Smithsonian
National Air & Space Museum is one of the most renowned institutes of this
type in the US, and the world. Centered in downtown Washington DC, just a stroll
away from Capitol Hill, and facing famous city's promenade called, the
Mall.
For
years this museum attracted great number of people to its halls. While general
public was gasping at displayed subjects, more avid enthusiasts of aviation were
really interested in all the hidden treasures, being still kept in the vaults.
Limited exhibition space of the downtown building prevented us from seeing many
more subjects, some of them quite unique. Smithsonian recently opened doors of
its new and grand Udvar-Hazy center that allowed for many of those hidden
airframes to see the light of day. New building is positioned near
Dulles International Airport, outside of the city, with much more breathing
space and exhibition floor. Eclipsing the old building in every way, Udvar Hazy
Center brings Smithsonian to the top of the list of unavoidable stops for any
pilgrim of aviation history (I would say shoulder to shoulder with
Wright-Patterson USAF Museum in Dayton, Ohio).
Admission
to both Smithsonian centers is free, but if you want to see the downtown Museum
be prepared to park your car somewhere else (there is no public parking
available). If you are just visiting Washington, a good idea is to find a nearby
hotel (there are couple) that will allow you to visit this, and many more
attractions (museums of natural history, art, botanical gardens) all on foot.
There is a shuttle bus making several round trips each day between the downtown
museum and Udvar-Hazy center.
Instead
of trying to cover everything, here is a selection of subjects that caught my
attention from both sites. The only bad news for more enthusiastic photographers
is that no tripods are allowed inside Smithsonian, and the lighting is sometimes
far from perfect, so one has to improvise...
Some
very interesting aircraft are strapped from the ceiling in the old museum
building; so don't skip on this one. In the main hall we can see, Spirit of
St. Louis, X-1 Glamorous Glennis,
Airacomet, X-15, and much more.
WWII
room is constrained in space, but gives us good look to a few legendary planes,
like Zero, Spitfire, Mustang, Messerschmitt 109, Macchi C202. And don't miss
Me-262, which is in separate jet section!
Click on images below to see
larger images
|
|
|
|
|
Fw-190
|
Coming
to Udvar-Hazy center, one is greeted with an elevated gallery, overlooking
colossal main hangar. Central spot is taken by SR-71 Blackbird, looking fast
even when standing still.
In
a separate hangar, attached to the side of the main building rests space shuttle
Enterprise. This is the only place where one can see this magnificent craft on a
permanent display. This being said, Enterprise is not truly a spacecraft. This
"grandfather of all space shuttles" was used in the early stages of the
program for atmospheric testing. Therefore it lacks some systems (including
propulsion) essential for flight to orbit. Looking from the outside though, one
could never tell. Noticeably, leading edge panels are missing from both wing
sides. NASA borrowed these recently for an in-depth search for a cause of
Columbia disaster.
Another
aircraft that changed history, for better or worse, is B-29 "Enola Gay".
This is a first time after many years that public can see the bomber that
destroyed Hiroshima in whole.
Want
Arado 234 Blitz in mint condition? Once again, this is the place to go.
Excellently restored, one and only example of this revolutionary design sits in
this museum, all complete with assisting rocket pods.
Click on images below to see
larger images
|
|
|
|
|
Arado
234 Blitz |
If
you need inspiration for weathering, here is a nice example of P-38 Lightning.
This is actually newly restored airframe, purposefully made to look worn out.
Click on images below to see
larger images
|
|
|
|
|
P-38 |
Kittyhawk |
Yet
another unique airplane found here is Japanese hydro-bomber, Seiran. Designed to
launch from submarines for never realized attack on the west coast of the US,
this is the last living example. Japanese WWII air force is also represented
here with Shinden-Kai fighter, and one-way ticket to honor, suicide plane Ohka.
Click on images below to see
larger images
|
|
|
|
|
Seiran |
Shinden-Kai |
Corsair |
Many
more historic aircraft are lined up in this magnificent place. I found out that
one day is too short to see everything on display. My recommendation would be to
see first the old Smithsonian exhibit in downtown area, then rest, see something
else, and devote the whole day to go to the airport and visit the Udvar-Hazy
center. You can trust me when I say; it is worth a trip.
Enjoy.
Aleksandar
|
|
|
|
Gulfhawk |
P-51 |
Peashooter |
Ju-52 |
|
|