Homage to WWII Aircraft

Now on Display

The Air Zoo presents Homage to WWII Aircraft, an exhibit cleverly combining the work of two artists with a shared appreciation for World War II aviation.

This project took flight in 1995 when Frank Cronin and Fletcher Benton forged a creative partnership. Frank, a model builder, made almost 80-1/48th scale models to compliment Fletcher’s wall art, each inspired by warbirds and their paint schemes. Fletcher’s sculptures and paintings grace national and international collections from the Metropolitan Museum of Art to the Victoria and Albert Museum. According to Frank, “Fletcher [paid] homage to those who made history and those who sacrificed their all so that these pieces may be appreciated and understood.” The collaboration offers a unique perspective of some of the greatest machines in aviation history.

Opened in September 2023, Homage to WWII Aircraft, installed in our Flight Innovation Center’s World War II Wing, is on temporary loan from the Robert and Karen Duncan Collection at the Clarinda Carnegie Art Museum. 

About the Artists

Fletcher Benton
Fletcher loved precisely made models and placed his own collection of World War II aircraft in a sparsely appointed, meticulously arranged room above his workspace. It includes examples of World War II American, British, German, and Japanese fighter, and bomber aircraft, made to a 1:48 scale by an ex–U.S. Marine and a German biochemist turned model maker. 

Frank Cronin
In 1995 I met Fletcher Benton, a sculptor who was interested in incorporating my models into his work. We teamed up and I built close to eighty models for him, all in 1/48 scale. Fletcher has displayed his work incorporating my models at a number of venues. One location of note was the Strategic Air Command Museum in Nebraska. Fletcher and I have spent many hours sharing aviation history. Fletcher [paid] homage to those who made history and those who sacrificed their all so that these pieces may be appreciated and understood.