Schulenburg natives, Victor and Joe Stanzel, relied on teamwork and the  application of scientific process to design some of the most innovative model airplanes of the time. Armed with a limited formal education, these self-taught engineers and visionaries revolutionized the model airplane world in 1939 with the first control line model airplane kit - The Tiger Shark.

The Tiger Shark was just the beginning. Over the next 55 years, Victor's inspired creativity and Joe's intuitive mechanical ability spawned 25 patents, including a Buck Rogers-style rocket carnival ride and a pinball machine. But it was Victor's innovations in control line, monoline, and battery-operated toy planes along with his ability to keep their family-run toy factory open for business for more than a half-century that most visibly bear the imprint of Victor and Joe Stanzel's unique, uncompromising genius.

The Stanzel Model Aircraft Museum was developed to preserve the memory and celebrate the entrepreneurial spirit of Victor and Joe Stanzel. In the 1920's, Victor Stanzel designed and carved scaled down reproductions of authentic airplanes from solid wood. Some models on display include; Boeing P-12-E, Curtis Hawk P-6-E and the Gee-Bee Super-Sportster. This six passenger, rocket-like, Stratos Ship resembling the "Flash Gordon cartoon spaceship" was designed and built by Victor Stanzel and Co. in 1935. It was a sensational exhibit at the 1936 Texas Centennial celebration in Dallas.

The Stanzel Model Aircraft Museum features interactive exhibits and over 30 static displays that capture the thrill, excitement, and history of model aircraft. The tour begins with a multimedia presentation of the history of flight.