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X-Planes — Models illustrate the history of the experimental aircraft used by the U.S. Air Force, NACA (National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, the precursor to NASA), and NASA to extend human knowledge of the principles of flight from the X-1 that broke the sound barrier to the X-45 hypersonic test plane.
The Space Race — This extensive exhibit uses artifacts, models, photographs and text to examine the Cold War's highest battlefield, the race to the Moon.
Follow the Water — Follow the scientific exploration of Mars and the search for water on the red planet.
Materials Technology — Explore the materials from natural minerals to man-made super composites that make up the air- and spacecraft that soar over our heads every day.
HARRY B. COMBS
Enshrined 1994
Harry Combs was born in Denver, Colorado. A pilot since 1928, he graduated from Yale, worked for Pan Am, and then in 1938 founded Combs Aircraft which became one of the most successful aircraft service centers in the country. During World War II he trained thousands of military pilots and flew C-54s for the USAAF Air Transport Command. In the 1960s he served as an advisor to the FAA and NASA. As president of Gates Learjet in the 1970s, he was instrumental in establishing the company's plant in Tucson. An avid historian, he is the author of "Kill Devil Hill," the prize‑ winning book on the birth of powered flight.
His awards include the coveted Wright Brothers Memorial Trophy which then Vice President George Bush presented him in 1985 for his many significant and enduring contributions to aerospace.
The small company he started in '38 is now AMR Combs, an FBO chain owned by the parent of American Airlines. One of the most prominent figures in the world of aviation, his name today is synonymous with excellence in aircraft service and operations.