1931 Corben Baby Ace
Ace Corben from Madison, WI designed and built this airplane and others like it for those with little money but a desire to fly. It was available factory built, as a kit, or plans built. The Museum's Corben Baby Ace, Serial #1 of the series, has a unique French built Salmson 9 cylinder radial engine capable of producing 40 HP and an 80 mph cruising speed. This Corben is a true example of the earliest dreams of general aviation, created by people who felt anyone could own and fly an airplane. Donated to the museum by Al Kelch, the Baby Ace was reconstructed “from a pile of parts” by our own Restoration Team.
1930 Ford Mail Truck
Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds. Many people think of this phrase as the official motto of the US Postal Service but it was borrowed from the ancient Persians and chiseled in the granite above the entrance to a New York City Post Office. It does capture the dedication and commitment of our postal workers. So it should be no surprise that the US Postal Service trusted their deliveries to the reliable Ford Model A. This beautifully restored mail delivery truck was donated to the museum by Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Geddes.
Ford Model A
Our 1928 Ford Model A Roadster represented an important transition for Henry and Edsel Ford and the Ford Motor Company. Ford had revolutionized the auto industry with the Model T beginning in 1909 but the competition had overtaken their aging design by 1927. Ford’s reluctant transition to the Model A left dealers across the country with nothing to sell for 6 months and many went out of business. By the time this Roadster rolled off the production line in 1928 Ford Motor Company was in trouble. Chevrolet was outselling them and others were eroding Ford’s dominant position in the worldwide automotive industry. The Model A re-established Ford’s leadership position in the automotive world. Thanks to the generous donation of we have a beautifully restored 1928 Model A Roadster on display in the Waukesha Hangar.
Gas Pumps
Through generous donations from various friends of the museum, you can see a broad collection of vintage gas and oil pumps on display. Several are installed outside our Sunoco station and others are on display in the Waukesha Hangar. These pumps have been meticulously restored by our own Restoration Team.
1941 Culver Cadet
A beautiful example of general aviation prior WWII, the Culver Cadet introduced many technological advances such as the first retractable landing gear on a small plane for the general public. But it was the thrill of flying this plane that led to its popularity and long life. Powered by a 75 HP Continental engine, this Culver would cruise up to 500 miles at 120 mph with a top speed of 140 mph. The Culver Cadet, with an original price tag of $2395, was designed by Al Mooney and built by the K.K. Culver Company in Columbus, Ohio and later Wichita, KS. During WWII civilian production was converted to support the war effort and variations of this original design were used by the US military in both manned and unmanned, radio controlled capacities. The Civil Air Patrol used the Culver Cadet to guard our skies and shorelines throughout the war.
