National Air and Space Museum, Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, Chantilly, Virginia, A History of Flight

The Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum holds the largest collection of aviation related items and artifacts in the world. The museum consists of two separate facilities. One is the National Mall building located in Washington D.C. and the other is the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia.

The Udvar-Hazy Center opened in December of 2003. On display were many items that were never before seen by the public. The Boeing Aviation Hangar allows the space for display of items for which there would never be room at the National Mall building.

Aircraft are suspended on three levels in the hangar. Some highlights include the Enola Gay, the plane that dropped the first nuclear bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, and the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird, which is the world's fastest jet.

Visitors will see crafts that cover various points in the history of air travel from the Boeing 367-80, which was built in 1954 and served as the prototype for the jet airplane to the Space Shuttle Enterprise.

There are several exhibitions within the Boeing Hangar. Below is a sampling.

Pre-1920 Aviation

This exhibit covers the earliest aircrafts and includes planes that were used during World War I.

General Aviation

This includes planes that are not used either by the military or for commercial purposes. Included is a Piper J-3 Cub. Close to 20,000 of these popular planes were built between 1938 and 1947, when production ended.

Sport Aviation

This includes planes used for pleasure flying. Included in this exhibit is the Monnett Moni, designed by a school teacher in the 1980's and the Arlington Sisu 1-A, the same sailplane that won the United States National Soaring Championships in 1962, 1965 and 1967.

World War II Aviation

It was during World War II that metal planes began to replace those made of wood and because of the special challenges brought on by this war, other great technological advances were made during this time as well. One of the highlights of this exhibit, The Enola Gay, was mentioned earlier. Other highlights include the Lockheed P-38 and the Stinson L-5 Sentinel.

Of course, the exhibits on space travel are always popular and those exhibits are housed in the James S. McDonnell Space Hangar. Visitors can see a Manned Maneuvering Unit, the suit used by astronauts during space walks, a Mercury Capsule, which was used for one man space travel and much more.

This is an obvious choice for aircraft enthusiasts, but others can enjoy a visit as well. A visitor from Canada said, "This is an excellent facility for those interested in planes and space, but even those who are not will enjoy the displays and professional surroundings of this great site. My main reason for this facility was the Space Shuttle Enterprise and I was NOT disappointed. She is beautiful.''

Other visitors noted that there were flight simulators that the children in their group enjoyed and that, because the space is so large, that it doesn't feel crowded even when there are throngs of visitors.

In addition to the permanent exhibits, there are also exhibits that change from time to time. Check for current exhibit information when planning a visit.