18 calendar_today Monday: Open
10am to 5pm
18 calendar_today Monday: Open
10am to 5pm

A World-Class Repository for Aviation History

Our archives are a gold mine of aviation history for the United States and the world. We have original documents, photographs, negatives, drawings, periodicals and blueprints of many historic aircraft.  In addition we are the repository for all original file documents for every aircraft registered in the United States from the 1920’s through 2004. Of specific importance are documents relating to the initial growth of aviation and aviation companies in Kansas and the United States.

Individuals, companies, researchers, authors and academicians regularly access our archives for data – the Smithsonian Institution has made copies of our data for the National Archives. Our archive is open to the public, under supervision. We recommend that you contact us in advance to work out details and ensure that you’re able to make the best use of your research time.

Call (316) 683-9242 or contact us with the form below.

A Research Treasure Trove

We possess many one-of-a-kind original items available nowhere else.

  • Original drawings and blueprints of 1920’s and 1930’s aircraft.
  • Drawings representing aircraft that initiated the commercial sales of aircraft in and around Kansas, including Wichita and Sedgwick County.
  • In excess of 25,000 photographs, negatives and slides of rare aircraft dated from approximately 1927 to the present.
  • FAA registration cards for all the aircraft registered in the United States from the 1920’s to 2004.
  • Films of events such as first flights, factory operations, test flights and company promotions.
  • Various uniforms, cloth and leather items associated with aviation.
  • More than 10,000 hardcover aviation-related books – many of which are no longer in print – dating from 1905 to present. They include aircraft yearbooks, aircraft mechanics, specifications, documentation and history, including biographies.
  • More than 75,000 journals, periodicals and printed matter.
  • Many miscellaneous items such as wire recorders, audio tapes, vinyl records, video tape, computer media, flying helmets, jackets, coveralls, radio equipment, instruments, aircraft parts and trophies.
  • More than 26 complete aviation-related collections from individuals, families or companies.
  • Various posters, prints and framed paintings.
  • Original drawings and blueprints of the Wichita Terminal Building – now home to the Kansas Aviation Museum.

Do you have something you would like to donate to the Kansas Aviation Museum?

 If you would like to donate an artifact to the museum, please set an appointment with our Curator and Director of Collections Logan Daugherty. Reach him by email at logandaugherty@kansasaviationmuseum.org

 

Collections Wish List

  • Aircraft built and manufactured in Kansas
  • Advertising for Kansas Aviation companies from the 1920s-1950s
  • Furniture (Tables, Desks, Chairs and Cabinets) from the 1920s-1950s
  • Decor (Lamps, Vases and, Mirrors) from the 1920s-1950s
  • Lighting Fixtures from 1920s-1950s
  • Everyday Objects (Tools, Radios and Musical Instruments) from the 1920s-1950s

 

***Items that will not be accepted due to an oversaturation in the collection***

  • Paper Ephemera
  • Aviation Books
  • Parts Manuals
  • Airplane Models
  • Aircraft Instrument Gages
  • Commemorative Materials
  • Ash Trays
  • Key Chains
  • Uniforms

Research Inquiries

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