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 Mar 30
9:30AM TO 5:15PM
Exploration of Flight (Centennial Airport)

Navy Showcase + “Top Gun: Maverick” Movie & Speaker

Navy Showcase + “Top Gun: Maverick” Movie & Speaker
Saturday, Mar 30, 2024 | 9:30AM to 5:15PM

Join Wings Over the Rockies Exploration of Flight at Centennial Airport for a full day showcase of Navy aircraft, along with an afternoon showing of “Top Gun: Maverick”!

Scott Kartvedt, a combat-decorated Blue Angel and stunt pilot for “Maverick” will be giving a special talk prior to the movie along with a Q&A session after the movie concludes. Aircraft on display will include an F-18, SNJ, T-34, SGS2-32 Navy Glider and more!

Food Truck*: 2 Salty Sarges
*Food is not included with admission.

Purchase Tickets

Limited seating available, pre-purchase tickets are required.

Ticket Pricing:
Adult: $20
Military/1st Responder/Senior: $15
Child: $10
Wings’ Member Adult: $15*
Wings’ Member Military/1st Responder/Senior: $10*
Wings’ Member Child: $5*
*Wings’ Members: Sign in to receive your discount. 

Photo above courtesy of Barbara Hoversten.

Saturday Mar 30
10:00AM TO 1:30PM
Exploration of Flight (Centennial Airport)

Private Pilot Ground School Begins

Saturday, Mar 30, 2024 | 10:00AM to 1:30PM

Saturdays 3/30/24 – 5/18/24
10:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

This 8-week Ground School will cover the subject areas of the FAA Private Pilot Aeronautical Knowledge Exam. 

This course is taught by Certified Instructors, and materials are included! Classroom ground instruction offers a great way to start training as efficiently and economically as possible, providing a significant cost savings versus one-on-one lessons.

This session is full with a waitlist. To join the waitlist, please click here.

Topics include:

  • Aircraft Systems
  • Aerodynamics
  • Airports and Airspace
  • Flight Physiology
  • Performance Calculations
  • Navigation
  • And More!

Pricing:

Non-Member | $350.00 per registrant

Member | $300.00 per registrant

 

Please Note:

Students should bring a notebook and/or a personal device for notetaking.

Participants must be 14 years or older.

Monday Apr 1
2:00PM TO 5:00PM
Air & Space Museum

Sensory Friendly Hours

Sensory Friendly Hours
Monday, Apr 1, 2024 | 2:00PM to 5:00PM

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.

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