HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah -- Hill Aerospace Museum technicians are bridging the gap between aviation history and modern manufacturing by using 3D technology to fabricate hard-to-find parts in-house.
A $6,000 investment in 3D scanning and printing has reduced project costs by 80% and replaced months of searching for obsolete components with accurate reproductions that preserve the collection’s authenticity.
“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.”
Hedges said the team starts by researching the part they need, often reaching out to the aviation community to locate the original. If one cannot be found, they rely on gathered research or scans of existing pieces to capture the dimensions for reproduction.
Museum intern Holly Bingham, who works with the restoration team, said the scanner lets technicians capture every detail of an object.
“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.
Hedges said museum visitors benefit from the technology through fully restored aircraft that deliver immersive authenticity. “If we decide to 3D print something that we cannot find a surplus, we strive to make it blend in just as the original. Providing the visitors with historically accurate depictions is mission priority for restoration and exhibits,” he said.
He said the team tracks every recreated part so an original can be swapped in if one surfaces within the aviation museum community.
Hedges added that the innovation has expanded in-house capabilities, producing cost and resource savings across multiple programs at the museum, including curation, restoration, exhibits, and education.
Aside from printing parts for the museum’s collection, the technology has also proven valuable in practical applications. Exhibit specialist John Sluder said one of the most successful examples has been the museum’s static sign mounts, which hold informational signs alongside aircraft and exhibits. The mounts use printed feet to keep the sign’s steel base plates from sliding on the museum's concrete floor and fixtures that allow them to be quickly swapped and reused long term.
“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.”