Impressive & Imposing

A while back, I had the good fortune to have my then-new son-in-law present me with an unexpected and much-appreciated birthday gift. A daytrip to the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center of the National Air and Space Museum near Washington, D.C. (actually, it’s just across the state line in Fairfax, Virginia, but you could say we’re in the same neighbourhood.)

This impressive 750,000 square foot facility began construction in the late 1980s and opened just over twenty years ago in 2003. It was originally built to handle the overflow from the Smithsonian’s ever-changing and immense collection of aircraft and aviation items that had outgrown the original Museum’s downtown display area on the National Mall.

The facility was originally known as the Dulles Annex but was later renamed after Steven F. Udvar-Hazy. He is a very successful businessman in the aircraft leasing industry and supporter of the Smithsonian’s endeavours. He made a gigantic $65-million major donation to the project.

The Center is the first Smithsonian facility to be constructed with entirely private funding.

The collection.

While it’s now been a few years since we visited the Udvar-Hazy facility, there were many aircraft and spacecraft displayed then that are still part of the collection now. I also believe there have been several additions to the items on display and some of the planes that were under restoration may have now been completed and are now out on general display for all to see.

When you first come in through the main entrance, you’ll find yourself on an elevated gallery walkway overlooking the main hanger. There you are greeted by a selection of WWII aircraft suspended from the ceiling almost at eye level. There is a Curtiss P-40 Warhawk, a Chance-Vought Corsair and a British Westland Lysander all in a state of suspended animation mimicking flight. As you look around the vast area before you, you see more and more aircraft, some on the main floor below and many more suspended from the roof. The scene reminded my of my bedroom in my youth, with scores of model planes on shelves, counters and hanging from the ceiling. Here, the big difference was these weren’t models, they’re the real thing!

And these things are truly amazing. The diversity and span of time and technology that’s represented is astounding. From models of the earliest experimental balloons and gliders and other proposed “flying machines” and a replica Wright Flyer through the many aerial contrivances that were experimented with in the earliest days of manned flight, the history is all represented. On through two World Wars and the dawning of the jet age and then to the space age, current technological breakthroughs, and beyond there’s so much to take in it truly boggles the mind!

Meanwhile, when looking at all the aircraft, memorabilia and associated items currently showing, I must again point out that it was a while ago when we visited, so some of the displays shown here may have been more recently removed for maintenance, servicing or updating and we were told some items are rotated out from time to time to receive attention in the museum’s maintenance workshops. This doesn’t necessarily mean they can’t be viewed as there is an impressive observation area that overlooks the facility’s shop floor, and I found the sights there to be fascinating as well. There is always a selection of projects on the go, and you can view the thoroughness and attention to detail that the staff lavishes on these restorations. At any rate, there are several aircraft that are usually always on public display in the main hanger area, and these are not only impressive to view, but they are of extreme historical importance as well.

Ominous in its presence in the central part of the main hanger is the world’s first nuclear bomber, the Enola Gay. This is the modified B-29 that dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima. Tucked under it are several examples of WWII fighters that include a British Hawker Hurricane, a Lockheed P-38 Lightning and a P-47 Thunderbolt. Suspended above from the ceiling is a Boeing P-26 “Peashooter” from the pre-war years and in the side-galleries are several Axis aircraft from the war years.

The Axis planes include a rare Me163 “Komet” rocket fighter and an even rarer Japanese Yokosuka (Kugisho) “Ohka” motorjet-powered kamikaze attack aircraft—the only Model 22 Ohka known to exist. Also on display are several other rare axis machines like the Arado Blitz jet bomber and a Dornier “Pfiel” tandem-engine interceptor.

Several other WWII Japanese aircraft are also on display along with some lesser-known German types. Interesting Japanese aircraft include a complete Nakajima J1N1-S “Gekko” (Allied codename: “Irving”), a Kawanishi N1K2-Ja “Shiden” (Allied codename: GEORGE) and the fuselage section of a Kawasaki Ki-45 “Toryu” (Allied codename: “Nick”). The German types include the fuselage of a Heinkel He 219 A-2/R4 Uhu (Eagle Owl) Night-fighter and a pair of Horten flying wing glider prototypes.

More well-known is the Junkers Ju52/3M Trimotor on display in prewar Lufthansa livery. This aircraft is actually a license-built Spanish CASA 352-L but it was owned by Lufthansa and used for promotional purposes before being donated to the collection. Another well-known but nonetheless interesting German wartime aircraft is the Focke-Wulf Fw190 F-8/R1. This fighter-bomber version was converted from an Fw190A7 Fighter version during the war years.

There are quite a few other warbirds on display from both WWI and WWII as well as several aircraft representing the Korean War, the Cold War era and the Vietnam conflict.

In a counterpoint to the warplanes on display, there are also many aircraft representing the civil aviation scene including milestones in passenger service as well as private and sport aircraft.

A very shiny Boeing Model 307 Stratoliner named the “Clipper Flying Cloud” that went into service in the late 1930s is an example of the first pressurized airliner allowing unprecedented comfort and safety for its passengers. It nestles beneath the first operational example of the Anglo-French Concorde Supersonic Airliner that broke many international travel-time records in the latter years of the twentieth century. The type was completely retired from service in 2003 after struggling with noise and economic viability issues and a catastrophic crash in 2000. 

Don’t forget the Space craft displays!

When spending time wandering the seemingly endless number of vintage and current aircraft, I noticed some people seemed to become overloaded and I heard of some of these folks planning to skip the space craft on display in the Space Flight hanger. I felt this was a big mistake as one of the most impressive and interesting experiences I found was walking up close and under the space shuttle Discovery. The Apollo capsules and other artifacts from the moon missions, along with the extensive examples of missile technology also caught and held my attention. A great cross-section of the technological advancements that have been made in rocketry and spacecraft design over the past decades are well-represented and displayed in the collection. Quite simply, there is an awful lot to see!

Be sure to Pace yourself!

As we previously stated, there is an incredible number of aircraft and aviation items on display and it can be a daunting task to see and take in everything that’s at the Uvdar-Hazy Center, so be sure to prepare yourself for a very full day! There are super facilities for grabbing a quick lunch and refreshments, so perhaps it would be a good idea to divide your time with a mid-day break for some food and enjoying a relaxing moment or two before pressing on to the rest of the museum.

Although it’s not required, pre-booking may be a good idea, especially on weekends and in the height of the tourist season. At the very least calling ahead to check on tour-times may be helpful.

If you’re a genuine aviation buff or simply fascinated by the history of flight, The Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center will not disappoint!

Check out the full article and photos in the Moto/ology Flip/book!