Air & Space Museum

Ball-Bartoe Jetwing

Ball-Bartoe Jetwing

Pete Bartoe designed and built the one-of-a-kind JetWing in the mid-1970s. The first test flights were in 1977, and it retired in 1978. The tiny jet flew again briefly in the early 1980s, and came to Wings Over the Rockies in 2007.

This small, single-seat research aircraft explored the technology of increasing lift at low speeds by blowing the exhaust of the turbofan engine over the upper surfaces of the wings.

Airplanes get lift from airflow over and under their wings. Below a certain airspeed, there’s not enough airflow to support the airplane, but lift can be increased by blowing air over the wings.
Being able to fly safely at a low airspeed enables airplanes to take off and land in shorter distances and on rougher surfaces. Many valuable technologies have been developed to allow airplanes to have a high top speed and relatively low landing speed. These include flaps, slats, slots, leading edge devices, speed brakes, and variable-geometry swing-wings.

Engineers had experimented with blowing jet engine airflow over airplane wings or flaps since the 1940s and 50s, but Bartoe’s design differed by directing all of the engine’s output to the wings. This resulted in an aircraft with an astonishing speed range, from a minimum of 40 mph to a maximum of about 400 mph! Its top speed was ten times its minimum speed! (Even today, most jets—airliners, fighters, transports, and bombers—take off and land at airspeeds between 150 and 200 mph.)

Aircraft specifications:
Wingspan: 21 ft 9 in (6.63 m)
Length: 29 ft (8.84 m)
Maximum weight: 3,336 lbs (1,513 kg)
Engine: Pratt & Whitney Canada JT15D-1 turbofan
Thrust: 2,200 lbs (9.8 kN)

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Lowry - Denver

Air & Space Museum

Upcoming Events

Saturday Jun 28
10:00AM TO 2:00PM
Exploration of Flight (Centennial Airport)

Warbird Invasion

Warbird Invasion
Saturday, Jun 28, 2025 | 10:00AM to 2:00PM

The invasion is about to begin! Join us to see various types of warbirds on static display at Wings Over the Rockies™ Exploration of Flight. Featured aircraft will include a USAF O2-A, Boeing Stearman, 1943 Beechcraft 18 UC-45J/SNB-5 “Sonoran Beauty”, Yakovlev Yak-52 and more!* Get up close to these incredible machines, meet the pilots who fly them, and enjoy games, activities and live music by Bianca and the Flyboys.

Don’t miss special guest speaker, Bill Scott, author of the biography “Earthquake: Brigadier General Robert F. Titus”. He will give a short presentation about the book followed by a Q&A and book signing.**

Get Tickets!

Schedule:
10:00 a.m.: Doors open
10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.: Music by Bianca and the Flyboys
12:00 p.m. – 12:30 p.m.: Presentation by Bill Scott on Hangar Floor
12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.: Q&A and Book Signing by Bill Scott in Classroom

Food Trucks: Q’s Quisine & Pozzetti Gelato & Coffee
Food is not included with admission.

Photo (above) courtesy of Barbara Hoversten.
*Featured aircraft is subject to change.
**Books will be available for purchase. Bill will only be signing his book at this event and no other items. 

Saturday Jul 12
9:30AM TO 12:30PM
Exploration of Flight (Centennial Airport)

Breakfast Fly-In

Breakfast Fly-In
Saturday, Jul 12, 2025 | 9:30AM to 12:30PM

Join Wings Over the Rockies Exploration of Flight for monthly fly-ins featuring planes, pilots, speakers and breakfast*!

On the second Saturday of every month, enjoy breakfast from a local food truck, watch aircraft fly in and explore interactive exhibits and simulators. Plus, this month check out sleek cars on display from the Rolls-Royce Owners’ Club.

Pre-Purchase Tickets

*Weather permitting. Aircraft on display are subject to change. Food is not included with admission.

Saturday Jul 12
10:00AM TO 2:00PM
Air & Space Museum

Cockpit Demo Day

Cockpit Demo Day
Saturday, Jul 12, 2025 | 10:00AM to 2:00PM

Get an up close look inside select aircraft at the museum and learn all about the history of the aircraft, instruments and controls!

Featured Aircraft in July*:

  • Velocity
  • North American F-100D Super Sabre
  • Bell UH-1M Iroquois “Huey” (Wheelchair accessible)
  • Apollo Boilerplate
  • Vought A-7D Corsair II

Pre-Purchase Tickets

*Featured aircraft are subject to change. 

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