Trip to Smithsonian Air & Space Museum

[maddawg308]

Not the one on the mall in D.C., but rather the newer facility near Dulles Airport. This is a HUGE indoor facility, cost is free to go inside, but $15 to park (goes toward facility operations). LOTS of really neat displays, from the dawn of flight to today, covering commercial aircraft, military, as well as space flight.

Some of the more noteworthy aircraft displayed there: Space Shuttle Enterprise, SR-71 Blackbird, the B-29 Enola Gay, one of the few surviving F-14 Tomcats, as well as a number of extremely rare (a couple last-one-on-Earths) German and Japanese aircraft from WWII.

I went with my daughter, she was less than impressed, but what do you want from a 7-yr-old blonde. She was more interested in the McDonalds there than any of the airplanes. Hope her desire to learn history changes over time.

And the last pic? A Soviet launcher trailer - hey, I am always looking for neat stuff to haul behind the deuce!

Enjoy the pics!

 

[maddawg308]

More pics.

 

[Avn-Tech]

Maddawg308,

I'm jealous!

Did they charge you $30+ to park the Deuce? (took moor then one parking spot)

Laterrrr
Avn-Tech

 

[scooter01922]

Looks like a great time, thanks for posting.

 

[datsunaholic]

If I ever get to DC that's on my must-see list.

We are very fortunate here in Washington State to have the Museum of Flight at Boeing Field in Seattle. One whole wing is devoted to WWI and WWII (the Personal Courage wing) which is quite the experience.

 

[bluedragon436]

I can't wait to get back to DE, this time I plan to hit this one as well as the one at the mall!!

Hey in WA or OR you guys have the Evergreen Museum.. that is the one that I really want to check out, as they have The Spruce Goose... which I would love to get a chance to see as well!!

 

[neilhendrix]

Very Good. Lots of History..... I`ll have a BigMac

 

[HeadWizard]

That place is awesome. It's about 2 miles from my shop / motor pool. If anyone goes there, come on by!

 

[bulldog_mack13]

Mike thats real cool!

 

[Chow717]

Wow cool... I did not realize that this place existed.. Looks like a good father/son road trip

 

[dabtl]

The twin engine German jet is an Arado 234B, one of the remaining from those taken for testing to the US.

That plane, or one like it I should say, was the last plane over Scotland the day or so before the German surrender. Too fast to intercept it would seem.

 

[Firefighter294]

Thanks for the pictures Mike. I'll tell you a story about the A&S Museum on the mall when I see you at the Virginia Rally.
Have you been to the USMC Museum yet? I hear that is fantastic as well.

Rick

 

[Chevytruck]

AAWWW MAN!!! i cant believe i didn't go to see that last time i was in DC!!!

oh well... its planned for next time

 

[quarkz]

I will have to put that on my list for the next D.C. trip.

Another one to see, if your a restoration/wrencher is across the Anacostia river. The Paul E. Garber Preservation, Restoration, and Storage Facility, which is located in Silver Hill, Maryland.

National Air and Space Museum Tourshttp://www.nasm.si.edu/museum/garber/

I got to see the restoration on the Enola Gay in prep to put it out onto the Washington Mall.
So many historically accurate resorations going on. They had one of the japanese WWII folding wing planes that was planned to delivered to the US via the nose of a submarine.
I will have to see if I can dig up some paper pictures to scan in and post, as I went prior to my being able to afford a digital camera.

We had to make a reservation for our group to guarentee a docent lead tour.
But the policy may be different now.

 

[Chief1900]

Hey Maddawg, just got back from a week in D.C. myself. Flew into Reagan then drove straight to Dulles. Don't know why we didnt land there to start with? Great trip to the Air and Space Museum. My fav's were the Enola Gay and The SR-71 Blackbird. That thing was awesome sitting right under the entrance way. Took a ride in the F-16 simulator and wrecked my shoulders while turning upside down. I made sure to get there this year, seen the other one last year. Glad you had a good time.

 

[jime]

I second the vote for the Enola Gay.You can get up on that catwalk and look right into the cockpit. Man,...think about the history and the impact that plane had on our world today! I used to have lunch with General Tibbets on Tuesdays. He said the Enola Gay looked even better than when he flew her off Tinian. Another hero gone...

 

[KaiserJeep715]

my all time favorite place! thanks for sharing

 

[BobM]

We went the week before we won the 1008 from Ft Mead. This is an awesome museum. Almost as good as the Air Force museum in Dayton!

 

[mooresM35A2]

oh yeaf ive been there i loved it, it was awsome, i especially liked the Enola Gay

 

[todds112]

We went the week before we won the 1008 from Ft Mead. This is an awesome museum. Almost as good as the Air Force museum in Dayton!

About the only thing worthwhile in Dayton. I went there every weekend as a kid growing up. I still enjoy going there on my visits back home. I would like to see the museum in DC sometime. I hope they can get a shuttle at Wright-Patt.