The Smithsonian Institution
FREE: SENSATIONAL, AND DID I SAY SENSATIONAL, MUSEUM?
Evolving from a group of kites donated in 1876 when the Chinese Imperial Commission visited Washington D.C., the Smithsonian Institution began what was to become a vital center for research into the history, science, and technology of aviation and spaceflight. By 1946, as the collection grew much larger after World War II, the air museum was given a name, the Smithsonian National Air Museum. Twenty years later, in 1966, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed Public Law 89-509, which changed the name of the National Air Museum to the National Air and Space Museum to memorialize the development of both aviation and spaceflight.
The National Air and Space Museum with the nation’s Capital building in the background.
Credit: Visit DC
Almost instantaneously the museum's collection expanded to include missiles and rockets, moving some displays out doors. The combination of the large numbers of aircraft donated to the Smithsonian after World War II and the need for hangar and factory space for the Korean War drove the Smithsonian to look for its own facility to store and restore aircraft. Fortunately, the law signed by Johnson also authorized the construction of a new museum building. Today the National Air and Space Museum (NASM) hosts the largest collection of aircraft and spacecraft in the world in two primary sites.
Besides NASM being the most popular of the Smithsonian museums it has to be one of the most fun for anyone interested in aviation. Entertainment — at a museum – you bet. Did you know you can pilot, pay-to-ride flight simulators in the basement or take a simulated space ride. Test your nerve flying jet-age F-4 Phantom II jet fighter in a combat sortie interactive simulator that lets you control the action and perform 360-degree barrel rolls! If a simulated space ride is more to your liking choose from SpaceWalk; providing 3D features of an orbital journey around the 16 nation International Space Station or the Cosmic Coaster; which takes riders on a dazzling futuristic journey through the cosmos and at a little slower pace experience Wings; allows visitors to ride on a variety of history's greatest flying machines -- from the Sopwith Camel to the F-5 Tiger. Who knew you could practice barrel rolls taking a break from the kids, or better yet, get that youngster up into a simulator.
Spacewalk simulator
Credit: Photos by Chaitu
The fun doesn’t stop there either. The Lockheed Martin IMAX Theater or the Albert Einstein Planetarium add an extra dimension to the museum when you need to sit down for a few minutes. The theater shows breathtaking IMAX films throughout the day on a giant screen while the 230-seat planetarium simulates the night sky with stars, planets, and other cosmic objects. Throughout the museum there are free “Discovery Stations” which encourage informal learning through active looking, discussion, and hands-on activities. The interactive demonstrations range from five to fifteen minutes and are presented by some of the 500 volunteers or 260 Museum staff. Watch for the two discovery stations; How Do Things Fly and Exploring the Planets, the kids love them. Come to think of it, as a big kid, they grabbed my attention.
If you travel to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum’s companion facility, the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center (pronounced OOD-var HAH-zee) visitors can take an elevator ride up to the 164 ft. circular observation tower, where they can watch planes land and take off from Dulles Airport. By checking the museum website, you’ll be able to schedule your visit to take advantage of many other special events scheduled all through the year. Yearly events include African American Pioneers in Aviation, Women in Aviation, Space Day and Become a Pilot, to name just a few.
A 1960’s Braniff Airlines stewardess in uniform. The bubble protected her hair on the windy tarmac. This and many uniforms are on display in the National Air and Space Museum galleries.
Credit: Credit-Braniff Collection University of Texas at Dallas
Now if all of these aviation oriented, fun, interactive experiences were not enough, did I mention that the National Air and Space Museum maintains the world's largest collection of historic aircraft and spacecraft among some of its 50,000 artifacts. The artifacts range in size from Saturn V rockets to jetliners and gliders to space helmets to microchips. Almost everyone who has visited the museum in the past remembers aircraft hanging from the rafters of the Milestones of Flight entrance gallery. Each of them is a famous American flying machine. Walking in, you are immediately met by the Wright Brothers' Wright 1903 Flyer, Charles Lindbergh's Spirit of St. Louis, John Glenn's Mercury Friendship 7 spacecraft, Chuck Yeager's Bell X-1, the Apollo 11 Command Module Columbia, and the Viking Lander.
Chuck Yeager's “Glamorous Glennis” Bell X-1 The first aircraft to break the sound barrier.
Credit: Antoine Roels
Old airplanes to some are simply old airplanes and NASM wants to interest every American so the museum keeps adding new items to its impressive collection.
Recently added to its collection is the Breitling Orbiter 3 Gondola, which Bertrand Piccard and Brian Jones navigated in 1999 to complete the first nonstop around-the-world flight in a balloon. Another recent addition is SpaceShipOne, the first privately built and privately operated vehicle to reach space, and winner of the Ansari X Prize.
The Orbiter 3 Gondola, First Nonstop Flight Around The World by Balloon in March 1999.
Credit: DB King
Spaceshipone ready on the tarmac
Credit: Scaled Composites
You and the family can get a little closer to the history of aviation by touring the 23 exhibition galleries spread across the two floor museum. Apollo to the Moon is one of the most popular galleries, tracing the story of the U.S. manned space flights program. The Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin spacesuits worn on the first human exploration of the moon are on display along with a Lunar Roving Vehicle, equipment and tools used by the astronauts, and examples of space food. For some of us, watching them land on the moon seems like yesterday!
Stardust approaching the comet Wild 2 in January 2004.
Credit: NASA
This past October, NASA's Stardust return capsule joined the collection of flight icons in the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum. Stardust, comprising a spacecraft and capsule, completed a seven-year, 3-billion-mile journey in 2006 with a tennis racket-like, aerogel-lined collector. It was extended to capture particles as the spacecraft flew within 150 miles of comet Wild 2 in January 2004. Carrying the collected particles, the capsule returned to Earth January 15, 2006, landing in Utah. Two days later, it was transported to a curatorial facility at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. "Very few people get to build something, launch it into space, see it be successful and then get it back in their hands," said Karen McNamara, Johnson recovery lead for the Stardust mission. "To be able to share this with the public is phenomenal." "As one of the premier space science missions of the recent past, Stardust will take its place alongside other iconic objects from the history of air and spaceflight. I look forward to helping to impart more knowledge to our visitors about the makeup of the universe using this significant and path breaking object." Roger Launius, senior curator of the Division of Space History at the museum. Hardware provided to the Smithsonian includes actual flight components. Elements relevant to the science goals of the mission remain with NASA.
In 1993, President Bill Clinton signed Public Law 103-57 establishing an extension for the museum at Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia. Three years later he signed Public Law 104-222, which authorized the museum to construct the new companion facility using only privately raised funds-a first for the Smithsonian. The future Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center is the largest construction project in Smithsonian history.
Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center
Credit: Eric Long/OIPP, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution
Located in Chantilly, Va. is the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center opened in December 2003, with three levels of aircraft: two levels suspended from hangar's enormous arched trusses; third at floor level allowing the display of many more artifacts in an open, hangar-like setting. The center originally opened with 80 aircraft and has come to include more than 150 aircraft and 140 space artifacts. The center holds 25 one-of-a-kind airplanes, which you can't see anywhere else in the world and eventually, will accommodate 220 aircraft and 160 artifacts. It holdings including a Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird the fastest aircraft ever built which flew coast to coast from California to Washington, D.C. in 1 hour 4 minutes and 20 seconds, an Air France Concorde, the Boeing B-29 Superfortress "Enola Gay", the aircraft that dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima during WW II, and now fully restored and back together in one piece for the first time in more than 40 years, the "Dash 80" prototype for the 707, the sole-surviving Boeing 307 Stratoliner and space shuttle Enterprise, the first space shuttle which was used for testing prior to the actual space flights.
With the two facilities, the National Air and Space Museum comprises the largest air and space history complex in the world. With the addition of the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center and its Phase 2 construction, the museum can display most of its collection indoors. Work on the museum's artifacts takes place at the Paul E. Garber Preservation, Restoration and Storage Facility in Suitland, Md. This facility is no longer open to the public. Soon, however, a new wing of the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center – called “Phase Two” – will be dedicated to the behind-the-scenes care of the Smithsonian’s amazing collection of aircraft, spacecraft, related artifacts, and archival materials. The completion of Phase Two will help the Museum accomplish its mission to collect and preserve our nation’s aviation and space history through the objects associated with it. The largest area of Phase Two is the Mary Baker Engen Restoration Hangar. Spacious enough to accommodate several aircraft at one time, the facility will give the Museum’s specialists the room and equipment to reconstruct, repair, and preserve artifacts. From a glassed-in mezzanine, visitors will be able to view behind-the-scenes work rarely seen by the public. The Restoration Hangar will also house numerous support shops where Museum staff will complete the many highly specialized functions necessary to preserve this valuable collection. Many significant artifacts already in the collection are in the queue for restoration, too. One of them is the Curtiss SB2C-5 Helldiver, the type of aircraft former Museum director Don Engen flew in WW II. The Museum has long planned to restore the Helldiver, but limited space and resources at the Paul E. Garber Restoration and Storage Facility have kept the project grounded.
SR-71 Blackbird at the National Air and Space Museum
Credit: Antoine Roels
When Phase Two is completed, the Smithsonian Helldiver will be one of the first aircraft to be restored. Helldivers. There are only a few Curtis Helldiver survivors in existence today and this is the only one flying. Soon the Smithsonian’s Hellcat will look new again, too.
Since opening, the Mall site has been the most visited museum facility in the world, attracting on average more than nine million people annually. Entrance to either of the museum sites is free, 364 days a year, closing for only Christmas. There is a reasonable parking fee at the Udvar-Hazy Center currently $12 and there are also very reasonable user fees for the simulators, IMAX and planetarium. It’s highly recommended that you purchase your tickets to the theaters early and enjoy the museum until your scheduled event. When you visit this world class aviation museum don’t try to see it all in one visit, plan your experience. There are plenty of adventures to keep the entire family involved. If “you’ve been to the museum” but its been more than a few years – wipe the slate clean, you haven’t been to the nations National Air and Space Museum. The main building is located on the National Mall, betweenthe Capitol building and the Smithsonian Castle. Bordered by Independence Avenue, Jefferson Drive, 4th and 7th Streets in southwest Washington, D.C. http://www.nasm.si.edu/museum/ Don't forget to touch the moon rock, it’s also on display and available to touch in the entrance hall.
By: John Cilio Aviation Historian and writer.
You can contact John at questions@vintageflyer.com