By Eric Stock

BLOOMINGTON – There’s a new aircraft at Central Illinois Regional Airport that you wouldn’t want to fly, but you’d like to see.

The Tilbury Flash small-but-fast airplane that was built on the second floor of the Castle Theater in Bloomington in the 1930s was used as a racing plane, but it’s traveling days are done. It’s now on permanent display at the airport on loan from the McLean County Museum of History.

“The airplane has a lot of history obviously and the connection to the airport is also something that’s been of interest to everyone involved,” airport spokeswoman Fran Strebing said. “It’s a natural fit to have it here.”

Art Carnahan, who later became director of the Bloomington Municipal Airport (later to become CIRA) was the first to fly the plane.

The museum loaned the plane to make way for its Cruisin’ with Lincoln on 66 Visitors Center.

“We are thrilled to have this amazing piece of McLean County aviation history on public display once again,” museum curator Susan Hartzold said.  “It is very popular and visitors, especially children, have been asking when they can see it again.”

The Tilbury Flash was the creation of Bloomington engineer Owen Tilbury who built it as a racing plane. Such races were drew crowds following the Great Depression. It had reached speeds of 120 miles per hour in its heyday which was a speed record for that race class.

The plane now hangs from the ceiling above the waiting area east of the security checkpoint.

“The plane and Art Carnahan have a special connection to our airport’s history in Bloomington-Normal,” said Bloomington-Normal Airport Authority Chairman Dave Colee. “Aviation enthusiasts will be pleased to see it on display in such an appropriate setting, and we hope the general public learns more about the type of aviation innovation that happened in our community.”

Eric Stock can be reached at [email protected].