An Expert Craftsman Rebuilds a Vintage Airplane
Mar 20, 2025
By Mark Strauss
Mar 20, 2025
By Mark Strauss
A classic World War I biplane is impeccably restored.
During the Great War, the U.S. built 1,600 Standard J-1 trainers—many of which were later sold as surplus to companies such as the Nebraska Aircraft Corporation in Lincoln. The company modified its J-1s, replacing their fire-prone 90-horsepower Hall-Scott A-7s with more reliable 150-horsepower Hispano-Suiza engines. One of these Lincoln-Standard H.S. variants was donated to the National Air and Space Museum, where structural repair efforts were led by specialist Jay Flanagan.
Flanagan had his work cut out for him. The wings of the modified J-1 required extensive repair, and the airplane’s horizontal stabilizer was badly damaged. Authenticity is the guiding principle for aircraft restoration at the Museum—and to that end, Flanagan used vintage fine-woodworking tools that he had previously found in storage at the Museum. After some physical labor and fine tuning, Flanagan restored the tools’ functionality, and they proved invaluable to his work on the J-1.
The National Air and Space Museum has a Lincoln Standard (seen here in 1964, just prior to becoming part of the Museum’s collection).
Flanagan, for instance, used a restored Stanley Number 5 hand-plane to mill a Sitka spruce spar for the airplane’s new horizontal stabilizer. No piece of lumber—even high-quality wood from a Sitka spruce—will be dead straight when it comes from a sawmill. There’s always some degree of twist, bow, and curve. The Number 5 hand-plane’s long, flat metal sole enabled the blade to remove wood only from the high spots on a piece of lumber. By doing so, Flanagan was able to sequentially flatten each face of a piece of wood and remove the small deformities. The troops of the Spruce Production Division would have been proud.
This article, originally titled “Back to Basics,” is from the Spring 2025 issue of Air & Space Quarterly, the National Air and Space Museum's signature magazine that explores topics in aviation and space, from the earliest moments of flight to today. Explore the full issue.
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We rely on the generous support of donors, sponsors, members, and other benefactors to share the history and impact of aviation and spaceflight, educate the public, and inspire future generations. With your help, we can continue to preserve and safeguard the world’s most comprehensive collection of artifacts representing the great achievements of flight and space exploration.
We rely on the generous support of donors, sponsors, members, and other benefactors to share the history and impact of aviation and spaceflight, educate the public, and inspire future generations. With your help, we can continue to preserve and safeguard the world’s most comprehensive collection of artifacts representing the great achievements of flight and space exploration.
