In the 1980s, the B-29 Superfortress Association was formed to acquire aircraft built at United States Air Force Plant 6.[a] After many years, it was incorporated in 2002. Then, in 2005, a parcel of 15.5 acres (0.063 km2) was leased from the United States Air Force to the government of Cobb County for the creation of a 45,000 sq ft (4,200 m2) museum.[3][b] The museum, since renamed the Aviation Museum and Discovery Center, requested an $8 million grant from the state to establish an aviation middle school in 2008.[6] Later that year, restoration began on a C-141B.[7]
Acquisition by Marietta Museum of History
However, the museum closed in 2009 after failing to raise enough money to begin construction. Its lease and assets were acquired by the Marietta Museum of History, which renamed the collection The Aviation Wing.[8] Restoration on aircraft continued for several years as the museum reorganized and attempted to raise money.[9][10] During that time, the museum also received certification from the National Museum of the United States Air Force to receive aircraft on loan.[11] In 2015, the museum opened to the public.[12]
Independence
The Marietta Museum of History was absorbed into the city of Marietta in 2018. As part of the process, the Aviation Wing was spun off and eventually became the Aviation History & Technology Center.[12] With the arrival of four engines in 2019, the decades long restoration of the museum's YC-141B neared completion.[13] The year ended with the acquisition of a Lockheed JetStar, which was moved to the museum two years later.[14][15]
Exhibits
Exhibits at the museum include a Legacy Plaza and Victory Garden.[16]
^To this end, an AC-130 was moved to the air force base in 1995.[2] The museum had also planned to acquire a B-29 named Sweet Eloise that was on display at NAS Atlanta nearby.[3]
^The museum used many names in its early years, including Marietta Air Museum, Aviation Museum at Marietta, Georgia and Marietta Aeronautical Museum and Education Center.[3][4][5]
Notes
^"Ormsby, Robert". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. 15 April 2013. p. B7. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
