Stopping By: Finding hidden treasures at Chanute Air Museum

RANTOUL – Sometimes the finest treasures of all are the ones under your nose.

I had visited the Chanute Air Museum in Rantoul hundreds of times over the past 13 years and thought I knew a lot about its collection.

But it wasn't until I tagged along with museum Curator Mark Hanson that I realized some of the facility's truest treasures.

Located in a former Chanute Air Force Base hangar building known as Grissom Hall (named after the late NASA astronaut Gus Grissom), the museum features 40 aircraft, including fighters, bombers, rescue, reconnaissance and cargo aircraft. Many of these were used for training purposes at Chanute.

Other notable exhibits include a collection of flight simulators, a missile maintenance training silo, displays featuring the historic 99th Pursuit Squadron and tributes to the veterans who have served in America's wars.

Here's my advice when visiting the museum: When touring during the summer months, first see the large airplanes and jets in the giant hangar in the rear of the building. The hangar isn't air-conditioned, and Hanson said that part of the building can become stifling hot during the summer.

In an effort to see the museum with fresh eyes, I asked Hanson to point out some of the prized elements that often get overlooked by visitors.

He pointed out a rocket engine dating back to the days when Air Force test pilot Chuck Yeager pioneered supersonic flight. A cutaway of the engine from the 1950s, called an XLR, is on display near the entrance of the main hangar.

"This is the type of engine that was used when Yeager broke the sound barrier," Hanson said. Chanute had one because the engine was needed to train airplane mechanics in Rantoul.

"There's an urban legend that Chuck Yeager flew one of the F-84s to Chanute, but we haven't corroborated that," Hanson said.

Next Hanson pointed out an F-15, a jet still being used in combat by the Air Force in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"It's one of the best jet fighters the Air Force ever had," Hanson said.

The plane at Chanute was built in St. Louis by McDonnell Douglas and was used for testing at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.

"Its original test colors were Day-Glo orange," Hanson said. "While it was later painted over, you can still see some of the orange paint that has flaked off over the decades."

Not only could this jet break the sound barrier, Hanson said, it could accelerate going straight up.

"Most airplanes can't do it," he said.

The F-15 on exhibit at the museum was the seventh model of its type ever to be constructed. The plane was being used to train airmen and women all the way until Chanute's closure in 1993.

Hanson said his biggest challenge is finding ways to preserve the museum's many airplanes that sit outside. He said that sunlight, heat, cold and inclement weather deteriorate the airplane tires.

"One of our goals is to clean up the F-15, repaint it and take care of any corrosion," Hanson said. "We don't have the money for a full-blown restoration."

The museum also has a barnstormer's exhibit, where an original Piper Tri-Pacer 135 is on display.

The Tri-Pacer, built in 1953, was owned by Cornelius Coffey, the first black person to hold both a pilot's and mechanic's license.

Coffey, who is said to have known Orville and Wilbur Wright, opened the first all-black aviation school in Chicago and was a strong proponent for organizing the first black pursuit squadron during World War II.

"The plane was used for general aviation around Chicago," Hanson said. "We had to take the plane apart to bring it into the museum and then reassemble it for the exhibit."

Hanson's favorite exhibit is a collection of old-time airplane drawings by Marcellus F. Foose, a pilot and the operator of an aircraft supply business in Chicago.

Eighty separate pieces of Foose's art were donated to the museum in 2003.

"When I became curator, I was opening up a box of donated items and discovered these art treasures almost by accident," Hanson said. Foose was a skilled technical draftsman, so the collection includes lots of technical drawings of early aircraft.

"He actually did a lot of work designing airplanes," he said.

While the displays on the historic 99th Pursuit Squadron are probably the museum's most famous exhibits, I recommend taking extra time to view the outstanding barnstormer's exhibit. It's colorful, well thought out and includes features for aviation fans of all ages.

My favorite exhibit at the Chanute museum is its collection of colorful military patches used by airmen and women over the years, many of them donated by Chanute veterans and their families.

While the high points of the museum may be seen within about two hours, I would advise families coming there for the first time to set aside an additional hour to allow people to linger over exhibits they particularly enjoy.

If you go

What: Chanute Air Museum, 1011 Pacesetter Drive, Rantoul.

Hours: Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday; noon to 5 p.m. Sunday.

Admission: $7 for adults 18 and over, $6 for seniors 62 and over and retired military, $4 for children through 12th grade, free for children under age 4.

Directions from Champaign: Take Interstate 57 north to Rantoul. Take the U.S. 136 exit east. Turn right on Century Boulevard. Turn right on Borman Drive, right on Arends Boulevard and right on Pacesetter Drive.

Telephone: 893-1613

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