by "f86sabre" (f86sabre)
Published 03/05/2017 at 13:31
by "f86sabre" (f86sabre)
Published 03/05/2017 at 13:31
Tags: Planelopnik
; Spacelopnik
STARS: 9
Once or twice a year the restoration facility of the Smithsonian’s Udvar Hazy Center opens its doors. Yesterday was the day and they had a special reason. Apollo 11's command module Columbia was in for preservation, and for the first time in over 30 years they let people take a close look at her with her plastic case removed. They also had the curators for it there to answer questions.
For instance, in the pic above you can see some dark discoloration. That is where the atmospheric heating got high due to the fact that it entered with that edge down.
Here are some shots of Flack Bait. It’s a Martin B-26 and it flew more bombing mission she than any other US aircraft. It also still wears its original D-Day invasion stripes. It is believed to be the only remaining, in retouched stripes left in existence. I had a good talk with one of the ladies working on the flight control surfaces about restoration versus preservation. They are doing what they can with this one to preserve, but some things like the rudder will need to be restored.
This wing rib from a Lincoln aircraft dating from somewhere from 1915-1920 shows signs of a wing rib repair using an old crate. Note the stencil.
This Curtis flying boat was at Pearl Harbor on Dec 7, 1941. They have pictures that show it. The logbook also shows that it went up after the attack to look for the Japanese fleet. This aircraft was unarmed and the plan was that if they saw the fleet they would report back its position before likely getting shot down. It is the only Pearl Harbor survivor in the Smithsonian’s collection.
"Viggen" (viggen37)
03/05/2017 at 13:39, STARS: 1
Outstanding pictures. I need to make a return trip there some day. Hopefully they’ll finally have the Horten restored by then!
"S65" (granthp)
03/05/2017 at 13:40, STARS: 0
Is the rest of the center open year round? Also would you happen to have any more pictures of the Enola Gay?
"Cash Rewards" (cashrewards)
03/05/2017 at 13:43, STARS: 1
Great shots!
"The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock" (jukesjukesjukes)
03/05/2017 at 13:44, STARS: 2
Nice. I saw Alantis, & Apollo 13 last week.
"facw" (facw)
03/05/2017 at 13:57, STARS: 2
Open every day but Christmas. Admission is free, but they charge for parking. Also, while the restoration floor is normally not open to the public, there is a glassed in hallway running around above it so you can see the work being done anytime the museum is open.
"Alfalfa" (alfalfa-romeo)
03/05/2017 at 14:03, STARS: 2
Ah, I miss The Smithsonian. For both the content and the (lack of) entrance fees.
"Dusty Ventures" (dustyventures)
03/05/2017 at 14:18, STARS: 3
That Horten tho
"Dusty Ventures" (dustyventures)
03/05/2017 at 14:27, STARS: 4
Here’s a few shots I took when I visited around this time last year
"McMike" (mcmike)
03/05/2017 at 14:29, STARS: 1
Found it!
"Steve in Manhattan" (blogenfreude01)
03/05/2017 at 14:55, STARS: 1
Nice!
"71MGBGT Likes Subarus of Unusual Colors" (adamprotter)
03/05/2017 at 17:46, STARS: 1
Right? I can think of at least 229 reasons why it should fly again.
"Dusty Ventures" (dustyventures)
03/05/2017 at 19:00, STARS: 1
The fact that something that radical was designed in the 40s and made out of wood still blows my mind
"f86sabre" (f86sabre)
03/05/2017 at 20:11, STARS: 0
"f86sabre" (f86sabre)
03/05/2017 at 20:11, STARS: 0
How did you get that shot?!
"f86sabre" (f86sabre)
03/05/2017 at 20:14, STARS: 2
"facw" (facw)
03/05/2017 at 20:16, STARS: 0
.
"facw" (facw)
03/05/2017 at 20:19, STARS: 0
Not my shot: https://airandspace.si.edu/multimedia-gallery/4317hjpg
There are some windows up there where they could have taken it from:
"McMike" (mcmike)
03/05/2017 at 20:22, STARS: 1
Thank you. I couldn’t for the life of me figure out why someone in Oppo was in the presence of a blackbird and didn’t share a photo.
"facw" (facw)
03/05/2017 at 20:34, STARS: 1
Despite having conventional tails, I think the XP-79 was even more odd:
"Dusty Ventures" (dustyventures)
03/05/2017 at 20:59, STARS: 1
More odd for sure, but it was meant as an experiment as opposed to an actual production combat craft, and it was nowhere near as successful (and abandoned early). What impresses me most about the Horten is that it was meant to be an actual combat craft, and probably would have made it into the war if they’d had about a year or two more. I mean just imagine one of those duking it out with a Mustang or a Spitfire.
"f86sabre" (f86sabre)
03/05/2017 at 22:06, STARS: 0
I love the Blackbird, but Apollo>Blackbird.
"gmporschenut also a fan of hondas" (gmporschenut)
03/07/2017 at 00:23, STARS: 1
neat. My family restored an old building and 1/4 of the boards clearly came from somewhere else, goes to show they never wasted anything.
"f86sabre" (f86sabre)
03/07/2017 at 15:16, STARS: 0
That was one of my favorite things they showed us that day. I love seeing where people were clever.