National Air and Space Museum, Chantilly, VA

On Saturday April 28, got in the car and went rolling up I-95 to the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, National Air and Space Museum at Dulles International Airport in Chantilly, Va. I was inspired by seeing film of the landing of the Space Shuttle Discovery (and that is yours truly next to the shuttle at left). I have been close to them before-saw Atlantis a few years ago from a couple of miles away on the launch pad at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida (but did not get to see the launch a few days later). I am a huge fan of aviation, and this was like a journey to Mecca for me-just a remarkable and amazing collection of air and spacecraft in this center. Many places make history come alive, but this was a place where these items made history-some of them were the only one of their kinds, and many of them took actual parts in the wars, or set the records that made them famous. Military craft, civilian craft and in some cases just some unusual craft were a part of what I saw.     

 Take this place for instance. Its the Aichi M6A Seiran, and the last remainder of a wild story. Near the end of World War II these planes were built. They could be folded up, and were carried on giant Japanese submarines. Near the Panama Canal, they were to be launched and the plan was they would bomb the locks of the canal, and shut it down. Later they changed the target to an American Pacific base to attack carriers of the US fleet. However, on the way to do that, they got word the war ended (partly due to the action of the B-29 Enola Gay which dropped the first atomic bomb, and that plane is also on display at the center). 

Or take this plane..the Me-163 Komet. You are looking at the only rocket powered fighter aircraft ever used in war. Not a very good fighter (it shot down a total of nine-sixteen aircraft aircraft) though some 300 were built, but it did have a top speed of around 698 mph. There was nothing else that could catch it. Very few remain, and this is the only one I have ever seen in person. A difficult plane to fly, it only had power for some seven minutes, and then would glide to a landing.  In the photo you can see the plane and the engine. The wheels dropped off at launch, and it landed on its belly skid (just above the wheels.  

The museum is not all military aircraft..for instance there is the Concorde airliner (this one was donated by Air France). It was also flown by the British and was for a long time the fastest way to cross the oceans with a top speed of 1,350 mph. The Russians built a SST, the TU-144, but it was not nearly as successful. One major crash in Paris, France (at takeoff) doomed the plane though, which was retired in 2003. One of the routes it flew was to Dulles International Airport which is where the museum is located. I liked the photo at left as you can see how many of the planes are shown. It is on three levels, and you can easily get a very good look at everything. Getting there is easy from Richmond, and the only cost is a $15 parking fee (there is no admission charge). There is an excellent web site with more information, and also information on the other part of the museum which is located at the National Mall in Washington, DC and that is where I will be heading in the very near future. I had a remarkable time at this amazing museum-and am sure while I am in Richmond I will be making a return visit to this one as well.