Photos from DC and the Air & Space Museum at Dulles

[RocketFoot]

Just some random photos I snapped during a family holiday excursion to DC and the Air and Space Museum near Dulles Airport!

 

[Tnfastbk]

SR 71::thumb::

 

[RocketFoot]

I was happy just to see the SR71 and the Enterprise...everything else was overkill! LOL

I love the photo of Marine 1 flying by the Washington Monument! I took it from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.

 

[FasTnNefariouS]

Looks like someone had an awesome field trip. Thanks for sharing and God bless America!

 

[coilwire]

Barry great pics. The SR71 is a kick butt plane but I love the B29.

Jim

 

[droptop73]

Nice pics. They must have been short on hotel rooms with all the tents and all! LOL

 

[whitesoc]

I stood there behind the SR-71 and could almost imagine seeing those engines light up!

Love the B-29 also!

Have you ever heard about the "supposed" name change on the Sr-71?

Was supposed to be called RS 71- for research and surveillance but Johnson (I think) screwed up and called it SR-71....nobody wanted to correct him so the name stayed like that " supposedly".

 

[OLE PONY]

Nice pics. I remember back in the 80's I was at Wright Patterson Air Force Base for several weeks for a class and I got to see an SR71 fly in and land that was going on display at the museum there. It was a big deal, they even dismissed us from class so we could watch it come in; what a sight!

 

[RocketFoot]

Nice pics. They must have been short on hotel rooms with all the tents and all! LOL

That is the scene of the Occupy DC camp. Tough living conditions?...when we walked by, they were being served a catered lunch from on of the local businesses!

I stood there behind the SR-71 and could almost imagine seeing those engines light up!

Love the B-29 also!

Have you ever heard about the "supposed" name change on the Sr-71?

Was supposed to be called RS 71- for research and surveillance but Johnson (I think) screwed up and called it SR-71....nobody wanted to correct him so the name stayed like that " supposedly".

Cool trivia! It's also awesome that that bird set the trans continental flight record on it's way to the Museum from LA! Average speed of 2124 mph...took him 1 hour, 4 minutes and 20 seconds!
Shuttle Discovery is coming to the NASM sometime in 2012!

 

[hyena429]

Wow amazing pics....Some great birds..Love Air Museums and such... ..I really want to go too the smithsonian some day....Ill have to post some of my local small air museum photos around here

 

[72HCODE]

they need to nuke the OWS protestors from orbit. It's the only way to be sure.

I'd love a p-38 they need to start making them again.

 

[Mister 4x4]

Gee - you'd think with the 'Enterprise' at Dulles, and now 'Discovery' heading to NASM (just a few miles down the road), they could've broken one loose to live at the Houston Space Center... not that it's where all of the actual mission stuff took place, or anything. F00kin' politics anyway.

Also a bummer that they couldn't see fit to include the OMS pods on the Enterprise, either. Looks naked without them (to me, anyway... been a Shuttle fan since it came out - I was in the 4th grade).

At any rate... Nice pics, Man - thanks for sharing!

 

[julieloiuse]

really B.E.A.U.T.I.F.U.L.!!! whatta wonderful shots!

 

[Flatback72.]

When I saw my first picture of the Blackbird about 5 years ago I thought it was a new US stealth plane. Then I found out they were made in the early 1960's and I was blown away! What a timeless design!

 

[72HCODE]

i think the Houston space center will be able to buy another space shuttle from the Chinese for display.

 

[Tnfastbk]

The Sr 71 was the only plane that I wanted to see fly but never had a chance. Seen it on the ground and heard it a few times but never got to witness it. I knew a few crew cheifs who worked on them and was told that they actually stretched almost three feet during flight. I do know first hand how bad they leaked fluids sittting on the ground, was parked basically on a complete drip pan. I have been told that it could take a picture from the edge of space of a cigarrete butt and tell you the brand. Also at full speed across the US it would take 6 states to do a U turn. Simply amazing:salute:

 

[RocketFoot]

The Sr 71 was the only plane that I wanted to see fly but never had a chance. Seen it on the ground and heard it a few times but never got to witness it. I knew a few crew cheifs who worked on them and was told that they actually stretched almost three feet during flight. I do know first hand how bad they leaked fluids sittting on the ground, was parked basically on a complete drip pan. I have been told that it could take a picture from the edge of space of a cigarrete butt and tell you the brand. Also at full speed across the US it would take 6 states to do a U turn. Simply amazing:salute:

What's crazy is that we retired the blackbird program? I sure hope technology has gone forward and not backward!

 

[hyena429]

Ya amazing bird for sure...It out run over 4,000 missles without being hit...lol....I was reading a story about 2 pilots in one blackbird chased by a missle.. they punched it and at 90,000 feet they got up too 6 g's in a strait line!!..and out run multi missles over 3 countries that pinned too there seats most of the way....Pilot said the speed they hit is still top secrect at that alt..lol...50 year old bird still full of secrect tech.

 

[Mister 4x4]

I had the pleasure of seeing an active SR-71 up-close while stationed at Holloman AFB in the late '80s. It was in one of the F-15 hangars during the daytime hours, and flew only at night for the few days it was there. We were allowed small groups to check out the plane while it was in the hangar between post-flight maintenance and pre-flight checks. It was parked behind a cordon with Security Forces standing watch, and leaking fuel out of just about every joint and seam along the fusilage and wings. The MSgt who was giving the tour/briefing was smoking a cigar and tossed it [still lit] into one of the collection pans - which freaked everybody out, of course. He did that to demonstrate the high flash-point of the JP-8 that powered the Blackbird. We got pretty much the same 'public' briefing that everybody else had received at the time, with maybe a little more information because of our being Air Force members, but overall - really limited information. It was still a neat 'tour' anyway - the awe factor was definitely there. Unfortunately, no photography allowed of course.

Later that night, I went to the Base Theater with some friends, and when we were walking back to the barracks, the SR-71 took off. Even though I couldn't see the plane itself, the exhaust cones and engine noises were very distinctive, and very much not F-15- or T-38-like - not to mention, too far apart for either, and too close together to be two different planes. A mile or so off the end of the runway, the pilot kicked it into high gear and was gone from sight within 4 or 5 seconds.

Very cool stuff. I firmly believe that if they retired the Blackbird, there must be something a lot cooler that took its place. However, after seeing how the government handled the Shuttle program without having a successor, I'm not so sure anymore.

Very disappointing.