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Air and Space Museums

Here are the latest photos we have of SpaceShipOne.  This is the aircraft that won the Ansari X-Prize.  The contest was to develop a spacecraft that could be launched into space, returned to Earth, and launched again within two weeks.  Burt Rutan's company, Scaled Composites, put together the contest winner.  The were funded by Paul Allen, one of the founders of Microsoft.  The project cost some $20M and the prize was $10M.  The purpose of the project was to demonstrate the viability of commercial space travel.  SpaceShipOne now hangs in mid-air in the Smithsonian's Air and Space Museum on the Mall.  It actually hangs from the roof just feet away from the Spirit of St Louis.  Being able to actually see both of the craft together and realizing the significance of both achievements just takes your breath away.  Here are a few photos.  In the second picture, note the creasing or denting of the craft near the tail.  

Note to photographers - The lighting in these museums is not good for taking pictures.  What you have to remember is that your flash is good for 15 feet MAX.  There are three things you have to do to get a decent photo.  First, find a secure vertical or horizontal surface you can where you can hold your camera really steady.  Vertical or horizontal railings are good.  You'll have to shoot without a flash at shutter speeds of about a quarter of a second.  Next, set the ASA on the camera as high as you can and still get a 3 or so megapixel picture.  Finally, use some good photo editing software that lets you adjust the brightness and contrast so that what you finally get out of the camera can be adjusted to something you can use.

On December 15, 2003, the Udvar-Hazy Air & Space Museum opened in Chantilly, VA.  It is named for Stephen F. Udvar-Hazy, the man who donated $60M for the museum.  While not an aviation pioneer in the classic sense, he pioneered aircraft leasing and made piles of money doing so. 

Take the beltway to 66 to 50 towards the mountains in the distance.  Follow 50 until you get to 28 and follow the signs to the air and space museum.  Parking is 12 bucks.  Try getting there at noon or a little after when the traffic has died down.  They have an IMAX theater that shows several different presentations during the day.  As you enter the museum, the ticket office is to the right.  Don't bother with the 3-D flight simulator.  It's not worth the wait in line. 

Upon entering the museum, one is treated immediately to a view of their SR-71 Blackbird.  All the Blackbirds are supposed to be retired now.  They set a coast to coast speed record of about an hour.  Their purpose was to acquire aerial recon photos.  It could take a picture of a golf ball on a putting green at 80,000 feet.  They could fly so fast and so high that they weren't even armed.  Nothing could touch them.  Satellites have taken over their mission.  Looking at this thing makes you proud to be an American.  Here's a shot of the Blackbird and the Blackbird tail.  

Here are a couple views from the mezzanine level as one enters the museum.  

  Here is a superlatively clean and highly polished piston engine that is mounted on a DC-6.  As the West Coast Motorcycle Editor remarked, "I bet that took a lot of elbow grease."

    What aircraft collection would be complete without the Huey or the Phantom?  The Huey just looks so strange with the doors on.  Sort of like a convertible at the beach with the top up. 

Various smaller aircraft are hung from the ceiling and all over the floor of the museum.  

     Here is a photo of the nose of the Enola Gay, the first aircraft to drop an atomic bomb.  The Enola Gay has stimulated quite a bit of controversy.  Shortly after the display opened, some people spilled red paint on the floor near the exhibit.  For the last time, it was maybe the toughest decision a President ever made.  In the end, it ended the war and spared countless lives on our side and their side.  Period.

     Udvar-Hazy also houses the Space Shuttle Enterprise, the first shuttle that was built just for testing purposes.  Viewed head-on, it is roughly twice as wide and twice as tall as a tractor trailer.

The most produced fighter plane of all time - the Mig 21.  Like the US, the Soviets exported their air technology all over the world.  One can still find these for sale on the internet for prices in the $100,000 range - including some of the ground support hardware.     

Here is a photo of the Joint Strike Fighter you've heard all those radio ads about.  It's not as an imposing looking aircraft as many of the others. 

In the foreground is a Mercury series space capsule.  Behind is one of the Apollo series capsules.  Mercury was the first series that sent one astronaut at a time into space.  Apollo sent three astronauts into space. 

The "Hat in the Ring Squadron" flew planes like this, a Nieuport 28, in WWI.  They were initially commanded by Eddie Rickenbacker and scored more kills than any other squadron in that war.  The squadron is still in operation.  They fly F-15's now.  Their official name is the 94th Fighter Squadron.  Earlier in their history, they were known as the 94th Aero Squadron.  As you look at the picture, note the machine gun mounted in front of the pilot.  It was synchronized to shoot rounds through the path of the propeller.   

  This is a picture of the Mars lander.  The rover is the thing that has 6 wheels that is poised to descend the ramp.  Think of something about the size of a couple cases of soda.  It's not all that big but it has all those sensors and navigation equipment on board.  Totally amazing.  

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