American aircraft museum choice

American aircraft museum choice

Author
Discussion

mcdjl

Original Poster:

5,438 posts

194 months

Monday 17th July 2017
quotequote all
I'm lucky enough to have a few days each in new York and Washington. While I could do the smithsonian, udvar-hazy and USS intrepid, that would eat a lot into my time. Had active done all three and which would be the top one (and why)?
Ta!
You might get photos in a month or two...

happygoron

424 posts

188 months

Monday 17th July 2017
quotequote all
I've done the Smithsonian and intrepid. Both are good. Smithsonian has some truly unique exhibits, so I'd take that of the two if you can only choose one, but neither will disappoint. If you want to see a shuttle then be aware the one on the intrepid is the enterprise so not a space going one, if that matters! They have a Soyuz next to it, amazing scale comparison. You have to pay extra for the Concorde too.

Mrtee

90 posts

192 months

Wednesday 19th July 2017
quotequote all
Im going to Washington and NY in Sept.

Im deffo doing the Smithsonian, I really want to get out to the Udvar Hazy campus, but seeing as I dont have a car while Im there, that might be more than a little awkward - it doesnt appear easy to get to Dulles without one, without wasting much of the day travelling. I havent given up yet and may hire a car for one day to make it possible.

I want to do the Intrepid while in New York too but that will depend on time (and weather - if its stty wifey wont want to do much sight-seeing!)

Eric Mc

121,784 posts

264 months

Wednesday 19th July 2017
quotequote all
I did the Smithsonian and the Intrepid - but that was way back in 1984. I'd definitely like to go again as there have been quite a few changes since then.

However, the Udvar-Hazy collection would be a priority for me as it didn't exist back in 1984 and I really want to see a Space Shuttle orbiter up close.

Voldemort

6,089 posts

277 months

Wednesday 19th July 2017
quotequote all
Mrtee said:
... but seeing as I dont have a car while Im there, that might be more than a little awkward - it doesnt appear easy to get to Dulles without one, without wasting much of the day travelling. I havent given up yet and may hire a car for one day to make it possible.
Have you heard of Uber?

Eric Mc

121,784 posts

264 months

Wednesday 19th July 2017
quotequote all
There is a bus/train service that operates between the main museum on The Mall and the Udvar-Hazy facility -

https://airandspace.si.edu/visit/museum-dc/directi...


happygoron

424 posts

188 months

Wednesday 19th July 2017
quotequote all
A colleague went to the Udvar-Hazy museum last weekend and spoke very highly of it. However if time is limited and you have family with you then you'll have to be aware that it's a long way out, probably 1.5hr each way by bus, maybe less by cab (but expensive I expect). Unless you fly from Dulles, in which case you could tack it onto your schedule. You won't be disappointed with only doing the Smithsonian on the mall, that's for sure!

blueedge

360 posts

196 months

Wednesday 19th July 2017
quotequote all
I've visited all three. My personal recommendation would be the Udvar-Hazy if you can only do one, followed by the Smithsonian in DC then the Intrepid. The Intrepid is interesting but it doesn't have all that many aircraft to see, and the flight deck gets pretty crowded during the summer so getting good pictures is challenging. Smithsonian and Udvar-Hazy both have a lot of interesting aircraft and artifacts, but having the Discovery Udvar-Hazy edges it for me.

Voldemort

6,089 posts

277 months

Wednesday 19th July 2017
quotequote all
blueedge said:
I've visited all three. My personal recommendation would be the Udvar-Hazy if you can only do one, followed by the Smithsonian in DC then the Intrepid. The Intrepid is interesting but it doesn't have all that many aircraft to see, and the flight deck gets pretty crowded during the summer so getting good pictures is challenging. Smithsonian and Udvar-Hazy both have a lot of interesting aircraft and artifacts, but having the Discovery Udvar-Hazy edges it for me.
I've only visited Intrepid of the three and if/when I'm back that way the other two are on my list. Having only time for one when I was last there I chose Intrepid because, well because it's an aircraft carrier ffs. I've seen many planes in many places but I've never been on an aircraft carrier before and i thought that in itself was worth the admission never mind the planes there.

Eric Mc

121,784 posts

264 months

Wednesday 19th July 2017
quotequote all
Intrepid has its own history as a ship - including being used as a recovery carrier for some of NASA's early manned spaceflights.

Udvar-Hazy for me purely because it didn't exist when I was in the US in 1984 and I REALLY want to see a genuine Space Shuttle Orbiter up close.

blueedge

360 posts

196 months

Wednesday 19th July 2017
quotequote all
Voldemort said:
I've only visited Intrepid of the three and if/when I'm back that way the other two are on my list. Having only time for one when I was last there I chose Intrepid because, well because it's an aircraft carrier ffs. I've seen many planes in many places but I've never been on an aircraft carrier before and i thought that in itself was worth the admission never mind the planes there.
I agree that as a museum experience Intrepid definitely tops the other two, to your point it's an aircraft carrier, and standing on the flight deck looking back at NYC is pretty cool.

Eric Mc

121,784 posts

264 months

Wednesday 19th July 2017
quotequote all
The really special aspect of the items on display at the Smithsonian and Udvar-HJazy is not just the types of aircraft and spacecraft on display, but the fact that many of the items in their own right are truly historic -

Space Shuttle Discovery

Chuck Yeager's Bell X-1 (the actual aircraft that broke the sound barrier for the first time)

North American X-15 number 1

Lindbergh's original Ryan NYP Spirit of St Louis

The Wright brothers actual Flyer No.III - the very first heavier than air aircraft to conduct a controlled flight

The Apollo 11 Command Module

Lunar Module No. 2 i.e. it's a genuine lunar module and not a mock up or museum replica

Freedom 7 - John Glenn's Mercury spacecraft

There are many other very unique items on display.

Mrtee

90 posts

192 months

Wednesday 19th July 2017
quotequote all
Im not overly obsessed with seeing Discovery - I have seen Atlantis do a night launch from the causeway (utterly, utterly amazing BTW - you could feel it!) and actually had my Christmas lunch at KSC in 2015, so been right up to Atlantis in the Shuttle exhibition they have there.

Apollo 11 would be interesting as would the gemini and mercury stuff, and some of the obscure WW2 stuff (hortens and Arado234 etc....) that I cant see anywhere else are what I want a look at - A B36 is a bonus!!

its the 1:30hr on the bus/taxi that is the issue - Im dragging the wife around and will only get away with that if the weather is crap - 3 hours out of the day on american public transport wont go down too well.

uber??? well, Im doing the air-bnb thing, which is real adventurous for the wife and I, so uber might be a possible - will not having a phone with data in the US (or actually a really limited amount of data - its a work phone!)

Eric Mc

121,784 posts

264 months

Wednesday 19th July 2017
quotequote all
I think getting up close an personal; with a Shuttle (i.e. inches rather than miles) would be a great thing - for me anyway.

A few weeks ago, model builder and model magazine editor Spencer Pollard, got the chance to see Discovery at Udvar-Hazy. He said in his editorial that he had never really been interested in space matters and knew little about the Shuttle but was completely bowled over by the experience of seeing one up close.

It's the sheer scale of the thing that surprises people - especially when you imagine that something so big was once upon a time accelerated to over 17,500 mph and shot 250 miles into the sky.

I'll regret to my last day the fact that I never got to see a Shuttle launch.


mcdjl

Original Poster:

5,438 posts

194 months

Thursday 20th July 2017
quotequote all
Eric Mc said:
I'll regret to my last day the fact that I never got to see a Shuttle launch.
That and a flight on Concorde. I did consider emptying my savings account at the time...
It sounds like you're pushing me towards all 3 damn you! Still I'll be on my own in Washington so why not?

Mrtee

90 posts

192 months

Friday 21st July 2017
quotequote all
Eric Mc said:
I'll regret to my last day the fact that I never got to see a Shuttle launch.
I can honestly say it is by far the most impressive thing I have ever watched!

It took great planning to include a shuttle-launch in my honeymoon, but I managed it. I had managed to get a launch car-pass one time a year before when I was working at our US offices in Hunstville AL, but it was too far to drive and it didnt launch anyway.

I planned to go to the KSC museum on the day of the launch and while in the queue waiting for it to open I was talking to one of the staff about the launch that night (STS-86) and where would be the best place to watch it from as I was planning to go to coco beach. Thankfully I did, cos the guy was a veritable mine of info. He told me to get my ass to that office over there and get on the waiting list for tickets out to the Causeway on the bus. Wifey and I were 3rd and 4th names on the reserve list and told to come back at 8pm and if there were any no-shows, we would be called and taken by bus out to the causeway to watch the launch from only 2 miles away.

8pm on the dot our names were called and we were taken out to the causeway somewhere to watch, which involved a lot of hanging about, only entertained when the tannoy announced that parents were to remember this was a wildlife park and was home to alligators and you shouldnt let your kids play near the water - que one enormous gator swimming leisurely past! - everyone moved back about 30ft from the water in a rush!

it annoys me I have no launch pictures, but its really impressive, engines light up, the crowd comically goes "OOOOOO", and it has almost cleared the tower before you hear it - well actually feel it - you are physically shaking with the noise - even my wife who has little interest in that sort of stuff was really impressed and still talks about it. As it was a night-launch, you could follow it up into the sky for quite a while. Really glad I managed it.

worst bit? it took 4 hours to get back to our hotel in Orlando due to the traffic - it was just after 4am when we got back.

2 years ago at Christmas, the kids were really fed-up with me reminding them every minute while walking round Atlantis in the Shuttle display "Kids, did I tell you that your mum and I have seen this actual shuttle launch?"

Im investigating hiring a car for one day to get to Udvar-Hazy.


Eric Mc

121,784 posts

264 months

Friday 21st July 2017
quotequote all
I'm hoping that I will get to see an SLS launch at some point - if the project ever comes to fruition. It is based on Shuttle technology so should be every bit as impressive as a Shuttle launch. The problem with tying holidays in with launches is that launches are notoriously prone to scrubs.

AnotherClarkey

3,589 posts

188 months

Friday 21st July 2017
quotequote all
Eric Mc said:
I'm hoping that I will get to see an SLS launch at some point - if the project ever comes to fruition. It is based on Shuttle technology so should be every bit as impressive as a Shuttle launch. The problem with tying holidays in with launches is that launches are notoriously prone to scrubs.
Falcon Heavy should be a good event to watch - with synchronised landings of three first-stage boosters.

Eric Mc

121,784 posts

264 months

Friday 21st July 2017
quotequote all
See the most recent caveats Musk is potting on this project. Like Trump, he's finding that some things are harder than first thought.

https://spaceflightnow.com/2017/07/19/propulsive-l...

RicksAlfas

13,355 posts

243 months

Friday 21st July 2017
quotequote all
Interesting topic, thanks. We're hoping to go to New York and Washington next year.

Eric Mc said:
I think getting up close an personal; with a Shuttle (i.e. inches rather than miles) would be a great thing - for me anyway.

A few weeks ago, model builder and model magazine editor Spencer Pollard, got the chance to see Discovery at Udvar-Hazy. He said in his editorial that he had never really been interested in space matters and knew little about the Shuttle but was completely bowled over by the experience of seeing one up close.

It's the sheer scale of the thing that surprises people - especially when you imagine that something so big was once upon a time accelerated to over 17,500 mph and shot 250 miles into the sky.

I'll regret to my last day the fact that I never got to see a Shuttle launch.
What surprised me was how rough the finish is. It looks so different to the typical finish on an aircraft. The other thing which amazed me was the landing approach and speed. There is a great diagram on the wall at KSC (next to a slide!) of the landing approach - 22 degrees, gear down and locked at 321mph and 14 seconds to go, touchdown at 247mph. No second chances on that one!