Entering the Boeing Aviation Hangar at the Steven .F Udvar-Hazy Center
During our trip to Washington, DC we drove out to Dulles Airport to visit the Smithsonian Institute's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, a collection of the National Air & Space Museum. Let me tell you, this is worth the trip!
Steve Fossett's record-setting Virgin Atlantic Global Flyer
Entering the museum you are greeted by the sight of the Discovery space shuttle in the far back and as you make your way into the main hangar the expansiveness of the museum comes into complete view. To your left are collections including a Boeing 707, the Enola Gay, and the Concorde to name just a few. To your right is a F-14 Tomcat, a X-35B STOVL, and a MIG-15. Just below is the world-famous SR-71 Blackbird.
If that was all the museum contained, it would be worth the trip alone, but as we explored the museum we came across such iconic aircraft as the Langley Aerodrome (ok, technically this never actually flew), the Virgin Atlantic Global Flyer, a Messerschmitt ME-163 B-1a Komet, and a couple Horton HO models undergoing restoration. Then there was a V2 rocket chamber and one of Goddard's rocket motor.
Did I mention this was all for the $15 price of parking!
Needless to say the Fuji X100s received quite the workout. The lighting was low, but descent. I mostly shot at F4 handheld with a few pictures at F2.8 when required. Thankfully the museum was not very crowded and that allowed us to take our time and I amassed nearly 400 images during our visit.
I've included a small subset of images here.
Hope you enjoy!
Langley Aerodrome A 1903
Enola Gay Boeing B-29 Superfortress
Horton HO III glider in rough shape
Horton HO in the restoration hangar under cover.
Messerschmitt ME-163 B-1a Komet
Concorde, Fox Alpha, Air France
Boeing 307 Stratoliner "Clipper Flying Cloud"
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 (Ji-2) FAGOT B
Mikoyan-Gurevich MIG 21F-13 FISHBED-C
Lockheed Martin X-35B STOVL
Goddard rocket motor
V2 rocket chamber
Space Shuttle Discovery
Main engines and tail of Space Shuttle Discovery
Thermal protection tiles of the Space Shuttle Discovery
Showing signs of re-entry, a closeup view of the thermal protection tiles of Space Shuttle Discovery
Restoration hangar in the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center