The Fort Worth Aviation Museum is starting a fundraiser in hopes of saving a Fort Worth-made aircraft from being destroyed.
The fundraiser, which will launch on Kickstarter in May, is an effort to raise at least $160,000 for the relocation of a U.S. Air Force B-58 Hustler from Rantoul, Illinois, to Fort Worth. According to a news release, the goal is to raise the money by July and have the plane moved by August. The plane would then be housed at the Fort Worth Aviation Museum.
The plane, a supersonic bomber aircraft used around the 1960s, was previously housed at Octave Chanute Aerospace Museum in Rantoul before the museum closed last year. The Fort Worth Aviation Museum is working with the city to have the plane relocated – if not, the plane may be sent to Tucson, Arizona, to be “cut up and destroyed,” City Councilman Zim Zimmerman said.
The cost to relocate the plane is $250,000. On March 22, the city council approved a resolution that stated the city had enough money to fund the relocation, so long as the Fort Worth Aviation Museum can fully reimburse the city for the effort.
The museum hopes to raise at least $160,000 through the fundraiser. The group has a Facebook page with more information on the campaign.
The Fort Worth Aviation Museum is located at 3300 Ross Ave. Hours and pricing information can be found on the museum’s website.