Preserving U.S. aviation history

Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum

Specialists are working to slow the pace of inevitable decay of U.S. aviation artifacts. Thousands of the national treasures, from early flight attendant uniforms to vintage aircraft engines, are being moved to a new climate-controlled home at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum's $79 million facility in Virginia.

A Curtiss SB2C-5 Helldiver in the Mary Baker Engen Restoration Hangar.

The Curtiss SB2C-5 Helldiver is the first aircraft planned for restoration in the Mary Baker Engen Restoration Hangar. Collections specialists began work in early 2013 by examining, documenting, and cleaning sections of the aircraft prior to restoration.

Read more: The race to save U.S. aviation history

Racing to save aerospace artifacts

Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum

Museum specialist Anne McCombs stitches the fabric covering the trailing edge of the left elevator of the Curtiss SB2C-5 Helldiver in the Mary Baker Engen Restoration Hangar.

Racing to save aerospace artifacts

Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum

The second of two Pratt & Whitney R-1690 engines is prepared for mounting on the Sikorsky JRS-1 float plane inside the Mary Baker Engen Restoration Hangar at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Va.

This JRS-1 is the only aircraft in the collection that was stationed at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.

Racing to save aerospace artifacts

Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum

The Sikorsky JRS-1, just after floats were installed, is almost fully assembled inside the Mary Baker Engen Restoration Hangar at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Va.

Racing to save aerospace artifacts

Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum

This suit is a more advanced version of the type worn by Apollo 11 astronauts Armstrong and Aldrin. It contains a layer of aluminumized, gridded Kapton film for additional protection. The red stripes identify Cernan as the mission commander. This identification system was first used during the Apollo 13 mission.

Racing to save aerospace artifacts

Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum

Astronauts wore special gloves during lunar excursions. Made with rubber and Neoprene interior bladders, gloves covered hands completely to the wrist and were attached to the arms of the spacesuit with aluminum rings.

Racing to save aerospace artifacts

Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum

An engineering back-up of the Telstar satellite, in the collections of the National Air and Space Museum.

Racing to save aerospace artifacts

Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum

Close up of the acrylic canopy being analyzed by conservation staff and Smithsonian's Museum Conservation Institute.