The Rosetta Stone

(This post is retroactive - original date of publication was july 15, 2026)

Tuesday was, without question, the biggest day in the history of the Save the 220 Project.

When we arrived in El Paso, our objectives were straightforward: determine whether the airplane could realistically be recovered, thoroughly document the aircraft, and — if we were lucky — find a few original engineering drawings that would help us understand how to disassemble it for transportation.

By the end of the day, we had accomplished all of that, and much more.

*** The Rosetta Stone

The morning began by sorting through decades-old piles of documents carefully preserved by a former Model 220 mechanic. We expected maintenance records and correspondence. We were hopeful of finding old photographs that would provide useful clues. We thought that we may find a handful of engineering drawings which would be the real puzzle pieces that we were missing.

Instead, as we sifted through the pile, Brad Donner, the last pilot to ever fly the 220, placed a blue binder on the table labeled “Model 220 Prototype Design Book.” That is when the whole team started getting excited.

Inside were original McDonnell engineering drawings. Then we found another binder. Then another. We weren’t looking at a few blueprints — we were looking at what appears to be the original engineering documentation for the prototype itself: structural drawings, systems schematics, installation drawings, and disassembly information.

Brad Donner looked at the collection and called it “the Rosetta Stone” for the airplane. I called it, “the Holy Grail” for an aircraft recovery.

We spent the rest of our meeting with the mechanic photographing every page, capturing 690 photographs of engineering documentation by day’s end. That was probably 1/3rd of the material we found in those binders alone. We photographed the blueprints that were most critical for disassembly so that we could retain immediate and permanent access to them even during the archival process.

Even more remarkably, the mechanic gave us permission to take the original binders so they can be professionally digitized and archived — ensuring these irreplaceable records are preserved for future generations.

Finding these phenomenally important documents means that the search for documentation is no longer a critical task for the survival of the aircraft. However, we are still incredibly interested in any leads that the public may have for additional sources of documentation that we can archive for the historical record and possible museum display.

*** Documenting the Aircraft

From there, we met airport personnel and headed to the airplane. Over the next three hours, we documented virtually every accessible part of it, inside and out — photographing the exterior from every angle, recording the cabin and flight deck, and capturing structural details that will be invaluable as planning continues. By the end of the inspection, we had taken another 414 photographs.

*** Can the Model 220 Be Saved?

That question has driven this project since it began. Tuesday was the first time we could evaluate it alongside people with real aircraft recovery experience — and their assessment was encouraging.

• The aircraft will be roughly 17 feet tall when loaded onto an appropriate trailer for transport, which clears most highway bridges.

• It has a conventional three-piece wing that can be disassembled using traditional methods — one of the first questions museum experts raised when we began looking for a home for the airplane, now answered.

• The airframe is structurally sound, with minimal corrosion in every area we could access.

• The tires are holding enough air to make the aircraft towable, and we now have serviceable spare tires, a limited supply of spare parts, and a mechanic who can help with that work if needed.

None of this makes the recovery easy. The airplane hasn’t flown in over 27 years and has been sitting outside in the Chihuahuan Desert ever since. Latches, screws, and metal fittings are seized throughout, and the aircraft’s asbestos insulation will need to be properly contained and mitigated. The level of difficulty hasn’t changed — what’s changed is our confidence that this project is technically achievable. For months, the biggest uncertainty has been whether the airplane could realistically be recovered at all. After Tuesday, we believe the answer is yes.

*** What Comes Next?

That doesn’t mean the airplane is saved — far from it. In many ways, the real work is only beginning. The question is no longer whether the Model 220 can be saved. It’s about assembling the team that will save it, and we’re already working on that.

One of the most encouraging moments of the day came from the airport itself: they expressed a willingness to work with our timeline, provided we keep making reasonable progress, and asked that we establish direct lines of communication going forward. That gives us a solid foundation for the next phase.

This next phase will require funding, volunteers, specialized equipment, and a tremendous amount of careful planning. If you’ve been waiting for a sign that this project is real and worth backing, this is it. We will begin evaluating funding and volunteer needs after our detailed feasibility study and cost estimate is finalized in the near future. At that point, we will inform everyone who is following the project of how they can help move this from “if” to “when”.

I also want to thank everyone who has supported this effort over the past several months. Every shared post, every introduction, every message, every phone call, and every word of encouragement helped get us to this point. There is still an incredible amount of work ahead of us. We have not crossed the finish line. But this week, for the first time, it truly felt like we stopped asking if we can, and started asking when we will. Thank you all for following this journey.

I’m looking forward to sharing many more photos and updates in the coming days as we organize everything we documented - and hoping to have a website published soon where I can post far more photographs and consolidate everything we’re able to share at this stage.

• Save the 220 Project

PS: I would greatly appreciate any leads for higher ups at flight simulator pay-ware add on companies who may be interested in making a McDonnell 220 add on. I have excruciatingly detailed current and historical photographs of every inch of the airplane, as well as flight test reports detailing handling characteristics. If possible, we would like to do this as a pay-ware program so that a reasonable percentage of each copy sold can benefit relevant aviation charities such as museums and scholarship funds.

Please visit www.savethe220.org for more information, and check out our extensive photo library!