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Author
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Topic: Smithsonian Air and Space: SpaceShipOne
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John Youskauskas
Member Posts: 126
From:
Registered: Jan 2004
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posted 08-23-2005 04:38 PM
  
I stopped by the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center today after work and thought I would ask if Burt Rutan's latest donation had gone downtown yet. Several of the guides there told me it was already gone, but one gentleman told me, "If you go down to the far end of the hangar, you might find a familiar looking airplane under the tarp down there... but you didn't here it from me."It was hard to miss! Sitting out in the open under a translucent blue covering was indeed SpaceShipOne! I could clearly see all of the windows and markings through the covering. Unfortunately all I had with me was the video camera. I seemed to attract a small crowd while I was poking around the plane, as I was walking away I passed two of the guides who were going to shoo everyone away. "Worst kept secret in the museum," one of them said to me. SpaceShipOne goes to the museum downtown sometime in October. |
katabatic
Member Posts: 72
From: Oak Hill, VA, USA
Registered: Jun 2005
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posted 08-25-2005 07:29 PM
Any idea how they got it to Hazy? I assume they trucked it in, but you never know... |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 42988
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 08-25-2005 07:45 PM
White Knight (with SpaceShipOne in tow) landed at Dulles Airport. After being detached, SS1 was taxied to the museum. |
katabatic
Member Posts: 72
From: Oak Hill, VA, USA
Registered: Jun 2005
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posted 08-25-2005 08:07 PM
I live three miles from Dulles and I missed it! I have to pay more attention. Thanks for the info. |
katabatic
Member Posts: 72
From: Oak Hill, VA, USA
Registered: Jun 2005
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posted 08-28-2005 04:44 PM
Just got back from Hazy and found SS1 in the corner, all by itself, with no one anywhere near it, but clearly recognizable under its transparent blue plastic sheeting. I let a couple of other visitors know and they went scurrying over there like they were on fire. |
Kevmac
Member Posts: 267
From: College Station, TX
Registered: Apr 2003
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posted 09-02-2005 11:03 PM
Had a very neat experience Wednesday evening. I do volunteer work at Udvar-Hazy and attended a quarterly meeting that night An added attraction for us was a special docent briefing on SS1. We got to walk around the spacecraft — but not to touch! They had the hatch open you could look inside. I actually got to stick my head in and see the cockpit up close and personal. The fuselage panels were off too and you could look inside the aft compartment where the rocket engine was. The simplicity is astounding. It was a great privilege to see the craft from this perspective. You'll all need to come to National Air and Space Museum on the mall to see it after it is hung in October. |
mensax
Member Posts: 861
From: Virginia
Registered: Apr 2002
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posted 09-03-2005 07:40 AM
Congratulations on being able to view the inside of this spacecraft! For those of less fortunate there is a great panoramic photo at the National Geographic website. All those windows! |
thump
Member Posts: 575
From: washington dc usa
Registered: May 2004
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posted 09-10-2005 04:55 PM
SS1 has now been transferred to the downtown museum. It is sitting in the west end, still under the blue tarp. |
thump
Member Posts: 575
From: washington dc usa
Registered: May 2004
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posted 09-12-2005 08:56 AM
What an awsome morning! SS! was "untarped" this morning for staff and volunteers with the museum. Not only did we get to see this and touch this up close and personal, they also had the side hatch opened and engine access hatch opened so we could look in, and in the case of the cockpit, stick our heads inside. Two interesting things I noticed in the cockpit, Mike Melvill and Paul Allen have signed their autographs inside, and also behind the pilot's seat is a sticker stating that the seat does not comply with federal standards. |
thump
Member Posts: 575
From: washington dc usa
Registered: May 2004
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posted 09-12-2005 08:58 AM
One more note I forgot, scheduled hanging date is right now Sept. 19, it will be hung at a slightly lower level than the X-1 and Spirit of St. Louis, and will be hung at roughly a 30 degree angle. After it is hung a tarp will be draped under it so that it will not be able to be viewed until the unveiling on Oct. 5. |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 42988
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 09-22-2005 01:24 AM
Hmmm... I wonder what this is?  |
Rodina
Member Posts: 836
From: Lafayette, CA
Registered: Oct 2001
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posted 09-22-2005 08:46 AM
Sweet. Just where she belongs. |
Wehaveliftoff
Member Posts: 2343
From:
Registered: Aug 2001
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posted 09-22-2005 10:23 AM
quote:
Originally posted by thump:
...we could look in, and in the case of the cockpit, stick our heads inside.
Did you take any pictures of you touching it or standing with it or of the inside?
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tegwilym
Member Posts: 2331
From: Sturgeon Bay, WI
Registered: Jan 2000
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posted 09-22-2005 01:35 PM
Nice! Right between Charles' and Chuck's planes.  |
86horn
Member Posts: 73
From: College Station, Texas
Registered: Nov 2004
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posted 09-22-2005 02:37 PM
quote:
Originally posted by thump:
...until the unveiling on Oct. 5.
Do you know when the unveiling is on the 5th? |
thump
Member Posts: 575
From: washington dc usa
Registered: May 2004
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posted 09-27-2005 08:23 AM
quote:
Originally posted by 86horn:
Do you know when the unveiling is on the 5th?
Posted as 12 noon, but I've been told 11:45 am. |
thump
Member Posts: 575
From: washington dc usa
Registered: May 2004
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posted 09-27-2005 08:25 AM
quote:
Originally posted by Wehaveliftoff:
Did you take any pictures...
I did take some pics, albeit with my camera phone which I have no clue how to download. I woulds have taken a "real" camera, but our notice stated no pictures. |
thump
Member Posts: 575
From: washington dc usa
Registered: May 2004
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posted 10-05-2005 01:41 PM
It's official, SpaceShipOne is now property of the Smithsonian. After the ceremony both Paul Allen and Burt Rutan took time to sign autographs. After Allen left, Rutan came back and was talking with visitors at least an hour after (he was still there when I left then). Also in attendance was Joe Engle, who also signed for people. John Travolta was there behind the scenes (he's doing a book signing later today), so guess he might be on the waiting list for a future flight... |
MrSpace86
Member Posts: 1618
From: Gardner, KS, USA
Registered: Feb 2003
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posted 10-05-2005 06:19 PM
Wow, I never thought it would look like that. They removed the markings of the X Prize flights. I don't know why they would remove that, I mean those flights were part of history. You don't remove the '8' on Dale Earnhardt's car, do you? It's at a weird angle. You can't see the top or many of the windows. I noticed that the X-1 and Spirit are like that too (I have never been to the museum) but still, you can't see some it (compared to Space Shuttle Enterprise for example.) Oh well, at least it's on display in some angle or form. Thanks Burt and Paul. |
spacecraft films
Member Posts: 802
From: Columbus, OH USA
Registered: Jun 2002
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posted 10-05-2005 06:37 PM
Oh, man. I was just there yesterday morning. I should have stayed an extra day. I was pointing at it telling my kids what it actually was (it was under a blue fabric covering) and people were walking past me looking at me as if I were crazy! (They may be right.) |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 42988
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 10-05-2005 06:55 PM
Photographs and an article about today's donation ceremony are now on the site: SpaceShipOne joins Milestones of Flight.I think the angle at which SS1 is displayed is meant to be reminiscent of its orientation during launch (after being dropped from White Knight). Along the same lines, the feat for which SS1 is being recognized occurred in June 2004. The X Prize qualifying and winning flights were historic in their own right, but the milestone occurred on SS1's first (private) space-destined launch. At least one other vehicle that has hung in the Milestones of Flight gallery has been similarly restored: the Wright Flyer. And like the Flyer, which was prepared by Orville for the National Air Museum, Rutan and his team at Scaled said they were behind their craft's restored appearance. (Likewise, curators at the musuem have said that if it were not for missing components and the challenge/expense of doing so, Enterprise would have been returned to its pre-Paris Air Show, ALT-appearance.) |
MrSpace86
Member Posts: 1618
From: Gardner, KS, USA
Registered: Feb 2003
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posted 10-06-2005 07:59 AM
I guess that makes sense Robert. Thanks. I still look forward to seeing the actual ship though, even if it's at a funny angle! |
Glint
Member Posts: 1040
From: New Windsor, Maryland USA
Registered: Jan 2004
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posted 10-06-2005 11:48 AM
quote:
Originally posted by MrSpace86:
...but still, you can't see some it.
The best views are probably from the overlook on the second floor. You can see the X-1 from both the side and nose-on. Although I've only seen SpaceShipOne with its pre-release drape still in place its position doesn't block the view of the X-1 behind it to the north. |
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