Now this is a shop!

[marksires 484]

If I ever win the lottery.......

 

[Fly-n-Low 181]

I like what is going on in that shop!!!

[lostman 198]

Is that the Smithsonian/ Udvar Hazey shop? 

[marksires 484]

Is that the Smithsonian/ Udvar Hazey shop? 

Yes it is, well, half of the part you can see.  The plain is 'Flak Bait', a B26 that saw a lot of combat in WWII, and still came back, a very rare thing.  They also had the Horten flying wing (German) in the shop restoring, and a Sikorsky flying boat that is the only airplane that was at Pearl Harbor during the attack that has survived to this day.

Some days the shop is open and they do tours, I could have spent the whole day just doing that.  One thing I really liked is they don't try to restore the aircraft to 'factory new' condition.  Their main goal is to stabilize them so no additional deterioration occurs.  The space shuttle tiles are all scorched and worn, the UH-1 helicopter has bullet hole patches all over it, etc. They also have the entire spectrum of airplanes - from the early death trap spruce and linen planes to the more recent death trap hang gliders...   Several WWI, WWII, and Vietnam era military planes, the Concord, Bob Hoover's Shrike (the best pilot that has ever lived), J-3 cub, Lear jet, and on and on. 

Mark

 

[Fly-n-Low 181]

I would like to see that if I was ever in the area. Where is it?

[marksires 484]

Just south of Dulles Airport in Washington DC.  They have an observation tower so you can watch the airliners landing at Dulles, with the ATC radio piped in.

More information here:

http://airandspace.si.edu/visit/udvar-hazy-center/

Admission is free, parking is $15 - pretty darn good deal.  I got there 10 minutes after they opened, and stayed until 10 minutes before the closed.  I did not get bored (feet were a little sore though!)

Mark

 

[Fly-n-Low 181]

Cool!!! Been to the Smithsonian but missed out on that. I didn't get bored at the Smith either!!!