Kalamazoo connection

Air Classics, Apr 2002

The Kalamazoo Aviation History Museum has been accepted into Smithsonian Institution Affiliations Programs. Since the program was established in 1997, more than 90 cultural institutions have joined. Affiliate organizations must have goals compatible with the Smithsonian's mission and they must maintain the high standards of excellence that are part of the Smithsonian's exhibit and museum education programs.

As an affiliate, the Kalamazoo Aviation History Museum will retain its own identity, staff and governance as a private, non-profit institution and will receive no financial support from the Smithsonian. What it will receive is access to the more than 142 million objects in the Smithsonian's collections, from spacecraft to American cultural artifacts to fine art. The program provides a greater public access to the Smithsonian's collections and allows the affiliating organizations to incorporate Smithsonian collections into a variety of exhibition, educational, and/or research programs.

In January, Kalamazoo received two sizable artifacts from the Smithsonian. The first is the National Air and Space Museum's Curtiss XP-- 55 Ascender. The aircraft, one of three built, is the sole survivor of a unique program designed to inspire aircraft manufacturers to develop entirely new designs. The second artifact is the NASM El Kabong I. This capsule from NASA's Project Gemini was used for drop tests involving the Para-Sail landing system, which was never adopted for actual Gemini flights. Both artifacts will be restored to museum quality condition by the staff and volunteers of the museum under the guidance of the Smithsonian.