Hangar #1
Building 401
Building 401
7711 E. Academy Blvd
Denver, CO 80230
[GPS 39°43'13.44"N 104°53'42.84"W]
Lowry
Field’s
Hangar
#1,
Building
401,
the
2nd
new
hanger
to
be
built
on
Lowry
Field,
began
construction
in
June
of
1940
and
was
completed
on
17
April,
1941.
Hangar
#1
has
12
massive
6
ton
doors
250
feet
wide
each
of
which
can
be
rolled
open.
Hangar
#1
was
re-
purposed as the “
Wings over the Rockies Air & Space Museum
.”
[NOTE:
The
hanger
number
designations
were
switched
by
the
military
in
1966,
the
year
all
flying
ceased
at
the
base.
Building
401
had
originally
been
designated
as
Hanger
#2,
but
had
its
hangar
designation
changed
to
what
is
known
today
as
Hanger
#1.
See
“Hangar Designations” panel at bottom of page.]
#3.
1962:
Lowry
AFB’s
Hangar
#2,
Building
402
(using
current
designations),
was
completed
in
August,1939
and
is
shown
as
the
hangar
on
the
left
in
this
1962
photo.
Hangar
#1,
building
401
(using
current
designations),
is
shown
as
the
hangar
on
the
right
side,
and
was
completed
in
April
of
1941.
Both
hangars
have
12
massive
6
ton
doors
250
feet
wide
that
can
roll
open.
When
flying
ended
in
1966,
the
hangar
on
the
left,
now
building
402,
became
the
Base
Supply
Warehouse
and
later
storage
for
the
Defense
and
Finance
Accounting
Center
prior
to
base
closure.
Hangar
#1
became
the
“Wings
over
the
Rockies
Air
&
Space
Museum.
#1.
1940:
Hangars
#1
and
#2,
aerial
photo
taken
in
1940.
Hangar
#2,
using
current
Hangar
designations,
is
shown
on
the
top-left,
and
has
a
control
tower
built
in
the
middle-
center
of
its
roof.
Hangar
#1,
using
current
Hangar
designations,
is
shown
on
the
bottom-right
(having
“Lowry
Field”
printed
on
its
roof), and has a control tower attached on its front-left side.
#2.
Building
401,
Hangar
#1
(Hangar
designation
#2 in this 1955 photo).
#4.
November
2016.
A
vintage
B-52
mounted
in
front
of
Hangar
#1’s
main
entry
to
the
Wings
over
the
Rockies
Air
&
Space
Museum.
[G.
Blood]
#5.
November
2016.
The
main
entrance
to
Building
401,
Hangar
#1
“Wings
over
the
Rockies Air & Space Museum.” [G. Blood]
#6.
November
2016;
The
Navy
EA-6B
Prowler
electronic
warfare
aircraft.
The
primary
mission
of
the
EA-6B
Prowler
is
suppression
of
enemy
air
defenses
in
support
of
strike
aircraft
and
ground
troops
by
interrupting
enemy
electronic
activity
and
obtaining
tactical
electronic
intelligence
within
the
combat
area.
It
is
used
by
both
the
Marines
and
Navy
and
has
a
crew
of
4,
one
pilot,
three
electronic
countermeasures
officers.
Powered
by
two
non-
afterburning
Pratt
&
Whitney
J52-P-408
turbojet
engines,
it
is
capable of up to 575 mph with a range of 1,150 miles.
#7.
November
2016.
The
“Colorado’s
Astronauts”
exhibit
features
the
fine
men
and
women
with
connections
to
Colorado
and
how
they
have
helped
transform
our
understanding
of
space.
Through
birth,
university,
or
employment
more
than
64
astronauts
have
developed
close
ties
to
the
State
of
Colorado.
Also
on
display
is
a
moon
rock
that
was
presented
to
Colorado’s
own
Astronaut Jack Swigert.
#8. #9. #10.
Photo
#8:
Wide-view
of
the
X-Wing
fighter,
visible
are
black
smudge
marks located on the skin from gunfire!
Photo
#9:
Visible
in
this
photo
are
some
of
the
cast
and
crew
signatures.
Photo
#10:
R2-D2
ready
to
go,
will
beep
and
move
head,
radio
chatter
in the background!
"Our Star Wars X-Wing Starfighter is a 3/4-scale replica of the aircraft flown by
Luke Skywalker in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. Signed by numerous cast and
crew including Harrison Ford, George Lucas, and David Prowse this fan favorite
continues to be one of the most popular exhibits at Wings Over the Rockies Air &
Space Museum. Thanks to generous Rocky Mountain Fan Force volunteers and
an agreement with Lucasfilm, this unique Star Wars heirloom continues to call our
hangar home."
Carrie
Fisher,
AKA
“Princess
Leia”
of
Star
Wars
fame,
passed
away
unexpectedly
on
27
Dec
2016
having
reached
only
her
60th
birthday.
The Wings Museum paid tribute to Fisher on 28 Dec 2016.
Carrie Fisher Vigil, Wings over the Rockies Air & Space Museum
Courtesy of Denver’s ABC Affiliate, Channel 7
Lowry Hangar Designations
[From John Bond's Book, Chronological Review of Lowry, Legends of Flight 10-3, Pages 20-21 &
Personal Observations.]
Building 402, Hangar #1, was the first hangar built. Has control tower in middle of roof.
Started Aug 1938, completed Aug 1939.
Building 401, Hanger #2, was the second hangar built, has control tower on left-front side.
Started June, 1940, completed 17 Apr 1941.
When flying stopped in 1966 Building 401 became Hangar #1. With the closure of Lowry AFB
in 1994 Building 401 was re-purposed and became the "Wings over the Rockies Air & Space
Museum." Building 402 became Hangar #2 and was re-purposed to become Lowry retail,
offices, restaurants, and storage facilities.
After base closure, the official building numbers began to fade and are now known only as
"Hangar #1; Wings Museum" and "Hangar #2; Storage & Retail."
In 1985, a classroom extension was added on to Building 401 (known then as Hangar #1) and
completed in 1986.
Last Updated: 01/07/2018 11:21