FMC 3.0

And it was about time. I’ve been down to NASM a bunch of times in the last year and a half since Christina started interning there, and kept forgetting one. The only reason I have shots from Udvar-Hazy is because dad remembered it the last time. (That’s where that shot of Enterprise that comes up as theme #4 came from.) NASM continues to be just about my favorite museum. They have just about every milestone in the history of flight and spaceflight in one room. About the only big one they don’t have in the Milestones of Flight Gallery is Enterprise - but its just too darn big. That’s why it’s at Hazy.

If anything, my only complaint about NASM is that some of their galleries are packed tight, and therefore its difficult to take pictures of some of the collection. That’s the nice thing about Hazy, it’s freaking huge. (Damnit, now I’m jonesing for a trip out there.)

Oh, the cover for this trip to DC? (Not that I needed one, and it was nice to see Christina.) Space Ship One, the first privately owned and built craft to hit space went on display. It’s smaller than you’d think.

Anyway, on to the pictures.

First off, this is how the day started:

That’s right, 2 lanes of a 3 lane highway closed off for construction. Even with the delays, I doubt that there’s a more direct route from here than 50/301.

I’m just going in the order in which I think of stuff.

So, here’s the Apollo 11 Command Module (Columbia):
From the side:

The crew cabin:

The heat shield:

From the top:

And Friendship 7:
From the side:

Looking into the capsule:

(side note: can you believe that John Glenn left Earth in something that damn small?)

And, of course, the obligatory national emblem:

Gemini 4:

The Bell X-1 “Glorious Glennis”:

The Bell XP-59A Airacomet:

The Spirit of St. Louis:

The F-104 Starfighter:

The Starship Enterprise (Constitution Class)

The V2 Rocket

The U2:

The P-51D Mustang:

Oh, and of course, Space Ship One:

There were other photos taken, but they didn’t all come out like I wanted. There are pics of the Wright Flyer, but they don’t really encompass the whole thing. There’s also a picture of one of the Apollo 11 space suits that came out blurry. The Saturn 5 Rocket Engine pic is pretty cool, but its hard to tell scale. Also, I realize I didn’t give a history lesson for any of these, but I know what they all are, and how they play into history. If you want to know, ask, or just google it.

After NASM, we went over to NMAI for lunch. It sure beats the McD’s food court at NASM. It’s a pricey joint, but the food is quite amazing. So’s that museum. Even if you’re not into Native American culture and history, you can’t help but be amazed by the architecture of this place. I tried to get a few pictures of the atrium, but it wasn’t easy with the crowds watching the Navajo dancers that were performing there.

Basically, this place has a 4 story atrium that goes up to a huge occulus:

Even the windows are designed to allow sunshine to be art:

The thing about this building is that it flows. There’s almost no straight lines anywhere. Even the outside of the building flows: (Note: Christina took these, she’s better at the artsy stuff. She also requested I crop the second one a bit before posting, which is why the size is a tad different.)

Also, as an odd bookend to the day, I hit a section of I495 last night on my way home that had 3 of 4 lanes closed. Sheesh. First they didn’t want me to get there, then they didn’t want me to leave. Crazy.

Oh, almost forgot. Christina, here’s the difference:
X-15:

SR-71: