Air & Space Museum

Douglas B-18A Bolo

Douglas B-18A Bolo

The Douglas B-18 Bolo has a long history with Lowry Air Force Base and it is appropriate that Wings Over the Rockies displays one of the five remaining B-18s in the world.

Douglas Aircraft created the B-18 in response to a 1934 Army request for a new bomber that could carry twice the load at twice the range of its B-10. The Army chose the B-18 for production after the competing design from Boeing crashed. (That Boeing design would later become the legendary B-17 after Boeing added a new innovation that would have prevented the crash—the cockpit checklist… which has become standard equipment for all aircraft!)

Douglas gave its DC-2 airliner a deeper fuselage to house the bomb bay, extended the wings, and added nose and ventral gun turrets. The B-18 entered service with the Army in 1937, and a B-18 was the first airplane to land on the new concrete runways at Lowry Field in 1940.

When the United States entered World War II, B-18s were obsolete as front-line bombers, but the Army used B-18s to train bombardiers, navigators, and pilots. Later in the war, the US Army and Royal Canadian Air Force used them for anti-submarine patrol and as transports.

The B-18 Bolo on display at Wings has a colorful history. After training bombardiers during World War II, civilian owners used it as a cargo aircraft, aerial sprayer, and survey aircraft. In 1959 it was caught running guns to Fidel Castro for the Cuban revolution and confiscated by the US Border Patrol.

The National Museum of the US Air Force loaned the B-18 to Wings Over the Rockies in 1990, and our Restorations team has restored it to its prewar bomber configuration.

Aircraft specifications:
Wingspan: 89 ft 6 in (27.3 m)
Length: 57 ft 10 in (17.7 m)
Maximum speed: 216 mph (348 km/h)
Bomb load: 4,400 lb (1,996 kg)
Engines: two Wright R-1820-53 radial engines, 1,000 hp (746 kW) each

Air & Space Museum Air & Space Museum

Lowry - Denver

Air & Space Museum

Upcoming Events

Sep 5 - Sep 6
10:00AM TO 5:00PM
Exploration of Flight (Centennial Airport)

Warbird Weekend

Warbird Weekend
Saturday, Sep 5, 2026 | 10:00AM to Sunday, Sep 6, 2026 | 5:00PM

Bringing aviation to life, this two-day event* will provide a rare opportunity to experience aerospace history and give you the chance to take flight in a WWII-era aircraft!

This showcase will give guests rare, up-close access to remarkable airplanes. It includes guided ground tours, interactions with aviation experts, a museum-member-only coffee hour, and flight rides. Beyond the featured exhibits, there will also be family-friendly public programming activities related to warbirds and a presentation exploring their historical significance.

The featured aircraft on display and available for flight rides will be the TBM Avenger, which is an 80-year-old aircraft and flying museum, and the CAF MHW SNB Sonoran Beauty. Additional airplanes include the Trojan T-28A. Even more warbirds will be out on our tarmac and on display, plus more surprises!

You can also explore the Duty of Memory pop-up exhibit, which tells the history behind the only American WWII cemetery in the Netherlands. In 1945, people of the southern Netherlands Limburg region began a grave adoption program for soldiers buried at the Netherlands American Cemetery. These Dutch families have cared for and visited every grave for over 80 years. Eighty troops from Colorado are also buried at this cemetery in Margraten, NL. The project aims to build awareness of this story and connect descendants of these Coloradoan soldiers with the organizations facilitating relationships between American and Dutch families. The grave adopters hope to find and connect with all the families while working to preserve the soldiers’ memories and information.

Timeline of Events:

  • Open on Sep 5 from 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
  • Museum Member-Only Hour open on Sep 6 from 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
  • Sep 6 public admission open from 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
  • Flight rides are available from 11:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 1:30 p.m., and 4:00 p.m. See more info below.

Purchase Tickets:

Take a Flight:

Food Trucks:

*General admission discounts, including community passes and ASTC Passport Program reciprocal admission, do not apply to this special event. Aircraft and activities are subject to change. Food is not included with admission. Flights are limited and may sell out quickly.

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

Breakfast Fly-In

Breakfast Fly-In
Saturday, Sep 12, 2026 | 9:30AM to 12:30PM

Check out Corvettes and start your Saturday with tasty food, aircraft, and unique cars at our monthly Breakfast Fly-In!*

Start your engines at this family-friendly event where we feature special activities in addition to our usual events, including:

  • Explore local vintage vehicles courtesy of the Central Colorado Corvette Club
  • Chat with the drivers and hear their stories
  • Take a seat in both cars and airplanes
  • Watch aircraft fly in and out on our tarmac and meet the pilots

See you soon for this family-friendly event!

Buy Tickets

Pilots – Fly in for free breakfast! For tie-down space, contact PublicPrograms@WingsMuseum.org or 303.360.5360 ext. 160.

Food Trucks: Cooper’s Coffee & Wafflerita

*Weather permitting. Aircraft and activities are subject to change. Food is not included with admission.

Saturday Sep 19
10:00AM TO 2:00PM
Air & Space Museum

Cockpit Demo Day

Cockpit Demo Day
Saturday, Sep 19, 2026 | 10:00AM to 2:00PM

Have you ever wanted to get an up-close look inside your favorite aircraft?

At this event, you’ll be able to explore select cockpits and learn about aircraft you never knew existed. Each station has a knowledgeable volunteer who can tell you all about the exhibit, its history, and answer questions. Our options rotate monthly, so every visit is unique!

Featured aircraft in September*:

Pre-Purchase Tickets

Can’t make this one? Join us next month on October 17!

*Featured aircraft are subject to change.

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F-22 on the Tarmac at Exploration of Flight