Our meetings today ended early. That is very unusual and has never happened before. Since our flight didn't leave until 5:40 we had all afternoon to do something. I had heard somewhere that the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum had a facility out by the Dulles airport that was even larger than what they have at the mall. I even seemed to remember that they had a space shuttle there. I talked Tim into coming with me (but I would have gone without him if he didn't want to come) and after lunch we caught a taxi and head out. What a wonderful day. I wish I had a week to spend there. It was filled wall to wall and floor to ceiling with airplanes, rockets satellites and engines.
Do you see the concord there in the distance? It is much larger than I thought it was going to be. I've actually seen the Concord from a distance but I walked underneath of it today.-----------------------------
This is the Enola Gay. This is the actual airplane that dropped the atomic bomb on Nagasaki and Hiroshima. It is so big that I couldn't get it all in the picture.---------------------------------------
I loved this cool little helicopter. It was built for the Marines, they wanted something that they could drop in to soldiers who were stranded behind enemy lines so they could fly themselves out. Apparently the helicopter worked like a charm and was so easy to fly that they could fly it well after a single day of training. The marines abandoned it however for three reasons, none of which make any sense to me. 1) because there is nothing in front of the pilot they would easily get spacial distortion if they got too far above the ground. 2) the pilot was exposed to enemy fire (seems better than being trapped behind enemy lines). 3) it only had a range of 40 miles (that would get me to work and back. I want one.------------------------------------------
Do you remember this plane? I'm sure grandpa Shaw does. This is the first plane to fly around the world without stopping or refueling. I think it was called the Voyager and I also think it was designed by Burt Rutan but I may be wrong. I do remember them saying that it was so flexible that if it was in a storm it would bounce terribly. I also seem to remember that the crew (a guy and a girl) got in some doozy of some fights during the flight. They were both extremely glad to get out of the plane when they were done.------------------------------------
Brandon just told me this week that he wants to get a gyrocopter for his commute once he joins the working force. I've actually had that same dream since I was younger than him. Here are some gyrocopters. I wonder why they aren't more popular than they are?--------------------------------
I was fascinated to learn that this plane was the first jet bomber in the world. Unfortunately it was a German jet and it was virtually untouchable by the allied forces.------------------------------
This is the plane that was used for most of the kamikazee missions. Actually this one is a jet but most of the kamikazee planes were rocket powered. It is nothing like what I always imagined it would be. You do notice that there are no wheels on this plane, they were not intended to come home.----------------------------------
I found it very interesting to learn that at one point they considered landing the space capsules on a runway using a hang glider. They did tests and everything. In the end they decided to follow the old addage, "if it isn't broke don't fix it" and they stuck with parachutes into the ocean.----------------------------------
This is the backup to the space probe that they sent to Jupiter. Do you notice that black cylinder that protrudes out the right side of the satellite? That is the thermoelectric generator that provides power (and heat) for the probe. I've actually designed generators similar to this that may land on Mars some day. I wonder how many people who walk below this satellite have ever looked up and said, "hey, there is a thermoelectric generator on that satellite."?----------------------------------
I was so excited to look into this hall and what did I see? It is the space shuttle. You know what made it even cooler? It was the space shuttle Enterprise.---------------------------
Do you see those engines? They are huge. They had it all cordoned off so I couldn't actually touch it. I came so close to having Tim take a picture of me sitting inside that humongous engine but in the end I thought better of it. I really didn't want to miss my flight by getting arrested or anything.-----------------------------
It is one big plane (or is that ship? Shuttle?)------------------------------------
and of course the Sojourner (or pathfinder) that landed on Mars----------------
This is the Russian probe that orbited Venus and actually landed a vehicle on the surface. Their vehicle didn't last very long, only a few hours if I remember right. Of course it would be a bit tougher to survive in an atmosphere of 400°C sulfuric acid that it would -80° CO2.---------------------------------------
This is a pulse jet engine on an american made bomb. I actually didn't even know that the Americans made a pulse jet engine. The Germans were famous for them. They called them "buzz bombs" because of the odd sound that the pulse jet engine made.----------------------------------
This was one cool engine. It is the largest reciprocating engine ever made. It has 36 cylinders. Nine banks of four cylinders each. It was quite amazing.--------------------------------
And of course the famous "Corsair". I think this is perhaps the coolest looking plane ever built.-----------------------
And then there is the black bird. We went with Grandpa Shaw to an airshow once in Abbotsford. They had a black bird come to the airshow from Edwards Airforce base. They got the pilot on the radio and broadcast his voice over the loudspeakers. The pilot said, "put the coffee on we just took off". I kid you not, the guy was there in fifteen minutes. I have always heard that they can't say what the top speed of this plane is because it is classified but on the placque describing the plane they said that this very plane was the last one to fly. On the flight to the Smithonian the pilots set a speed record for jet airplanes. They flew from Edwards to Dulles in a little over an hour for an average speed of over 2,000 mph. That is fast.
5 comments:
That was a fascinating post and I would have enjoyed that museum. I think you are right though on on your one thought...I doubt many people would say "Hey, look at that thermoelectric generator on that satellite?" I know I wouldn't because I wouldn't have a clue what it was!! Unless of course you were standing next to me and you told me :D
WOW! I agree with Lisa. Very interesting. However, just one thing......How EVER do you remember ALL of that? Did you google it?
I bet you just remembered what you were told on the tour or saw on the signs. : D
You're right on, it is the Voager and Burt Ruttan designed and built it. I guess I now have another place to go on my to do list.
Grandpa
Most of that stuff I knew before I went into the museum but some of it was on the signs.
sydney says that is a lot of fascinating infomacion
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