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LIBRARY ARCHIVES AND RESEARCH

The Travis AFB Aviation Museum Archives are open during regular museum hours and can be accessed through the archive computer in the museum library.

 

The collection includes digitized manuals, photographs, videos, base newspapers, and over 3,000 books on aviation and military history.

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Past issues of the Travis Air Museum NEWS are also searchable by keyword, making it easier than ever to explore the history of Travis Air Force Base.

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📌 Please note: Researchers may make copies on site, but staff cannot provide copy services.

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EDUCATION

Library Archieves and Research

SIMULATORS

Step into a Real Airplane Cockpit!


Experience what it feels like to be a pilot in our hands-on flight simulator. This cockpit procedures trainer lets kids and families climb inside, explore the pilot’s seat, and see the same controls real pilots use.

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These simulators are used in pilot training around the world to practice flying, handle emergencies, and learn safe procedures. At our aviation museum, you can use your imagination, test out the controls, and picture yourself flying an airplane through the sky.

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Perfect for kids, families, and aviation enthusiasts, this interactive exhibit makes learning about airplanes and aviation history both fun and educational.

T-28 Texan (Trojan)

 

The North American T-28 Trojan is a legendary military trainer aircraft introduced in the 1950s. Built by North American Aviation, it prepared thousands of pilots for the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy during the early Cold War aviation era.

 

The T-28 was more than just a trainer. During the Vietnam War, it was adapted for counter-insurgency missions, proving its strength as a light attack aircraft with its rugged radial engine design and combat versatility.

 

Today, the T-28 Texan remains popular in civilian aviation as both an aerobatics aircraft and a warbird performer at airshows worldwide. Aviation enthusiasts value it as a symbol of U.S. military aviation history and a highlight in the warbird community.

 

The Air Force later replaced the T-28 with the Beech T-34 Mentor and the Cessna T-37 jet trainer, marking the transition from piston-engine to jet-era pilot training.

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F-100 Super Sabre

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The North American F-100 Super Sabre was the world’s first production jet fighter capable of supersonic speed in level flight (760 mph). Developed as a successor to the famous F-86 Sabre from the Korean War, the F-100 marked a major step forward in Cold War aviation technology.

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The prototype YF-100A first flew on May 25, 1953, at Edwards Air Force Base, California. By the time production ended in 1959, a total of 2,294 aircraft had been built. The most common version, the F-100D, introduced in 1956, featured advanced systems including the first autopilot for a supersonic jet and a precision low-altitude bombing system.

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The Super Sabre made its combat debut during the Vietnam War, where it was heavily used as a fighter-bomber in ground-attack missions—striking bridges, road junctions, supply routes, and troop concentrations.

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As the first of the “Century Series” fighters, the F-100 Super Sabre helped shape the future of supersonic military aviation and remains a symbol of U.S. Air Force history during the Cold War.

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Cessna T-37 “Tweet”

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The Cessna T-37 Tweet, affectionately nicknamed the “Tweety Bird”, was a twin-engine jet trainer aircraft that served as the primary trainer for U.S. Air Force student pilots for decades. Introduced in the 1950s, the T-37 was the first jet aircraft specifically designed as a trainer rather than adapted from another model, making it a landmark in military aviation training history.

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Known for its distinctive high-pitched engine sound, the T-37 taught pilots the fundamentals of jet aircraft operation, including instrument flying, formation flying, and night flying. Its side-by-side seating allowed instructors to easily observe and communicate with students—an important advantage in early flight training.

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The Tweet’s forgiving flight characteristics helped prepare future Air Force pilots to transition smoothly into the faster and more advanced T-38 Talon supersonic trainer. Today, the T-37 is remembered as the aircraft that trained generations of U.S. Air Force jet pilots during the Cold War and beyond.

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Mercury Space Capsule

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The Mercury Space Capsule marked America’s first step into human spaceflight. In the early 1960s, the Project Mercury astronauts—known as the Original Seven—rode these small, one-person spacecraft into orbit, paving the way for the Gemini and Apollo missions that followed.

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At our museum, you can step inside our Mercury capsule simulator and picture yourself as an astronaut preparing for launch. Don’t forget to press the “rumble switch” near the entrance—it simulates the thunderous vibration of a real rocket takeoff! This interactive experience brings the excitement of the Space Race to life for kids, families, and space enthusiasts alike.

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Simulators

AIRCRAFT ENGINES

Aircraft Engines – Powering the History of Flight

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Step into the Engine Room at the Travis AFB Aviation Museum and explore the fascinating story of how aircraft engines have evolved over time. From early piston engines to powerful modern jet engines, each display highlights the technology, innovation, and engineering that made new achievements in aviation possible.

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Discover how these engines generate power, why designs changed over the decades, and how each breakthrough shaped the future of military and civilian aviation.

 

Want to dive deeper? Visit our Engine Room page to learn more about the engines on display.

Reciprocating Engines – Powering Early Flight

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A reciprocating engine works by burning fuel inside an enclosed cylinder. This combustion forces a piston to move up and down, and the pistons are connected to a shaft that turns the propeller—creating thrust and powering the aircraft.

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Aircraft designers experimented with many different cylinder arrangements.  

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For larger aircraft, the most effective design proved to be the radial engine, with cylinders arranged in a circle around the crankshaft.

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One of the earliest examples on display at the Travis AFB Aviation Museum is the Liberty-12 engine. This historic inline engine—similar to what you might find in an automobile—was later replaced in aviation by more efficient and powerful radial designs.

Turboprop Engines – Bridging Propellers and Jets

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A turboprop engine combines the principles of a jet engine with the reliability of a propeller. Instead of using a reciprocating (piston) engine, a turboprop uses a turbine jet engine to drive the propeller.

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Air enters through the intake, is compressed, and then mixed with fuel in the combustion chamber. The resulting hot gases power the turbine, which turns both the compressor and the propeller. While the exhaust gases provide a small amount of thrust, most of the engine’s power goes into spinning the propeller.

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Turboprops produce more thrust than piston engines, are easier to maintain, and became a major step in the evolution of aviation engines.

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On display in our Engine Room is the Pratt & Whitney T-34 Turbo Wasp, a prime example of this important technology.

Turbojet Engines – The First Pure Jet Power

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A turbojet engine is the simplest type of turbine jet engine, producing all of its thrust from the exhaust gases instead of driving a propeller.

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Air enters the intake, is compressed, mixed with fuel, and ignited in the combustion chamber. The expanding hot gases rush through the turbine section and are expelled out the back, creating powerful thrust that propels the aircraft forward. Unlike a turboprop, all of the air passes directly through the engine, making turbojets compact, fast, and ideal for high-speed aircraft.

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On display in our Engine Room is the General Electric J31 Turbojet, one of the very first American-produced turbojet engines — a pioneering design that marked the beginning of the jet age in aviation history.

Turbofan Engines – Powering Modern Flight

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A turbofan engine is an advanced type of jet engine with a large fan at the intake. Unlike a pure turbojet, some of the compressed air bypasses the engine core and mixes with the exhaust to create additional thrust.​

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In high-bypass turbofan engines, most of the air flows around the engine core, making them quieter and more fuel efficient — the type used on today’s commercial airliners. In low-bypass turbofans, more air flows through the engine itself, which provides greater speed and performance for military aircraft.

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On display in our Engine Room is the Pratt & Whitney TF30 Turbofan, a low-bypass design that powered iconic aircraft such as the F-111 Aardvark and the early versions of the F-14 Tomcat.

Rocket Engines – Power Beyond the Atmosphere

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Rocket engines are fundamentally different from other aircraft engines. Unlike piston, turboprop, or jet engines, a rocket engine is a reaction engine. It operates on Newton’s Third Law of Motion: for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.​

In a rocket, fuel and an oxidizer (a source of oxygen) are mixed and ignited in a combustion chamber. The resulting hot gases are forced through a nozzle, producing thrust that propels the rocket forward. Because rockets carry their own oxidizer, they can operate in space, where no atmosphere exists.

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On display in our Engine Room is the two-chamber LR87-AJ-11 rocket engine, which powered the first stage of the Titan III booster—a key launch vehicle used for heavy-lift missions during the Cold War and the early space age.

Aircraft Engines

THE FUTURE OF PROPULSION

Are chemical rocket engines the end of the line? Or can we build engines that take us faster, farther, and deeper into space?

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That’s where YOU come in. It will be your generation that learns, experiments, and invents the technologies that power tomorrow’s Moon, Mars, and interstellar missions.

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Here’s your challenge: pick one of these exciting future space propulsion systems and learn all you can about it. Who knows—maybe one day you’ll design the engines that launch humanity into the stars! 

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Promising Propulsion Technologies:

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  • Electric Propulsion (Ion & Hall Effect Thrusters): Efficient engines that use charged particles to push spacecraft—already used in deep space missions.

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  • Nuclear Thermal Propulsion (NTP): Uses a nuclear reactor to heat hydrogen fuel, cutting the travel time for astronauts heading to Mars.

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  • Nuclear Electric Propulsion (NEP): Combines nuclear power with ion engines for long-duration cargo missions.

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  • Solar Sail Propulsion: Giant, ultra-light sails that “catch” sunlight to slowly but steadily push spacecraft across the solar system.

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  • Plasma Propulsion (VASIMR): Uses super-heated plasma to generate thrust—faster and more flexible than chemical rockets.

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  • Beamed Energy Propulsion: Ground-based lasers or microwaves that push spacecraft without carrying heavy fuel tanks.

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  • Asteroid Mining for Propellant: Turning space rocks into fuel—splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen to power rockets.

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  • Advanced Chemical Propulsion: Next-generation rocket engines made lighter, stronger, and more efficient.

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  • Micropropulsion: Tiny thrusters for CubeSats and small satellites, helping them maneuver in orbit.

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  • Fusion Propulsion: Harnessing the same power as the Sun to travel to the stars (still experimental, but full of promise).

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  • Antimatter Propulsion: The ultimate fuel—matter meeting antimatter creates enormous energy, but safe storage is a major challenge.

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The Big Question:

What kind of engine will carry the first humans to Mars, Europa, or even another star system? The answer may depend on YOU and your generation’s discoveries.

Future of Propulsion
STEM Education

STEM EDUCATION 

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STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics—an interdisciplinary approach designed to prepare students for college, graduate study, and careers in STEM fields. Beyond learning individual subjects, STEM education encourages critical thinking, problem-solving, collaboration, and hands-on learning.

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At the museum, students and families can engage in a variety of interactive STEM activities:

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  • Flight Simulators: Six computers are available for hands-on training—three full aircraft flight simulators and two RF 7.5 model aircraft simulators, including small unmanned aerial system (sUAS) simulators.

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  • Rocket Labs: Build and launch model rockets in our periodic workshops.

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  • Robotics Workshops: Learn to construct, program, and code using Spark Spero and Thames & Kosmos kits.

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These programs support educational initiatives such as:

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  • Civil Air Patrol STEM programs

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  • Scouts completing Aviation, Space Exploration, and Robotics Merit Badges

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  • Other community education needs and youth programs​​

By combining hands-on experiences with real-world technology, the museum helps students explore careers in aviation, space, and robotics while fostering curiosity and technical skills.

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Kids' Zone

KIDS' ZONE

Color with Imagination

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Looking for a fun, creative break? Grab a coloring sheet and crayons near the gift shop and let your imagination take flight! You don’t have to stay inside the lines—unless you want to.

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Once your masterpiece is complete, you can display it in our ever-changing art gallery by the gift shop for everyone to enjoy. It’s a simple way for kids, families, and aspiring artists to express creativity and be part of the museum experience.

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INSTRUMENTS
JULY
LAUNCH
MISSION
MOON
ORBIT
PACIFIC
PHOTOGRAPHS
RENDEZVOUS
SCIENTIFIC
SPACECRAFT
SPLASHDOWN
TRANQUILLITY

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Word Search

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Find the hidden space words and complete your mission to the moon!

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ALDRIN
AMERICAN
ARMSTRONG
ASTRONAUT
CAPSULE
COLLINS
COLUMBIA
COMMUNICATION
CONTROL

EAGLE
EARTH
EXPLORATION
FLORIDA
FOOTPRINT

FAA Recommended Books

FEDERAL AVIATION ASSOCIATION RECOMMENDED BOOKS ON AVIATION

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For Young Readers (Ages 4–8)

  • Get Around in Air and Space — Lee Sullivan Hill (Get Around Books)

  • Fly, Bessie, Fly — Lynn Joseph & Yvonne Buchanan

  • The Magic School Bus Taking Flight: A Book About Flight — Created by Joanna Cole & Bruce Deem

  • My First Plane Ride — Elizabeth Benjamin & Mary Lonsdale

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For Older Kids (Ages 9–12 and up)

  • Just Plane Smart: Activities for Kids in the Air and on the Ground — Edwin J. C. Sobey & Ed Sobey

  • Yankee Doodle Gals: Women Pilots of World War II — Amy Nathan (ages 10+)

  • Fly High: The Story of Bessie Coleman — Louise Borden

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General Interest & History

  • The Wright Brothers: Pioneers of American Aviation — Quentin Reynolds

  • The Story of Aviation: A Concise History of Flight — Bill Gunston, Ray Bonds (Editor)

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Reference & Technical Works

  • Jane’s All the World’s Aircraft (1997–1998) — Paul Jackson (Editor)

  • The Aviation and Aerospace Almanac (1999) — Richard Lamp (Editor), Aerospace and Aviation Daily (Compiler), Publications of Aviation Week (Compiler)

  • The Complete Encyclopedia of World Aircraft — David Donald (Editor)

  • Jane’s Aircraft Recognition Handbook: Jane’s Military Guide — Jane’s

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Fascinating Aviation Facts

  • The Wright brothers’ first flight (120 ft at Kitty Hawk, 1903) could have fit inside the economy section of a Boeing 747-400 (150 ft).

  • Before control towers, pilots avoided collisions using the method: “see and be seen.”

  • Prior to 1926, no pilot’s license was required to carry passengers or cargo.

  • The first animal aviators (1783, France): a sheep, a duck, and a cockerel in a hot air balloon.

  • “Air Stewardess” was the original title for today’s Flight Attendant. Ellen Church became the first in May 1930 with United Airlines.

  • Amelia Earhart was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic (1932) and achieved two more solo firsts in 1935:

    • Hawaii → Mainland USA

    • Mexico → New York City

  • Elizabeth Dole became the first woman Secretary of Transportation.

  • Harriett Quimby earned the first U.S. woman’s pilot license in 1911.

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HERITAGE PROGRAM WEBSITES​

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If you would like to suggest a website to include as a link on this page, please send your suggestion to the Travis Air Force Aviation Museum.

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Further aviation websites of interest​:             â€‹

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Heritage Program Websites
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