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

Saturday Apr 26
10:00AM TO 2:00PM
Exploration of Flight (Centennial Airport)

Aviation Career Symposium

Aviation Career Symposium
Saturday, Apr 26, 2025 | 10:00AM to 2:00PM

Discover your path to a career in aviation!

Join us for an exhibition of aviation educators and employers. Take your next step or your first step towards your dream career in aviation. Whether you’re a student wanting to learn or a professional looking to network, this event is for you!

Students with a valid 2024-2025 school ID will receive free admission for this event!*

Featuring:
  • Airlines
  • Military Recruiters
  • Flight Schools
  • UAV Operators
  • Airport Businesses
  • College Programs
  • High School Programs
  • Youth Organizations
  • A Variety of Aircraft
  • And more!

Want to exhibit? Click here to sign up!

Vehicles on display will include a Learjet, Air Tractor, Airbus EC145 helicopter, C-172, fire trucks and more! Vehicles are weather dependent and subject to change.

Purchase Tickets

Food Truck: Ecos de Mexico
Please note: Food purchases are not included in admission.

*Students: Do not pre-purchase your ticket. To receive free admission, please bring your school ID to show at the admissions desk. 

Sunday Apr 27
10:00AM TO 11:30AM
Air & Space Museum

Sensory Friendly Hours

Sensory Friendly Hours
Sunday, Apr 27, 2025 | 10:00AM to 11:30AM

Join us to experience the museum turned down and participate in sensory friendly activities including a scavenger hunt, discovery carts, STEAM and sensory activities and more!

We are pleased to offer a more comfortable museum experience for our friends who have sensory processing sensitivities and their families. We welcome families with children, teenagers and adults on the autism spectrum, with sensory processing disorders and other cognitive disabilities to experience our museum in a lower sensory environment.

Admission is FREE for children or adults with sensory processing sensitivities and their families. Please pre-register at the link below.

Register Here

Click here to learn more about accessibility, amenities and view a social narrative and map for your visit to the Air & Space Museum.

Monday Apr 28
6:00PM TO 8:00PM
Exploration of Flight (Centennial Airport)

Wings Aerospace Exploration Parent/Family Info Night

Wings Aerospace Exploration Parent/Family Info Night
Monday, Apr 28, 2025 | 6:00PM to 8:00PM

Full STEAM Ahead – Immerse Your Student into Aerospace!

Join us for an informational session to learn about Wings Aerospace Exploration (WAE), a hands-on enrichment program for students in grades 6-12 from the team at Wings Over the Rockies™. During this session, we will provide a program overview, introduce our staff and instructors, share stories from current and past students and answer your questions! This meeting will take place at Exploration of Flight at Centennial Airport (13005 Wings Way, Englewood, CO 80112). 

Register Here

Wings is thrilled to announce the expansion of the WAE pathway at our Exploration of Flight campus at Centennial Airport to include middle school classes! For this upcoming 2025/2026 school year, WAE Centennial will be open to middle school and high school students (grades 6-12).

WAE students have the opportunity to explore the wonders of flight, engage with industry professionals, and gain valuable skills for future careers in aerospace. The program includes building and operating RC airplanes, drones and robotics, as well as coding, rocketry and LOTS of other aviation and space related subjects. Wings Aerospace Exploration is an enrichment program and complements but does not take the place of an accredited educational institution.

Questions? Please contact:
Nedra Hall – Program Coordinator, 303.360.5360 ext 125
WingsEducation@WingsMuseum.org

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Warbird Jet - Wings Museum