3D printing in the museum: How digital manufacturing authentically complements historic aircraft

At the Hill Aerospace Museum, modern manufacturing technology is being used where traditional procurement reaches its limits. During the restoration of historic aircraft, components are often missing that have not been produced for decades. Instead of searching for original parts for months, the museum now uses 3D scanning and 3D printing to reproduce components in-house, significantly accelerating the restoration process.

The trigger was a comparatively modest investment of around USD 6,000 in scanning and printing equipment. According to restoration manager Brandon Hedges, this reduced the costs of individual projects by around 80 percent. However, the decisive factor is not only the financial aspect.

“Ensuring historical accuracy is at the forefront in restoration and exhibits,” said Brandon Hedges, museum restoration chief. “Our priority is to find the historically accurate part; if we are unable to find the correct part, that’s when we turn to modern technology to recreate our part for visual purposes.”

The workflow begins with extensive research in archives and within the aviation community. If no original can be found, existing fragments or comparable parts are scanned at high resolution.

Intern Holly Bingham describes the process as technically demanding, as lighting, scan angles, and steady movements are crucial for producing a precise 3D model.

“It takes careful adjustments, correct lighting, and steady movements to create the perfect model. These models can then be 3D printed to replace the fragile or missing components of a plane,” she said.

The printed parts are documented so that they can be replaced at any time if an original is found later. The technology has also proven its value beyond aircraft restoration.

Exhibition specialist John Sluder points to modular mounts for information panels that can be customized and reused using 3D printing.

“What excites me most is that 3D printing isn’t just helping us restore aircraft parts,” Sluder said. “It’s giving us tools to solve everyday challenges in the museum, from keeping exhibits safe to making signage more flexible. In the end, it means we can preserve history more effectively and share the Air Force story with future generations in ways that are sustainable and adaptable.”