Fort Worth Aviation Museum in Texas is assessing damage to its aircraft collection and indoor exhibits after a hailstorm moved through the area Saturday. Executive Director Jim Hodgson told AVweb the museum had just completed its annual Hops and Props fundraiser before the hail storm, which damaged aircraft parked outdoors and knocked insulation down inside the museum’s main gallery.
Aircraft Damage
Hodgson said nearly every aircraft kept outside was affected, with damage ranging from broken canopies to dents, chipped paint and surface markings that the museum is still evaluating. Civil Air Patrol units helped complete a detailed aircraft-by-aircraft assessment Monday. Among the affected aircraft was the museum’s recently repainted Blue Angels F/A-18, along with an F6U Pirate the museum received within the last few months, which Hodgson said is the only remaining example of the type.
“We are extremely fortunate because it could have been a lot worse,” Hodgson told AVweb. “What we found when we came out here on Sunday morning was one of our volunteers started seeing holes on the ground as we were looking at airplanes. And the holes in the ground were up to about two inches in diameter, and they were anywhere from two to three inches deep in the ground.”
Gallery Cleanup
Inside the museum, Hodgson said the hail hit the building hard enough to bring insulation down from the ceiling and spread it over exhibits. The museum has begun cleanup work, including using air purifiers, removing some exhibits and planning for further ceiling and insulation work.
Hodgson said the roof has been inspected and was found to be intact, removing one of the larger questions about reopening the building…