At tHE
sMitHsoNiAN
NAtioNAl AiR ANd
sPACE MusEuM,
PPG PRoVEs it
HAs tHE RiGHt
stuFF
THE ORIGINAL WRIGHT BROTHERS 1903
FLYER. THE SPIRIT OF ST. LOUIS. THE
APOLLO 11 COMMAND MODULE. EACH
OF THESE AIRCRAFT MADE HISTORY IN
THE SKY, AND TODAY YOU CAN FIND
THEM ALL IN ONE PLACE—THE
SMITHSONIAN NATIONAL AIR AND
SPACE MUSEUM. IT BOASTS THE
LARGEST COLLECTION OF AIR
AND SPACECRAFT IN THE WORLD,
CONTAINING IRREPLACEABLE
ARTIFACTS FROM EVERY STAGE OF
AVIATION AND SPACE HISTORY.
BY THE TIME THEY MAKE THEIR FINAL
LANDING AT THE MUSEUM, HOWEVER,
ALMOST EVERY NEW ADDITION TO THE
COLLECTION SHOWS SIGNS OF WEAR
FROM SPACEFLIGHT, COMBAT DUTIES
OR DECADES OF SERVICE. RESTORING
THESE ARTIFACTS TO THEIR ORIGINAL
APPEARANCE IS A CRITICAL PART OF
THE MUSEUM'S MISSION. SO IT'S NOT
SURPRISING THAT THE SMITHSONIAN
INCLUDES A STATE-OF-THE-ART
REFINISHING SHOP WHERE PPG PLAYS
A ROLE IN BRINGING LIFE BACK TO
THESE HISTORIC AIRCRAFT.
AiR HANGAR
