Texas Air Museum - Stinson Chapter
The Texas Air Museum - Stinson Chapter is located on Stinson Municipal Airport. The Stinson Municipal Airport is located six miles south of downtown San Antonio, Texas. The museum has many static aircraft, along with several rare examples under restoration. This is a non-profit 501 all volunteer museum. Funding comes only from admissions, gift shop sales and public donations.
History
The original Texas Air Museum opened in 1985 and operated out of Rio Hondo, Texas, by founder John Houston with his wife and son. 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, 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.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
The museum's newest collection of aircraft to be restored includes one Stinson Model R, 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.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.
Aircraft on display
;HUS-1A Seahorse;Northrop F-89B Scorpion
;McDonnell Douglas F-4C Phantom II
;McDonnell F-101 Voodoo
;Stolp Starlet SA 500
;WACO GXE
;Piper J-3 Cub
;Spinks Akromaster
;McClish Funk B85C
;Merlin IV C Expediter 556
;Pietenpol Air Camper
;Eichmann Aerobat I Experimental Aircraft
;Palomino
;Piper Tri Pacer
;Rally 2B
;Masoncraft
;Skyjacker Super Sport
;JD-2 Dyke Delta
Scale replica aircraft on display
- Curtiss Model D
- Curtiss Pusher a.k.a. Christofferson Pusher
- Boeing P-26 Peashooter
- Avro 1910 Alliott Verdon Roe Mk IV
- V-1 flying bomb Fieseler Fl.103 a.k.a. FZG or V1. This is the Hanna Reitsch piloted version.
- Blériot XI Fitted with the original 1909 Detroit Aero Engine owned by Katherine Stinson. The engine is from a Santos-Dumont Demoiselle.
Aircraft scheduled for restoration
- Northrop F-89 Scorpion
- Fairchild PT-19 1943 Serial Number T43-5112 N56547 Fairchild M-62A/PT-19. Operated at Arledge Field, Stamford, TX. March 1941 to 30 Sept. 1944
- Fairchild PT-19 1943 Serial Number T43-5106 N54411 Fairchild M-62A
- Fairchild PT-26 1943 Serial Number T43-4374 NC75902 Fairchild M-62A-3
- Fairchild PT-23 Build year, serial number, and N number unknown. However it does have sliding canopy and Continental 220 stamped 25986
- Cessna AT-17 Bobcat 1943 Serial Number AF42-58380 C-78/AT-17 Bobcat
- Stinson Model R 1933 NC12159
- Stinson Junior 1930 Serial Number N231W Stinson SM-8A
- Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner 1983 Serial Number N566UP Merlin IV C Expediter
- Vultee BT-13 Valiant
- Heath Parasol 1928 Heath Parasol Model CA-1
- Palomino (aircraft) 1963 Palomino aircraft built by Bert Wilcut.
Engines on public display
- Wright R-3350 Duplex-Cyclone 18 cylinder rated at 2,200 HP
- Pratt & Whitney R-4360 Wasp Major 28 cylinder rated 3,600 HP
- Pratt & Whitney J57
- Allison J35
- Lycoming R-680 Production Number 201
- Lycoming R-680-9 Number 7777
- Ranger L-440 Model L-440-1, Ranger Model 6-440C-2, Air Corps. Number 42-191765, Mfrs. No. 4919 mounted in engine test stand.
- Kinner R-5 Kinner R-540 Accepted into service 5-22-1942.
- Jacobs R-755 Number Identification J-19945
- Continental R-670 1942 200 HP used on a Stearman Aircraft
- Lycoming O-145
- Continental R-670 W670-N, W670-240 240HP Aircraft engine modified by Gulf Coast Dusting Co., Houston, Texas. Mod. Ser. No. 4901272
- Crosley 1947 Modified 25 HP Crosley CoBra used in first seven Mooney M-18 Mite.
- McCulloch O-100-1 Model 4318A drone engine. This engine on display has a Northrop Ventura data plate: Engine, Aircraft Reciprocation PD-74/D; serial number 1.
- Allison J35 Allison J-35 turbine engine with a few cutaways to see turbines.
- Ramjet XRJ-30-MA-1
- Allison T56 Three different displays in stage completion order; bare T-56 on stand, T-56 with added propeller gear box on stand, and complete C-130 engine with cowlings mounted on ground support tow trailer.
- Westinghouse J34 A set of J34-WE-36A removed from a Lockheed P-2 Neptune.
Vehicles on display
- Jeep CJ 1953 - Willis CJ-3A 2.2L used by the U.S. Navy.
- M151 ¼-ton 4×4 utility truck 1964 - Forward Air Controller Radio Equipped used by the U.S. Air Force. Markings suggest last unit assigned was 463rd BG.
- Ford Model T 1924 - Ford Model T Ambulance used by the U.S. Army.
- International L series 1950 - International L-170 Fire truck once used at Stinson Municipal Airport.
- Textron 1998 - E-Z-GO Model 7997009 Hawk, 48V, 235 AMP HR. 'Eagle 1' was used on Brooks Air Force Base before closer.
Ground Support on display
- Clarktor 6 Towing Tractor 1949 - Clarktor 6 Towing Tractor, mfg. by Clark Tructractor S.N. L-4908 and W-630114.
- A-7 [Portable Engine / Prop Hoist] 1940s - Hoist manufactured during the build-up to World War II. Mfrs part no. 9, serial no. 108.