Air Museum

[HueyCobra8151]

Went to a local Air Museum this weekend (one of the largest), thought I would throw out a few pictures of some planes they had on display

Spruce Goose:

To get a feel for it's sheer size, notice the aluminum tail section on the right side - that is a DC-3.

B-17 (Flying Fortress):

P-38 (Lightning):

FJ-3 (Fury):

SR-71 (Blackbird) [Again - note how the Spruce Goose towers over this]:

F4-U (Corsair):

P-51 (Mustang):

 

[Mumbles]

Great pics... I've been to a few aerozeums....I think in this order are the best: (naval aviation museum in P-cola, wright patterson, uss Intrepid, Smithsonian....)..any thoughts??

 

[Slammer2]

Dang that spruce goose is a friggin monster. Heres a cool picture comparing it size-wise to the Antonov An-225 Mriya, the Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental, and the Airbus A380-800. Amazing.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Giant_planes_comparison.svg

 

[Lawman]

I look at that Monster and think to myself, "my god how many acres of old growth forests were clear cut to make that thing." And then I want to build a new one if not just to piss off the hippys.

Very impressive Display.

 

[phrogpilot73]

My new favorite museum that I finally went to a couple of years ago - The National Air & Space Museum's Stephen F. Udvar-Hazy Center up by Dulles. Huge and very well done.

 

[raptor10]

Spruce Goose next to the Queen Mary

Who would have believed a dream that large could ever take flight...

 

[jamnww]

I think in this order are the best: (naval aviation museum in P-cola, wright patterson, uss Intrepid, Smithsonian....)..any thoughts??

I would have to disagree with you on that one...I think Wright Patterson is far superior to the Naval Aviation Museum in P-cola...for the following reasons:

more space
better layout
ability to get inside the aircraft on display
signage (many of the aircraft in P-cola remain unmarked)

Just my opinion

 

[Rasczak]

I've only been to the Navy museum in P-Cola and the AF one at Eglin (if it's even still open). I want to go back to the one in P-Cola. I loved it. The one at eglin was small. Real small. Then again this was 8-10 years ago.

 

[brownshoe]

Too bad this place isn’t open to the public any longer. They used open the facility a few times a year to the general public. I’d been several times, you could really get up close to the aircraft and the mechanics that restored the planes led the tours. Really interesting place to visit and wander around. I can’t remember for sure, but I think the admission was free.

http://www.nasm.si.edu/museum/garber/

Steve

 

[invertedflyer]

I have to hand it to them, The National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio. Its the largest aviation museum in the world to my knowledge, including three huge hangers that have aircraft from WWI to present. If you go to the behind the scenes tour you can watch them restoring things like the Memphis Belle, and a Mig-29. The most impressive part of the museum in my opinion is the Vietnam Era Aircraft....whole hanger full of them. If you're ever up near Wright-Patterson, check it out.

 

[Pugs]

Too bad this place isn’t open to the public any longer. They used open the facility a few times a year to the general public. I’d been several times, you could really get up close to the aircraft and the mechanics that restored the planes led the tours. Really interesting place to visit and wander around. I can’t remember for sure, but I think the admission was free.

http://www.nasm.si.edu/museum/garber/

Steve

Garber was a great tour and free. 4 hours walk with a guide. Most everything that was at Garber is either at Udvar-Huzy or on it's way. There was lot of really great stuff there that may never get restored and I think they do plan on putting it on display as they move along and they plan on having the restoration shop at Huzy either open to tours or windows so you can see the work being done. If you look at this list

http://www.nasm.si.edu/museum/udvarhazy/artifacts_air.cfm

Anything not on display is in storage and supposed to show up at some point although some have been farmed out to other museums.

 

[phrogpilot73]

Garber was a great tour and free. 4 hours walk with a guide. Most everything that was at Garber is either at Udvar-Huzy or on it's way. There was lot of really great stuff there that may never get restored and I think they do plan on putting it on display as they move along and they plan on having the restoration shop at Huzy either open to tours or windows so you can see the work being done. If you look at this list

http://www.nasm.si.edu/museum/udvarhazy/artifacts_air.cfm

Anything not on display is in storage and supposed to show up at some point although some have been farmed out to other museums.

The only thing that sucks about Udvar-Hazy is the stiff parking... $12! It's better if you go with a group...

 

[tiger84]

The Udvar-Hazy Center is excellent. It's been about a year and a half since I've been though, so I'm sure they've expanded even further. It's going to be unbelievable once they move all of the exhibits in.

 

[Lawman]

I have to hand it to them, The National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio. Its the largest aviation museum in the world to my knowledge, including three huge hangers that have aircraft from WWI to present. If you go to the behind the scenes tour you can watch them restoring things like the Memphis Belle, and a Mig-29. The most impressive part of the museum in my opinion is the Vietnam Era Aircraft....whole hanger full of them. If you're ever up near Wright-Patterson, check it out.

Whens the last time you were there? They changed the layout a bit in the last 3 years. Essentially its not devided into 4 sections: Pre-WWII, WWII, Korea through Vietnam, and then "Modern Aircraft."

Being from Dayton Ive been to that museum probably in the area of 50 times. While its huge and there is lots of space I liked the Naval Aviation Museum a lot better because that seemed to do a lot more with setting the aircraft up in a scene with period stuff rather then just "This is an F-4..... This is an A-7..... ect ect."

 

[brownshoe]

The Udvar-Hazy Center is excellent. It's been about a year and a half since I've been though, so I'm sure they've expanded even further. It's going to be unbelievable once they move all of the exhibits in.

I’m ashamed to say I’ve never been, and I only live an hour away. However I’m inclined to agree with phrogpilot73, 12 bucks to park is steep. Especially if a family of four visiting the DC area drives all the way out there from downtown. Tolls, food, gas, and the 12 bucks all add up.

Steve