Combat Air Museum

09/02/2026

Many aircraft, their pilots, maintainers, and other women in aviation will be on hand at Topeka Regional Airport, Forbes Field, on Saturday, September 12 at the Museum of the Kansas National Guard and the Combat Air Museum for our tenth annual Girls in Aviation Day.

The Combat Air Museum, Museum of the Kansas National Guard, the Ninety-Nines, the Kansas Commission on Aerospace Education and Visit Topeka are sponsoring the event.

The Combat Air Museum will have free admission during the event so the public can view the airplanes and speak with the pilots and exhibitors from area aviation organizations. Admission to the Museum of the Kansas National Guard is always free.

08/26/2026

This morning, Gary and Kenny were working on a door in our south hangar to help it move easier; apparently, our 73 year-old doors are no longer under warranty!

08/24/2026

It's been another busy day for some volunteers at the Combat Air Museum. Gary scooped and transported all the rubble from our ramp near the EC-121, remnants of the sidewalk we replaced last year. Joe cleaned the doors tracks on hangar 604, inside AND outside. Bill mowed and trimmed the street side of our flightline fence. Mike and Deb surveyed the available electrical service in what will soon become our 3D printing room. Mike went on to replace an interior door lock while Deb planned some upcoming restoration work. on the Chinook. Dave is replacing the hodgepodge of locks on our sliding glass display with a set of standardized locks. There's never a dull moment here at the Combat Air Museum!

08/20/2026

Our volunteers have been busy today. Former F-15 maintainer Dave is finishing a display about the secondary power system installed on every Eagle; this system produces compressed air, electrical and hydraulic power which allows the jet to start its engines without external, ground-based support. Visitors will be able to push a button and hear the sound of an F-15 starting its engines. Gary and Kenny were making room to relocate our Douglas DC-9 emergency procedures trainers to the north side of the workshop in hangar 604. Ryder spends time with us every week, doing many things to help keep the hangars and artifacts clean. Today he dusted all the displays in the Mirick Aviation Gallery and other displays.

08/20/2026

Here's a link to the story about Topeka aviation history on the Visit Topeka site:

Topeka gave me wings. If asked to name a city in Kansas associated with aviation, most people

08/20/2026

08/12/2026

Volunteers at work: Kenny (left) and Gary spent the morning servicing tires in our collection in hangar 604. Mundane but essential work and we're fortunate to have such members!

08/07/2026

Last night, several Museum volunteers gathered for what may become a monthly event at the Combat Air Museum. Bob, Deb, Gary, Joe, Paul and Rob removed items from the northwest storeroom in hangar 604 and then removed the carpet that has been there for decades. They began to install new carpet squares and completed the work by the end of the session, after enjoying pizza that Susan delivered. After some more work and the addition of climate control, the room will be our new 3D printing center, where Deb can create engines for our World War One replica aircraft and much, much more. We'll keep you apprised of the progress!

08/05/2026

https://www.robertsblue.com/obituaries/danny-san-romani

The Combat Air Museum has lost a longtime member, dedicated volunteer and an outstanding curator. While he claimed he didn't know anything about airplanes, he's left behind an awful lot of evidence to the contrary. It seems appropriate to announce this on National Coast Guard Day. Fair winds and following seas, Danny...

View Danny J. San Romani's obituary, send flowers, find service dates, and sign the guestbook.