posted 03-18-2003 08:25 AM            

National Air and Space Museum Moves First Artifact Into Udvar-Hazy Center, the New Companion Facility at Dulles Airport

The Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum today (March 17) rolled the first artifact into the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, its new companion facility at Washington Dulles International Airport in Northern Virginia. The center opens to the public Dec. 15.

The diminutive Piper J-3 Cub leads the way for the move of some 200 aircraft ultimately destined for the center's aviation hangar, which is 10-stories high and the length of three football fields — enough space to hold the museum's flagship building on the National Mall inside with room to spare.

The Cub was trucked from the museum's storage facility in Suitland, Md., where it was housed after years of display on the Mall. An icon of general aviation and sport flying, the Cub is best known for its use in training countless new pilots, particularly Americans who flew in World War II.

The Udvar-Hazy (pronounced OOD-var HAH-zee) Center will eventually display the 80 percent of the national air and space collection not currently housed at the building on the Mall or on loan to other museums and institutions.

"For months we've watched the Udvar-Hazy Center take shape as an architectural marvel," museum director Gen. J.R. "Jack" Dailey said. "But now with artifacts moving in, we can really see how this facility is a state-of-the-art environment for exhibiting and preserving the bulk of our collection, much of which has been hidden away for decades."

Construction of the 293,707-square-foot Udvar-Hazy Center aviation hangar was substantially completed this month; work began in June 2001. With the museum taking occupancy of the structure from contractor Hensel Phelps Construction Co, artifact and exhibit-related deliveries will now continue on an almost daily basis leading up to the opening when some 70 aircraft will be in place — more than are currently displayed at the Mall building. Many have been dismantled because of their size and will travel in pieces. Aircraft will be reassembled in the hangar and moved into their display locations either on the floor or hanging at one of two levels from the hangar's arched trusses. Deliveries will resume early next year at a slower pace and continue until the facility is full.

The first construction phase of the center also includes the James S. McDonnell Space Hangar, named for the aerospace pioneer; the 164-foot-tall Donald D. Engen Observation Tower, named for the museum's late director; the Claude Moore Education Center, named for the Virginia philanthropist; an IMAX theater; and a food court.

Construction work continues on the McDonnell Space Hangar, which will house America's first space shuttle, Enterprise. The space hangar will be completed by opening day with the Enterprise installed and visible, however the structure will not be accessible to the public until 2004 as Enterprise undergoes refurbishment. During the interim, some 50 large space artifacts will be previewed in the aviation hangar. The space hangar will ultimately house some 135 large space artifacts.

Thousands of smaller objects from the museum's collection will also be displayed throughout the Udvar-Hazy Center in dozens of customized cases, many adjacent to exhibit stations that will provide historical context through graphics and text. Some of the display cases will be more than 20 feet long.

A second phase of construction for the Udvar-Hazy Center — including a restoration hangar, archives, conservation lab, collections processing facility and a study collections storage unit — is planned, with the start date for construction dependent on fund-raising. The entire facility will be approximately 760,000 square feet. No federal funds are being used to build the Udvar-Hazy Center.

The December 2003 opening of the Udvar-Hazy Center will mark the 100th anniversary of the Wright brothers' first powered flight. Also to mark the centennial of flight, the museum's building on the Mall will feature a special exhibition opening in October 2003 titled "The Wright Brothers & The Invention of the Aerial Age." For the gallery, the original 1903 Wright Flyer will be displayed at eye level for the first time since it was acquired by the Smithsonian in 1948.

The National Air and Space Museum, comprised of the Udvar-Hazy Center and the museum's building on the National Mall, will be the largest air and space museum complex in the world. The flagship building is the most popular museum in the world, attracting more than 9 million visitors each year. Attendance at the Udvar-Hazy Center is projected at 3 million people a year.

posted 06-12-2003 08:47 AM            

National Air and Space Museum to Receive Air France Concorde for Display at Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, the Museum's New Companion Facility at Dulles Airport

The Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum acquires an Air France Concorde on June 12 when the airplane — on its final flight — travels from Paris to Washington Dulles International Airport in Virginia for display at the museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. The museum's new companion facility, adjacent to the airport, opens to the public Dec. 15.

The aircraft, F-BVFA, will be the first Concorde exhibited by a museum in the United States and is the oldest of five in the Air France fleet of the world's only supersonic passenger jetliner. The airline ended 27 years of Concorde service last month and, through an earlier agreement, had promised the Smithsonian the airplane on its retirement.

The sleek, delta-winged Concorde cruises at more than twice the speed of sound at around 1,350 mph, and at an altitude of up to 60,000 feet. A trip on the Concorde is about twice as fast as on conventional aircraft. A Concorde flight from Paris to Washington takes less than four hours with proper winds.

"Thanks to the generosity of Air France, this aircraft that captured the imagination of the world will now dazzle visitors at the Udvar-Hazy Center," museum Director Gen. J.R. "Jack" Dailey said. "As we approach the next century of flight, the story of this remarkable airplane lives on as testament to the next generation of aerospace design as well as our trans-Atlantic friendship."

In donating the aircraft to the Smithsonian, Air France Chairman Jean-Cyril Spinetta said the airline is confident "Concorde will be seen and admired by as many people as possible."

The airplane will be kept at a Dulles airport storage location for several months while the museum continues to move smaller aircraft and space artifacts into the new museum facility.

The Concorde, almost 204 feet long and with a maximum landing weight of just over 109 tons, is far too large and heavy for display in the Mall building. It will be exhibited at ground level in the Udvar-Hazy (pronounced OOD-var HAH-zee) Center aviation hangar.

The Concorde F-BVFA launched Air France's supersonic service, flying Paris to Dakar to Rio de Janeiro in January 1976. The airplane made a round-the-world trip in 1998 in 41 hours, 27 minutes. Before delivery to the Smithsonian, it had accumulated 17,820 flight hours during 6,966 flights. The museum's Dr. F. Robert van der Linden, who will be curator for the Concorde, has accepted Air France's invitation to be on the airplane's last flight.

More than 200 aircraft are ultimately destined for the Udvar-Hazy Center's aviation hangar, which is 10-stories high and the length of three football fields — enough space to hold the museum's flagship building on the National Mall inside with room to spare.

The center will eventually display the 80 percent of the national air and space collection not currently housed at the building on the Mall or on loan to other museums and institutions.

Smaller aircraft at the center will hang at two levels from the aviation hangar's trusses. Rising walkways will allow visitors to see the suspended aircraft up close while providing a sense of soaring.

Construction of the Udvar Hazy Center aviation hangar was substantially completed in March; work began in June 2001. The first airplane delivered to the facility was the diminutive Piper J-3 Cub, which arrived March 17 from the museum's storage facility in Suitland, Md. The first airplane suspended was the aerobatic champion Loudenslager Laser 200, which was lifted April 30 and hung with the fuselage pointing straight up in a climb typical of its history.

Artifact and exhibit-related deliveries to the center continue on an almost daily basis leading up to the December opening when some 80 aircraft will be in place — more than are currently displayed at the Mall building. Many have been dismantled because of their size and must travel in pieces. Those aircraft are being reassembled in the hangar and moved to their display locations. After the Udvar-Hazy Center opens, deliveries will resume early next year at a slower pace and continue until the facility is full.

The first construction phase of the center also includes the James S. McDonnell Space Hangar, named for the aerospace pioneer; the 164-foot-tall Donald D. Engen Observation Tower, named for the museum's late director; the Claude Moore Education Center, named for the Virginia philanthropist; an IMAX theater; and a food court.

Construction work continues on the McDonnell Space Hangar, which will house America's first space shuttle, Enterprise. The space hangar will be completed by opening day with the Enterprise installed and visible; however, the structure will not be accessible to the public until 2004 as Enterprise undergoes refurbishment. During the interim, some 50 large space artifacts will be previewed in the aviation hangar. The space hangar will ultimately house some 135 large space artifacts.

Thousands of smaller objects from the museum's collection will also be displayed throughout the Udvar-Hazy Center in customized cases, many adjacent to exhibit stations that will provide historical context through graphics and text. Some of the display cases will be more than 20 feet long.

A second phase of construction for the Udvar-Hazy Center — including a restoration hangar, archives, conservation lab, collections processing facility and a study collections storage unit — is planned, with the start date for construction dependent on fund-raising. The entire facility will be approximately 760,000 square feet. No federal funds are being used to build the Udvar-Hazy Center.

The National Air and Space Museum, comprised of the Udvar-Hazy Center and the museum's building on the National Mall, will be the largest air and space museum complex in the world. The flagship building is the most popular museum in the world, attracting more than 9 million visitors each year. Attendance at the Udvar-Hazy Center is projected at 3 million people a year.

posted 06-13-2003 06:08 AM               

The release mentioned four hours for the trans-Atlantic trip. Well know that the record trip just took two hours, 52 minutes.

posted 08-18-2003 03:48 PM               

"Because of the work of some very talented men and women, future generations will sense first-hand the unalterable significance of this aircraft in World War II and human history. Let's learn from it," said museum director Gen. J.R. "Jack" Dailey in prepared remarks.

While there, I met with the Space History Division's Roger Launius who was kind to give me a tour of some of the space artifacts awaiting the completion of the McDonnell Space Hall.

This Mobile Quarantine Facility (MQF) is one of four built by NASA for astronauts returning from the moon. The purpose of the facility was to isolate the astronauts from contact with other people in order to prevent the unlikely spread of any lunar-based contagions.

The MQF was an Airstream trailer consisting of living and sleeping quarters, a kitchen, and a latrine.

This particular MQF (serial number 3) was used by the crew of Apollo 11 after their return to Earth. It was home to Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins for the first 65 hours after splashdown.

Though still under wraps, you can see inside this Spacelab. Elements of this research facility were used in more than 40 flights, and of these, 16 were designated Spacelab missions. Spacelab will be displayed beside the Space Shuttle Enterprise.

posted 12-12-2003 02:39 PM               

For a poetic preview of the new museum, see:

collectSPACE

'Twas three days before opening...

Twas three days before opening, when all through the hangar, not a docent was stirring, not even a curator. The aircraft were hung from the ceiling with care, in prep for the visitors who would soon all be there.

The public was eager to be let through the doors, with visions of artifacts spanning three floors. And the press let in early, and I along with them, to write our reviews — hence this short poem...

After the Presentation of Colors by the United States Armed Forces Color Guard and the National Anthem performed by "The President's Own" United States Marine Band, General Jack Dailey, Director of the National Air and Space Museum welcomed everyone attending. He introduced the Under Secretary of the Smithsonian Sheila P. Burke, who in turn introduced the Center's namesake Steven F. Udvar-Hazy.

Hazy is president and CEO of International Lease Finance Corp. (ILFC), the leading commercial aircraft owner/lessor operating worldwide, with a portfolio of more than 400 jet aircraft valued at more than $18 billion. In 1999, he pledged $60 million dollars for the new facility. At the time, it was the largest-ever contribution by an individual to the Smithsonian. He later increased his pledge by $5 million.

Next came John Travolta, who in addition to be a Hollywood actor is also an accomplished pilot. He flew to the ceremony in his 707, the same plane he will fly -- along with 99 other aircraft -- over Kitty Hawk on the 17th. Travolta introduced a slide show assembled by the Smithsonian Archives that followed the development of flight (and spaceflight) to modern day. The presentation was excellent; it brought a tear (of joy) to my eyes.

After the multimedia, Travolta introduced several of the aviation pioneers in attendance, including Neil Armstrong and John Glenn. Armstrong and Paul Tibbets elicited the greatest applause. Though not recognized, I saw that Jim Lovell, Gene Cernan, Buzz Aldrin, Frederick Hauck, and Tom Jones were also present in the audience.

After the pioneers took their seats, Travolta introduced Lawrence Small, Secretary of the Smithsonian who in turn introduced Chief Justice and Chancellor of the Smithsonian William Rehnquist. He described the Engen Observation Tower as the best airplane watching spot in the world."

Rehnquist introduced Vice President Cheney.

Following the Vice President, a taped video was shown of Michael Foale and Alexander Kaleri on-board the ISS, who counted down to the dedication. At zero, a full scale replica of the Wright Flyer flew on a guide wire over our heads down to the stage where it came to rest. A very moving (literally!) show!

Lunch was served afterwards and visitors could freely roam the museum. Many of the VIPs quickly disappeared (Armstrong), but several mingled including Travolta (who was very approachable), Amanda Wright Lane, John and Annie Glenn (briefly), Buzz Aldrin, and Burt Rutan.

Upon exiting, attendees were gifted with chocolates shaped as the Wright Flyer and Enterprise, as well as a commemorative medallion dated for the dedication.

A few additional photographs:

Buzz Aldrin posing between an F-86 Sabre like the one he flew during 66 combat missions in the Korean Conflict and a MiG-15 like those he shot down.

John and Annie Glenn signing an autograph for a fan.

posted 12-12-2003 07:07 PM               

I am a bit unclear though on whether Enterprise will be on display immediately. I read that it will be refurbished in coming months. Will it be on public view during that time? If not I will have to make yet another trip later.

posted 12-12-2003 11:13 PM               

quote:

---

Originally posted by tncmaxq:
I am a bit unclear though on whether Enterprise will be on display immediately.

---

Enterprise can be seen now from the entrance to the James S. McDonnell Space Hangar. You cannot enter the area to walk around the orbiter until the restoration is complete.

posted 12-15-2003 04:05 PM               

Before arriving I had decided to use today to explore the areas of the center I hadn't had a chance to during the press preview and dedication last week. I had planned to take in an IMAX movie in the new theater, experience the view from the Engen Observation Tower, and ride the space simulator.

Museum staff handed out free tickets to the 10:30am IMAX show as we walked in. From there, I went to the ticket booth to collect a free timed entry ticket to the Engen Tower to coincide with my exit from the film.

With some time to spare before the movie, I wandered over to Enterprise. I don't think I will ever be able to visit this museum without spending some time with the shuttle and capturing a few photographs of her.

New on this visit was a docent distributing free postcards with facts about Enterprise (there were similar cards available for each of the major artifacts, including the SR-71).

To the left of the McDonnell Space Hangar, the USPS were offering a special cancellation for the center's opening. They were selling #10 size cachets with artwork of the Wright Flyer as well as the First Flight stamp sheets.

As the cancellation pictures the SR-71 and Enterprise, I had those two postcards (see above) cancelled as well.

Later I discovered in the gift shop the official cover, already cancelled.

The IMAX film I saw was titled "Straight Up: Helicopters in Action" and was narrated by Martin Sheen. Not the best IMAX movie I have seen, but interesting none-the-less. The theater at the Udvar-Hazy will show more than aviation-related movies, as was evident by the trailer for Disney's "Young Black Stallion".

A highlight of the day was the Donald D. Engen Observation Tower. From its 360 degree floor-to-ceiling windows, you are on eye-level with planes approaching Dulles Airport. It was really quite an amazing view! No matter how long the line for this may be when you visit (there is only one elevator), it is definitely worth the time spent.

As I returned to ground level, I saw crowd gathering near the Enola Gay. Apparently a planned peaceful demonstration against the display of the B-29 turned ugly when a protester threw a glass bottle filled with red liquid from a skywalk. Fortunately, the bottle didn't break until it hit the floor, sparing the Enola Gay of any discoloring, but it did create a noticeable dent in the fuselage (which can be seen in the photo above circled in red).

Two protesters were arrested. According to the Washington Post, Thomas K. Siemer, 73, of Columbus, Ohio, was charged with felony destruction of property and loitering, while Gregory Wright of Hagerstown, Md., faced a misdemeanor loitering charge.

Unfortunately, the area around the Enola Gay and the skywalk that crosses right in front of her had to be sectioned off.

The silver lining to this show of immaturity was that it caused a change to the path I was taking to walk around the museum and I ended up near the temporary space exhibits inside the main hangar. As I approached, I recognized a familiar face: Charlie Duke! He was there with his family, incognito, and despite the many Apollo artifacts surrounding him, no one seemed to realize who he was. I quietly approached and spoke with him for a few minutes. He was at Dulles awaiting a flight to the festivities at Kitty Hawk and had decided to come by to see the new center. I didn't want to draw any further attention to him, but he graciously agreed to a photograph (above).

Before leaving, I visited with a friend of several years, David Palermo, who has been part of the two-man team photographing each of the aircraft and spacecraft from the inside out to create QuickTime VR movies. Believe me when I say that his work is a definite must-see as it adds a whole new dimension to the artifacts on display. Standing before a Huey that flew for four years in Vietnam (the first to deploy a smokescreen) and then being able to virtually climb inside was a real thrill. And wait until you see what he was able to capture inside Gemini VII!

A few random notes:

• The Subway ran out of sandwiches at lunchtime.

• The gift shop is small but offers some nice Udvar-Hazy logo products.

• Climbing your way from the first floor to the third floor skywalk is a real workout.

posted 01-01-2004 02:43 PM               

The museum was closed so we had to settle only for some shots of her in front of the 1/3 size shuttle model. I guess I should have gotten up there more often than I did. I wonder what else has been removed from Ames?

posted 03-04-2004 04:20 PM               

Attendance at Udvar-Hazy Center Passes Half Million Mark

The National Air and Space Museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center has welcomed more than a half million visitors since the Smithsonian facility in Chantilly, Va., opened to the public Dec. 15.

The attendance milestone was reached on the last day of February, putting the total number of visitors for the 11 weeks of operation at 510, 658. The Udvar-Hazy (OOD-var HAH-zee) Center was an immediate hit with the public, attracting just under 220,000 visitors in its first two weeks of operation alone.

A companion facility to the museum's building on the National Mall in Washington, the Udvar-Hazy Center houses many rare aircraft and large space vehicles that had been in storage for years such as a Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird and the space shuttle Enterprise, as well as numerous collections of smaller artifacts.

Tremendous interest in the new center during the Christmas holiday season, combined with a heightened security alert nationwide, led to some delays for visitors at the parking and building entrances. Long waits have since been alleviated but the museum is taking steps to avoid future delays such as increasing the number of informational signs and, beginning this spring, providing guidance for arriving visitors through low-watt AM radio.

"We place the highest priority on making our visitors feel welcome," museum director Gen. J.R. "Jack" Dailey said. "An enjoyable and enlightening museum experience has to begin even before the visitor gets inside. We're trying to make the arrival process as quick and as easy as possible."

Visitors to the Udvar-Hazy Center are encouraged, if possible, to car pool or use the shuttle bus service from the museum's Mall building. Although admission to the center is free, there is a $12 fee for parking. A roundtrip ticket for the shuttle bus is $7, with discounts available for groups.

As at the museum's Mall building, express security screening is available for visitors without bags. Comfortable rubber-soled shoes are recommended for walking in the Udvar-Hazy Center.

The museum's Mall building welcomed one million visitors in its first 25 days after opening on July 1, 1976. It marked two million visitors on its 50th day of operation. The Mall building is the most visited museum facility in the world, averaging more than 9 million people each year.

The museum has begun refurbishment, viewable by the public, of the Enterprise in the Udvar-Hazy Center's James S. McDonnell Space Hangar. After work is completed, staff will move other artifacts into the McDonnell hangar, which will be fully accessible to the public later this year and will ultimately house some 135 large space artifacts. Many can be seen now in the center's aviation hangar.

The aviation hangar opened in December with 82 aircraft installed. Several more will be added this year. The hangar, ten stories high and the length of three football fields, displays aircraft at two hanging levels as well as at floor level. It will ultimately house some 200 aircraft.

The National Air and Space Museum building on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., is located at Sixth Street and Independence Avenue S.W. The Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center is located in Chantilly off Route 28 near Washington Dulles International Airport. Both facilities are open daily from 10 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. (Closed December 25.) and admission is free.

posted 06-09-2004 01:56 PM               

Udvar-Hazy Center Welcomes Its One Millionth Visitor

The National Air and Space Museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center opened Dec. 15 and fast becoming the most popular museum site in Virginia welcomed its one millionth visitor Wednesday morning.

Julie Malinowski of Ashburn, Va., accompanied by her three-year-old daughter Claire, and her parents, Nicolai and Valentina Vaseliz, visiting from Rochester, N.Y., was greeted by museum staff and reporters in the center's entrance way and presented with a special gift package and behind-the-scenes tour of the facility. Malinowski has brought a number of relatives to the center in recent months and plans to return many more times. She said her visit Wednesday was already going to be memorable because her father is a former airplane mechanic.

Gifts were provided by Smithsonian Business Ventures, the Fairfax County Convention & Visitors Corporation, the Herndon Dulles Chamber of Commerce and the Loudoun Convention & Visitors Association.

The Udvar-Hazy Center, the companion facility to the museum's flagship building on the National Mall in Washington, was an immediate hit with the public, attracting nearly 220,000 visitors in its first two weeks of operation. It houses many rare aircraft and large space artifacts that had been in storage for years such as a Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird, the world's fastest airplane, and the space shuttle Enterprise.

Noting the latest attendance milestone, museum director Gen. J.R. "Jack" Dailey thanked visitors for their strong support of the Udvar-Hazy Center and encouraged them to return over the next few years as more artifacts are added and a second phase of the facility including a restoration shop and archives is built.

"When we call this a 'work-in-progress,' people can't believe there's even more to come. Part of the visitor experience now is sharing in this wonderful sense of momentum," Dailey said.

The public's tremendous interest in the new center led to some delays for visitors arriving during the first days of operation. Long waits have since been alleviated in part because of an expanded information system that includes additional signs on area roadways and a new low-watt AM radio station that begins transmitting later this month.

The center reached its half million attendance milestone on the last day of February.

Visitors to the Udvar-Hazy Center are encouraged to car pool or use the shuttle bus service from the museum's Mall building if possible. Although admission to the center is free, there is a $12 fee for parking. A roundtrip ticket for the shuttle bus is $7, with discounts available for groups.

Public enthusiasm for the National Air and Space Museum was first confirmed at the museum's Mall building, which welcomed its millionth visitor 25 days after opening on July 1, 1976. It marked two million visitors on its 50th day of operation and its 200 millionth visitor on Jan. 24, 1998.

The Mall building has been the most visited museum facility in the world, averaging more than 9 million people each year. It was rated the number one museum attraction by the 2004 Zagat Survey U.S. Family Travel Guide.

The Mall building can only display about 10 percent of the museum's aircraft and large space artifact collection. The Udvar-Hazy Center will ultimately house 80 percent of that collection, with another 10 percent on loan.

The Udvar-Hazy Center's aviation hangar 10 stories high and the length of three football fields opened with 82 aircraft installed. Almost two dozen more will be added this year, with 200 eventually displayed.

The center's James S. McDonnell Space Hangar will be fully accessible to the public this fall after refurbishment work on the Enterprise is completed and more than 100 other large space artifacts are installed.

Comfortable rubber-soled shoes are recommended for walking in the Udvar-Hazy Center.

The Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center is located in Chantilly off Route 28 near Washington Dulles International Airport. The National Air and Space Museum building on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., is located at Sixth Street and Independence Avenue S.W. Both facilities are open daily from 10 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. (closed Dec. 25) and admission is free.