From Pilot Helmets to Plane Parts, Undergrad Preserves Aviation History in 3D

A dented Esso can that held oil to keep airplane engines running smoothly. A bulky World War I-era radio once used by Army pilots. A rusted hinge from a long-gone hangar. These forgotten fragments of aviation history—some from the now-closed Columbia Air Center in Croom, Md., the nation's first Black-owned and -licensed airport—are about to get a digital second life, thanks to a University of Maryland art history student.

As an intern at the College Park Aviation Museum—located near campus on the grounds of the world’s oldest continuously operating airport—Hana Lerdboon ’26 spent the fall capturing hundreds of high-resolution images of archival objects. These included archaeological findings, pieces of uniforms and mechanical parts. Using a process known as photogrammetry, she transformed the 2D images into precise, interactive 3D models that visitors will soon be able to explore from their phones.

It’s the first time the museum has offered visitors the opportunity to access 3D digital elements as part of their experience at the museum, which focuses on the display of unique aircraft and artifacts.

“The objects I photographed are kind of hidden in the archives, so it’s about bringing them out to the public,” Lerdboon said. “I think adding this level of interactivity is really important—people like to experience things in their own way. Being able to manipulate the models lets each person explore and connect with the object differently.”

Lerdboon learned how to do photogrammetry as an intern last year at UMD’s Michelle Smith Collaboratory for Visual Culture, a research and teaching hub within the Department of Art History and Archaeology. Interns work with objects from the department’s own collections as they learn to use digital imaging, 3D modeling and extended reality tools.

She first modeled a 6th century B.C.E. hydria, an ancient Greek water jar. After that, she helped model Teotihuacan terracotta heads from pre-Columbian Mesoamerica and loom weights from the collection.

Her skill and enthusiasm didn’t go unnoticed. Quint Gregory Ph.D. ’03, director of the Michelle Smith Collaboratory for Visual Culture, saw an opportunity to match Lerdboon’s talents with the goals of the College Park Aviation Museum. Gregory offered to provide loaned equipment including a camera, lens and a high-performance laptop.

“Hana had sufficient training, skills and maturity,” Gregory said. “So I was quite happy to make that connection and structure the internship to make it possible.”

He added that the Collaboratory is innovative in that it strives not only to “introduce students to learning [digital] skills but … also to find ways to connect that work outside of the department and campus.”

At the museum—owned and operated by the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, Department of Parks and Recreation, Prince George’s County—Lerdboon worked with a team to identify artifacts that would be both meaningful and photogrammetry-friendly. They also prioritized items from under-interpreted parts of the gallery, unique objects not currently on display and artifacts near spots where guests tend to linger.

Going object by object, she then set them up in a collapsible photo tent with a rotating turntable, ring lights, polarizing filters (essential for photographing reflective metal surfaces), a DSLR camera on a tripod and a software-controlled workflow to generate the models. Some objects worked beautifully. Others—fragile, translucent or geometrically complex—posed challenges, and her experiments helped refine what was technically possible.

One particularly complex object, she said, was a flight helmet once worn by Henry “Hap” Arnold during World War I. Arnold, who would go on to lead the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II and help establish what became the U.S. Air Force, trained Army pilots at College Park from 1911 to 1913. Because of its size, texture and historical detail, the helmet required 15 hours over multiple sessions to photograph and process.

The museum is currently printing and installing QR codes throughout the gallery, each linking to a 3D model of the 10 objects accompanied by historical context and interpretive notes, as well as a Spanish-language version. The project will be available next month.

Lerdboon has continued working with the museum’s collections and education departments, helping design interactive digital tools and experiences drawing on skills she learned in the Collaboratory.

Carol Allred, the museum’s exhibits specialist, sees the project as part of a broader push toward accessibility—both physical and intellectual.

“People are already comfortable navigating online spaces with their phones,” Allred said. “So Hana’s work is a way to meet them where they are, while helping them connect more deeply with these objects. It can open up a visitor’s imagination, their curiosity about the world. It can spark appreciation for history in a whole new way.”