairchild M-62A-3/PT-26-FA Cornell MK. RAF serial number EW315 stationed in Canada's British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP), assigned to No. 19 Elementary Flying Training School (EFTS) located at RCAF Station Virden in Manitoba, Canada, until December 1944. Mfg. in Hagerstown, Maryland.
  • Fairchild PT-23 Build year, serial number, and N number unknown. However, it does have a sliding canopy and a Continental 220 stamped 25986
  • Cessna AT-17 Bobcat 1943 Serial Number AF42-58380 (Factory C/N 3871) N45358 C-78/AT-17 Bobcat "Bamboo Bomber". Manufactured by Cessna Aircraft Co. in Wichita, Kansas.
  • Stinson Model R 1933 NC12159 (In Storage)
  • Stinson Junior 1930 Serial Number N231W Stinson SM-8A
  • Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner 1983 Serial Number N566UP Merlin IV C Expediter
  • Vultee BT-13 Valiant (In Storage)
  • Heath Parasol 1928 Heath Parasol Model CA-1
  • Palomino (aircraft) 1963 Palomino aircraft built by Bert Wilcut.

Engines on public display

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Vehicles on display

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Ground Support on display

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See also

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References

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  1. ↑ Stinson Municopal Airport.
  2. ↑ “Southwestern Collection”. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, vol. 100, no. 2, 1996, pp. 235–51. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/30239078. Accessed 6 Apr. 2025.
  3. ↑ America's Youngest Warriors 1996, Vol I, p.481.
  4. ↑ WRIGHT, CHRISTOPHER C., and ALLAN C. HARRIS. “NOW HEAR THIS.” Warship International, vol. 38, no. 1, 2001, pp. 4–84. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/44892723. Accessed 6 Apr. 2025.
  5. ↑ Davis, Vincent T. (October 16, 2023). "'Daddy's Home': San Antonio woman recalls days of flight on the wild Northwest Side". San Antonio Express-News. Retrieved August 20, 2024.
  6. ↑ Davis, Vincent T. (October 31, 2023). "'A hell of a good airplane': San Antonio family donates vintage aircraft to Texas Air Museum". San Antonio Express-News. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
  7. ↑ McCarthy, John (November 20, 1963). "'This Day in Aviation': Important Dates in Aviation History 20 November 1963". This Day in Aviation. Retrieved August 20, 2024.
  8. ↑ Flying Magazine January 1967, p.15.
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