This is a question we often hear at the Delta Air Transport Heritage Museum.
The Huff Daland Duster was the first plane designed for crop dusting and the first aircraft flown by Delta. Employees restored a Duster from the remains of two and donated it to the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum in 1968 in honor of founder C. E. Woolman. The Duster actually was at one time on display at the Delta Museum (mid 1990s-2004). Now it is flying high at the NASM’s Udvar Hazy Center just outside Washington, DC.
Here’s a photo of the plane taken this weekend by Tiffany Meng, our curator/interim director. It is the little gray biplane soaring over the Boeing 707 and Air France Concorde.
Tiffany said the Duster “held its own in the midst of all these other important aircraft.” I haven’t had a chance to visit the plane yet, but look forward to seeing it in its new home. Maybe later this year - after the weather cools off a bit in DC!
If you’ve visited the Duster lately, let us know! I’d love to hear.
Marie Force
Archives Manager
July 25th, 2008 at 10:12 pm
With that Duster in the NASM’s collection, I’d say the rest of those “somewhat” significant airplanes are certainly in very good company!
Talk about humble beginnings!