So, I'll try to finish last night's post. Here are a few pictures representing part of the wonderful collection inside the museum.
 |
| experimental aircraft - LARGE and small |
 |
the enormous Spruce Goose towers over all
(actually..its made out of birch, but I guess spruce sounded better) |
It may look like there is no one else in the museum with us.....I try, hard, to exclude people from my photos when possible, except Dave, of course. (and trash cans, and electric poles, and street signs, etc.) Sometimes I get lucky.
 |
| inside the Goose's cargo bay |
 |
| reflections of a past love...... |
 |
| cockpit of the Spruce Goose behind the Spirit of St. Lewis |
The intended range of this plane necessitated a larger than normal fuel tank and its placement made a windshield impossible. Lindbergh made clever use of a periscope to solve the problem of seeing out the front.
 |
| periscope peeking out the side window |
 |
| colorful WWI trainers |
 |
| shapes, colors and purpose changed through the years |
 |
| SR-71 Blackbird spy plane |
 |
one of the SR-71's engines
(complete with instruction manual?) |
 |
radar testing aircraft
looks like a dodo bird to me..... |
 |
| moon rover's unique tire |
Oh, and did I mention that the landscaping around these buildings and the collections they hold is every bit as impressive?
 |
| Oh Dave..... |
I've seen the Spruce Goose before, when it was housed in Long Beach years ago. It's a biggie!
ReplyDeleteJoe would love this museum.
ReplyDeleteAwesome photos Sue. It's really hard to get good museum pictures...you nailed it!
A really great photo collection of an amazing aerial collection! I didn't even realize the Goose had moved from SoCal - wouldn't that have been something to see being moved! Love the big fish mouth and the Dodo bird - I guess aesthetically pleasing isn't always a requirement :-) Wonderful reflections pic.
ReplyDeleteReally good photos, planes and cars can be a bear to photograph. If you are ever anywhere near Dayton, OH, divert and go to the museum at Wright Patterson. It is phenomenal. They have many one offs from aviation history. Wear a sweater, it's cold in there.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely added to our bucket list!!
ReplyDeleteBit late but it was very nice to finally meet you while you were at Portal!
Great museum! I'll add it to the list for next year:) Love the Rover tire! We also saw the Spruce Goose in Long Beach. It is huge!
ReplyDeleteSuch a fascinating collection! You did a great job of giving us a tour—wow, everything from the Spirit of St. Louis to the Moon Rover. I hope the instruction manual for that engine is better than the ones we usually get for stuff we buy.....
ReplyDeleteWe enjoyed revisiting the museum through your eyes. This was our first of many Air Museums that we have visited. It was Spruce Goose that sort of enticed us to visit the museum.
ReplyDeleteLove that reflection of Dave looking at his past love. Steve shares that feeling.