Volunteers at the San Diego Air & Space Museum meticulously recreate historic aircraft in a subterranean workshop. This facility, which has previously been closed to the public, is preparing to launch small-group tours to showcase its fabrication process.

Building the Hughes H-1 Racer with tape measures and photos

The restoration shop at the San Diego Air & Space Museum operates as a high-skill fabrication center where volunteers build aircraft from the ground up. According to the report, the team is currently working on a replica of the Hughes H-1 Racer, a 1930s-era speed star. Because no original blueprints are available for the project, the craftsmen rely entirely on photographs and tape measures to determine the aircraft's dimensions.

Nolan, a former Air Force aircraft mechanic and current volunteer, describes the facility as a "slice of subterranean heaven" for those who enjoy mechanical restoration. The San Diego Air & Space Museum provides the necessary infrastructure to support this precision work, including a full machine shop, welding equipment, and various fabrication capabilities to create intricate parts from scratch.

The Bell X-1 and the illusion of the original

Many visitors to the San Diego Air & Space Museum may be surprised to learn that the aircraft on display are not always the original artifacts. As the report says,the replica of the Bell X-1—the plane that famously broke the sound barrier in 1947—was built by hand just a few feet away from where it now hangs from the ceiling. This practice of creating "exacting reproductions" allows the museum to showcase history without the extreme conservation risks associated with original vintage airframes.

This approach reflects a broader trend in aviation preservation where high-fidelity replicas serve as educational tools. By building these planes in-house, the San Diego Air & Space Museum preserves the process of aviation engineering as much as the product, ensuring that the manual skills required to build 20th-century aircraft are not lost to time.

Ripley's Believe It Or Not and the Odditorium trade

The workshop's capabilities extend beyond aviation, serving as a commercial hub for unique restorations. The San Diego Air & Space Museum is currently restoring rusted, 1960s-era single-seater cars belonging to Ripley's Believe It Or Not. Nolan noted that the team is utilizing heat and hydraulics to dismantle the heavily corroded vehicles before beginning the restoration process.

This partnership is a strategic financial arrangement for the museum. According to the report, the San Diego Air & Space Museum is paid for the restoration work on the cars, and in exchange , Ripley's provided a discount on the price for hosting the Odditorium exhibition. This symbiotic relationship allows the museum to fund its non-profit goals through specialized labor.

A weekly school bus for the next generation

Museum official Kidrick is leveraging the shop's expertise to inspire youth through an educational outreach program. The San Diego Air & Space Museum operates a bus that visits schools every week, providing students with hands-on opportunities to engage with aviation and space travel. Kidrick emphasizes that the goal is to perpetuate the leegacy of the "greatest generation" by teaching future generations the importance of these technological milestones.

When will the 10-person shop tours actually begin?

While the restoration shop has long been off-limits, Kidrick expects to begin offering tours within a few weeks. These tours will be designed as add-ons to the main museum experience, with small groups limited to between two and 10 people to accommodate the workspace and the docents leading the tours.

However, several details remain unverified in the report. It is unclear what the specific cost of these "add-on" tours will be or which specific local schools are currently benefiting from the weekly outreach bus. additionally, while Kidrick is quoted extensively, the report does not specify his exact official title within the San Diego Air & Space Museum administration.