World War II Plane Grounded for Tuneup-- Part 2

After the war, the Stuka came to America as part of a tour of war relics put on by the British Information Services and was donated after the tour to the Museum of Science and Industry (MSI).  That is also how the Stuka's companion plane also hanging from te ceiling arrived at MSI.

"About a year later," Kathleen McCarthy said, "the British thought, 'Well, you ought to have an Allied aircraft too.  Would you like a Spitfire as well?'"

That is how the British Supermarine Mark 1A Spitfire (regarded by some as one of the prettiest planes ever built) came to be in Chicago.

Few would call the Stuka pretty, but it was more along the lines of scary with that unique wing design and I've heard it made a frightening sound when dive bombing.

(Other planes in the MSI hall are a 1917 Curtiss JN-4D "Jenny" biplane (is this the one featured on the most valuable stamp ever made "The Inverted Jenny?"), a 1928 Boeing 40B mail-transport plane and a 1930 Texaco TravelAir Model R racing plane.)

What About That Small Trap Door Under the Pilot's Seat?  --GreGen