>> HERE AT THE ARKANSAS AIR & MILITARY MUSEUM IN FAYETTEVILLE THE GOLDEN AGE OF AVIATION COMES ALIVE WITH VINTAGE AIRCRAFT GALORE BUT NOT ONLY THAT THE WOODEN HANGER THAT HOUSES THEM IS A PIECE OF AMERICAN HISTORY.

>> THIS HANGER WHICH WAS BUILT IN 1943 WAS ONE OF THE UNITED STATES MANY AVIATOR TRAINING POST DURING WORLD WAR II.

>> WELL, THE PIPER CLUB IS THE PLANE THAT THE PILOTS TRAINED WITH HERE.

>> YEAH, IT WAS.

IT WAS KIND OF DESIGNED TO BE THE MODEL T OF AVIATION AND INEXPENSIVE AND EASY TO FLY AND HUNDREDS OF THEM WERE MADE AND THEY WERE USED IN CIVILIAN TRAINING PILOT PROGRAM TO TRAIN PILOTS BECAUSE THEY WERE CHEAP FOR THE SCHOOLS TO PURCHASE AND THEY DID THE JOB.

THEY MADE 19,000 OF THESE UP TO 1947 AND A LOT OF THEM ARE FLYING TODAY.

PILOTS LOVE THEM TO TOOL AROUND W THEY CAN'T GET ANYWHERE WITH THEM.

CASTS ARE FASTER BUT THEY'RE ECONOMICALLY AND FUN.

>> HOW MANY WERE HERE?

>> THEY HAD 41 OF THEM IN THIS BUILDING AT ONE TIME DURING WORLD WAR II.

THEY THOUGHT THEY COULD GET 80 OF THEM IN BUT THE BEST THEY COULD DO WAS 41 BUT THEY DID TRY.

THEY HAD THEM STACKED IN HERE TIGHT.

>> MR. MULLIGAN HERE SO WHAT DOES THIS PLANE ALL ABOUT?

>> THIS IS A REALLY INTERESTING AIRPLANE.

FOR ONE THING IT'S A REPLICA BUT THE ONLY EXISTING TYPE IN THE WORLD AND IN SPRINGDALE ARKANSAS BY JIMMY DUNCAN AND THAT GROUP AND IT'S NOTABLE AND THE ONLY ONE TO WIN THE BEND I GUESS CUP AND THE THOMPSON TROPHY IN THE SAME YEAR AND THE GUYS CHOSE A DIFFERENT STRATEGY FROM THE OTHERS.

THEY WOULD BOUNCE FROM AIRPORT TO AIRPORT FROM LOS ANGELES TO CLEVELAND.

THEY PUT ON 300-GALLONS OF GAS AND OXYGEN WITH THEM AND WENT TO CLEVELAND NONSTOP AND BEAT THE PACK BY QUITE A BIT.

>> OKAY.

THE MYSTERY SHIP.

>> THIS IS THE MYSTERY SHIP.

IT WAS CALLED THAT BY THE PRESS IN THE 1928 WHEN THEY BUILT IT.

THEY CONSTRUCTED IT IN A HANGER THAT WAS CLOSED UP AND PAINTED OUT THE WIND SO NO ONE COULD SEE IT.

IT WAS A RACING AIRPLANE AND DIDN'T WANT TO GIVE THEIR HAND AWAY.

THE PRESS GOT WIND OF IT AND COULDN'T FIND IT AND SEE IT AND WAS KNOWN AS THE MYSTERY SHIP.

THEY ONLY BUILT FIVE OF THESE AND A TRAVEL MODEL R. ONE OF THEM CAUGHT FIRE AND TWO CRASHED.

ONE IS HANGING FROM THE MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY IN CHICAGO CEILING AND THE OTHER ONE IS UNDER RESTORATION IN ENGLAND.

THIS IS A REPLICA THAT WAS DONE IN SPRINGDALE.

ONE OF THE THINGS ABOUT THIS AIRPLANE THE COMPANY THAT BUILT IT WAS A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN CESSNA AND OTHERS AND THEY SEPARATED AND STARTED THEIR OWN COMPANY BECOMING MAJOR MANUFACTURERS IN THEIR OWN RIGHT.

>> AT THE ARKANSAS AIR & MILITARY MUSEUM YOU CAN CHECK OUT SAM WALTON'S FIRST PLANE WHICH HE BOUGHT IN 1954.

AFTER THAT HE CONTINUED TO UPGRADE THROUGHOUT THE YEARS.

WELL NOW WE'RE COMING TO THAT CLASSIC WORLD WAR II LOOK OF THE PLANES WITH THIS ONE.

>> YEAH, THIS IS A BEECHCRAFT MODEL 18.

IT FIRST FLEW IN 1937 AND ONE OF WALTER BEECH INVENTIONS AND WE TALKED ABOUT THE TRAVEL INSIDE AND THEY WERE INVOLVED WITH THAT AND THE CESSNA AND THIS WAS DESIGNED AS AN EXECUTIVE TRANSPORT AIRPLANE AND 160 KNOTS, 180 MILES PER HOUR AND CARRIES EIGHT-NINE PEOPLE AND FAIR RANGE BUT IT'S KIND OF NOISY AND THE BEST THAT THE TECHNOLOGY OF THE DAY COULD OFFER.

MOST OF THE AIRPLANES WERE COMMANDEERED BY THE U.S GOVERNMENT DURING WORLD WAR II AND USED TO TRAIN B-17 PILOTS AS CAN YOU SEE BEHIND THE PILOT SEAT THERE IS A PLASTIC DOME OVER THERE AND THAT WAS USED TO TRAIN NAVIGATORS AT THAT TIME AND WITH GLASS NOSES AND TRAINED BOMBERS.

>> THE NOSE ARK WAS DONE BACK IN THE DAY.

>> YEAH, IT PERSONALIZED AN AIRPLANE AND WHEN THEY DID THE NOSE ART THAT PILOT BECAME KNOWN BY THE NAME ON THE NOSE ART SO THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN CANADIAN QUEEN.

GO OUT AND GET CANADIAN QUEEN AND BRING THAT SUCKER BACK AND GAS IT UP.

>> EVEN SO THE PLANES OF WORLD WAR L ARE REPRESENTED HERE AS WELL.

>> THIS IS A FRENCH MAYOR NEWSOM AND BUILT DURING WORLD WAR ONE.

MANY OF THE FRENCH AND OTHERS FLEW THIS IN THEIR CAREERS.

A PILOT SHOT DOWN MANY IN THIS PLANE AS DID BILLY BISHOP WHO IS A FAMOUS BRITISH ACE.

THE AIRPLANE ONLY FLEW 110 MILES PER HOUR AND THIS ON THE TOP OF THE SHED TO DIVE.

A LOT OF THE PILOTS DIDN'T LIKE TO DIVE IT VERY MUCH.

THEY MIGHT NOT GET BACK IF THAT HAPPENED BUT IT WAS A MANEUVERABLE AIRPLANE AND OUT RUN THE GERMAN MODELS AND THE ACES SCORED WELL ON THIS.

>> I NOTICED A GUN ON TOP THAT WAS LATER MODIFIED.

>> YES, THIS IS A LEWIS GUN AND REPLICA AND SO IT COULD FIRE STRAIGHT AHEAD AND TO AIM IT YOU AIMED THE ENTIRE AIRPLANE.

>> LATER WAS A SUB MACHINE GUN.

>> LATER WAS A COUPLE OF VICTORS' GUNS MOUNTED THERE AND THEY WERE SET UP WITH INTERPRETER GEAR AND DRIVEN OFF OF THE CRANK SHIFT OF THE ENGINE SO WHEN THE PROPELLER WAS GOING IT DID THAT SO IT DIDN'T SHOOT IT OFF.

THE PROPELLER WAS MOUNTED TO THE ENGINE AND IT TURNED RATHER THAN JUST THE PROPELLER AND CONSIDERED A WEIGHT SAVING DEVICE TO AIR COOL THE CYLINDERS SO GET MAXIMUM POWER FOR THE LIGHTEST WEIGHT AND OF COURSE NOBODY DOES THAT ANYMORE.

>> ALONG WITH ALL THE PLANES CAN YOU LEARN ABOUT AVIATION PIONEER THAD THAD OF BENTONVILLE WHO WAS THE FIRST WOMAN THAT SET RECORDS.

A COLLEAGUE OF AMELIA EARHART TADDEN FOUNDED THE "NINETY-NINES" A GROUP OF FEMALE PILOTS THAT STILL EXIST TODAY.

ALL AND ALL THE ARKANSAS AIR & MILITARY MUSEUM IN FAYETTEVILLE IS A MAJOR PLUS FOR THE STATE OF ARKANSAS.

>> IT REALLY IS AND THIS IS THE ONLY AIR MUSEUM IN THE ENTIRE STATE THAT HAS AIRPLANES LIKE THIS, AND THESE ARE A NUMBER OF GOLDEN AGE AIRCRAFTS NOT FOUND ANYWHERE ELSE.

MR. MULLIGAN IS UNIQUE AND DOESN'T EXIST ANYWHERE ELSE.

IN FACT IF YOU GO TO THE INTERNET IT THE MENTION THE AIRPLANE IS HERE AT THE MUSEUM.

THE MUSEUM WAS OPENED IN 1986 AND WE HAD A LARGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE -- 26,000 WENT THROUGH HERE AND WHEN THE INTERSTATE OPENED OUR TRAFFIC JUMPED DOWN TO 6,000 A YEAR OVER NIGHT SO WE HAVE BEEN STRUGGLING TO KEEP THE DOORS OPEN AND KEEP THINGS GOING BUT WE'RE MANAGING.

>> HOPEFULLY IT SEGMENT WILL HELP.

>> HOPEFULLY IT WILL.

>> YOU MAY OR NOT ARE AWARE OF IT BUT THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP CHUCKWAGON RACES ARE HELD EVERY LABOR DAY WEEKEND IN CLINTON ARKANSAS AND THROUGHOUT THE YEARS THIS EVENT HAS GROWN TO QUITE THE SPECTACLE.

WILD AND WOOLLY IS AN UNDER ESTIMATE.

MORE LIKE FULL BLOWN RAWHIDE GREAT.

>> WE THINK IT'S THE LARGEST HORSE EVENT IN THES UNITED STATES IN ONE WEEKEND AND HAVE MORE HORSES AND MULES THAN ANYPLACE IN THE UNITED STATES AND 29 YEARS AGO WE STARTED WITH EIGHT WAGONS TO HAVE TIME WITH FRIENDS WITH A PICNIC AND GOT TO HOME IN TOWN WITH THE STOCK YARDS AND HAVE A CHUCK WAGON RACE AND WE INVITED WITH 50 PEOPLE E ENDED UP WITH 200 AND WE GOT TO STUDYING AND THEY RACE THESE IN CANADA.

I DON'T KNOW WHY THEY DIDN'T IN THE UNITED STATES.

IT WAS NEVER POPULAR.

WELL, THE FRIENDS I HAVE MADE IT POPULAR AND NEXT YEAR WE HAD 16 WAGONS AND THE NEXT YEAR 35 WAGONS AND 70 WAGONS AND JUST MUSHROOMED INTO A BIG CHUCK WAGON RACE.

>> SO WHAT ARE THE NUMBERS NOW?

>> WELL, WE CAN ONLY TAKE 135 TEAMS AND RUN IN A TWO AND A HALF HOUR PERFORMANCE AND NOW WHEN WE FIRST STARTED WE BEG YOU TO COME.

WE NEED RACERS AND NOW WE HAVE MORE THAN WE CAN GET IN.

>> WE HAVE TEAMS THIS YEAR FROM INDIANA, TEXAS, LOUISIANA, MISSISSIPPI, OKLAHOMA IN ADDITION TO ARKANSAS AND MISSOURI.

CAN'T LEAVE OUT MISSOURI BUT THOSE ARE JUST THE RACE TEAMS.

WE HAVE A GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT COME FROM ALL OVER.

WE HAVE EVEN A LADY FROM NEW ZEALAND THAT FLIES IN EVERY YEAR WHERE SHE CAN RIDE AS AN OUT RIDER IN ONE OF THE MULE TEAMS.

EVEN THEY HEARD ABOUT US ACROSS THE WATER.

>> HOW DOES THAT MAKE YOU FEEL THAT THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP CHUCK WAGON RACES ARE HELD IN YOUR BACKYARD?

>> WE ARE PROUD.

WE ARE PEOPLE SPEND -- THEY HAVE A CHOICE WHERE THEY GO ON LABOR DAY WEEKEND AND THEY COME HERE AND WE HAD PEOPLE -- THIS ONE MAN I TALKED TO TODAY SAID I HAVE BEEN CAMPING UP HERE FOR 27 YEARS.

GOT TO MAKE YOU FEEL GOOD BUT THEY WANT TO COME BACK.

THEY HAVE A GOOD TIME AND GOOD PEOPLE AND WANT TO COME BACK AND SEE US AGAIN.

>> GO, GO, GO!

>> HOW DO YOU PREPARE FOR SOMETHING LIKE THIS?

JUST PRACTICE AND PRACTICE?

>> PRACTICE.

YEAH, WE HAVE I TRACK SET UP IN THE PASTURE AND BARRELS OUT THERE AND THE TEAMS LINED UP AND WHICH TEAM WORKS THE BEST AND GOT TO SADDLE THEM UP A BIT SO THEY RUN FASTER.

>> SO HOW HAVE YOU FARED IN THE RACES ALL THESE YEARS?

>> PRETTY GOOD.

THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS WE SLACKED OFF WORKING THE HORSES SO WE'RE IN THE SLOWER HEATS KIND OF, BUT WE USUALLY DO ALL RIGHT.

WE USUALLY PUT ON A SHOW BECAUSE WE'RE GOOD AT TURNING OR AND I TURNED THIS OVER TWICE AND MY DAD'S TURNED IT OVER THERE AND BROKE HIS LEG AND MY HAND, AND IT'S PART OF IT I GUESS.

>> WELL THAT WAS MY NEXT QUESTION THE RISK FACTOR, THE DANGER ELEMENT, SO WHY DO YOU DO IT?

>> THE ADRENALINE RUSH.

IT IS -- I MEAN I WILL GET NERVOUS IN A MINUTE AND HAVE A TALK AND UNTIL I GET TO THE STARTING LINE AND THEN IT'S ALL ADRENALINE FROM THEN ON AND YOU CAN'T BEAT IT I GUESS.

>> COME ON!

[INAUDIBLE] >> THIS IS MY 25TH YEAR.

>> WOW!

WHY DO YOU DO IT?

>> I ENJOY IT.

I GOT MY KIDS WITH ME, ONE OF MY BOYS HERE.

I USUALLY RACE.

MY TEAM CONSISTS MY TWO YOUNGER BOYS BUT HE'S IN THE MILITARY IN BASIC TRAINING AND CAN'T MAKE IT.

>> SO WHAT IS GOING THROUGH YOUR MIND AS YOU'RE DOWN THERE TRYING TO GET TO THE FINISH POINT?

>> DON'T GET RUN OVER.

YES, SIR.

THEY TELL YOU IT'S A NICE FRIENDLY RACE AND NO COMPETITION TO IT BUT SIR DON'T BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU HEAR.

20 MINUTES BEFORE THE RACE IT'S BUTTERFLIES.

ONCE YOU GET UP THERE AND THE GUN GOES OFF THAT GOES AWAY.

YOU JUST TRY TO HOLD IT TOGETHER AND HOPE IT'S TOGETHER WHEN YOU GET TO THE END .

>> I CAME UP WITH FRIENDS ONE YEAR AND DECIDED I NEEDED TO TRY IT OUT AND THAT WAS ABOUT 18 YEARS AGO AND I HAVE BEEN HERE EVER SINCE.

>> SO WHAT KIND OF -- I GUESS ADRENALINE RUSH YOU GET?

>> IT'S GOT TO BE A GOOD ONE AND WE HAVE BEEN WORKING FOR 90 DAYS GETTING READY FOR THREE MINUTES WORTH OF FUN.

>> SO WHEN LABOR DAY WEEKEND ROLLS AROUND AGAIN AND YOU WOULD LIKE TO INDULGE YOURSELF IN A LITTLE WILD WEST ADVENTURE NOW YOU KNOW WHERE TO GO AND FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THIS DESTINATION OR OTHERS OR ORDER A COPY OF AN EPISODE GO TO AETN.ORG/EXPLORINGARKANSAS AND DON'T FORGET TO LIKE US ON OUR FACEBOOK FAN PAGE AND WE WILL SEE YOU AGAIN ON A ANOTHER ADVENTURE OF "EXPLORING ARKANSAS".