Smithsonian T-38A Talon

Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum, Washington, D.C.

Date of visit: September 2024.
The Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum (NASM) is a museum dedicated to human flight and space exploration. The museum has the largest collection of aviation and space artefacts in the world which traces the evolution of flight from the first aeroplane to the moon landings and beyond.

The NASM was originally called the National Air Museum. It was formed in August 1946 by an act of Congress and signed into law by President Harry S. Truman. During its formative years there was no one building that could house all of the museum's collection. Some items were displayed in the Arts and Industries Building, while others were stored in the Aircraft Building (known as the “Tin Shed”), a large temporary metal shed in the Smithsonian Castle's yard. Large missiles and rockets were displayed outdoors in an area known as Rocket Row. Still, much of the collection remained in storage due to the lack of display space.

The space race in the 1950's and 1960's led to the renaming of the museum to the National Air & Space Museum. On 1st July 1976, the construction of a new exhibition hall located on the National Mall on Independence Avenue and 6th Street SW was opened by the third director of NASM, Michael Collins of Apollo 11 fame.


Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum Smithsonian NASM building
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Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum Space Mural: A Cosmic View
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The museum on the National Mall can only display a small part of the Smithsonian collection, so in 2003 a 760,000‑square‑foot second facility, the Steven F. Udvar‑Hazy Center was opened near Washington Dulles International Airport, Virginia.

In 2018 the museum on the National Mall started a monumental large‑scale multi‑year renovation to transform the building and introduce 23 all new galleries and public spaces. During my visit the first eight galleries located in the West Wing had opened in October 2022, but the remaining galleries and spaces in the East Wing were still closed to the public. They are due to open in phases from early 2025 through 2026.

Photography: Camera tripods, monopods, selfie sticks or similar devices are prohibited in the museum as a preventative measure to protect visitors and the exhibits.


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Early Flight Gallery

The gallery shows how from the time of the Wright Brothers flight in 1903 to the outbreak of World War 1 the aeroplane has developed into a technology that would create an aerial age.


Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum Lilienthal Glider
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Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum Lilienthal Glider
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Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum 1909 Wright Military Flyer
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Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum 1909 Wright Military Flyer
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Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum Blèriot XI
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Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum Curtiss D‑III Headless Pusher
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Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum Curtiss D‑III Headless Pusher
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Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum Ecker Flying Boat
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Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum Ecker Flying Boat
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Thomas W. Haas, We All Fly Gallery

The gallery explores the many facets of general aviation and its impact on society ‑ from sport to business to humanitarian.


Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum Challenger III (N260HP)
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Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum Challenger III (N260HP)
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Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum Cosmos Phase II (C‑IEQU)
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Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum Cessna 180 (N1538C)
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Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum Fulton Airphibian (NC74154)
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Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum Cirrus SR22 (N266CD)
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Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum Bell 47B (N116B)
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Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum Lear Jet 23 (N802L)
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America by Air Gallery

Traces the history of commercial aviation in the United States from airmail to airlines and shows how technology has revolutionized air travel.


Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum Huff‑Daland Duster
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Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum Northrop Alpha 4A (NC11Y)
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Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum Fairchild FC‑2 (NC6853)
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Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum Fairchild FC‑2 (NC6853)
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Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum Ford 5‑AT Tri‑Motor (N9683)
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Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum Boeing 247‑D (NR257Y)
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Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum DC‑3 (N18124)
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Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum DC‑3 (N18124)
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Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum Boeing 747‑151 (N601US)
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Nation of Speed Gallery

How human ingenuity and technology has developed to propel people faster and faster.


Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum RT‑14 Meteor (NX263Y)
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Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum RT‑14 Meteor (NX263Y)
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Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum RT‑14 Meteor (NX263Y)
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Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum Sharp DR 90 Nemesis (N18JS)
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Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum Thiokol XLR99‑RM‑1
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Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum SR-71 Crew Pressure Suit
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Destination Moon Gallery

The gallery shows how a combination of motivations, resources and technologies made it possible for humans to walk on the moon and features iconic objects from the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo space programmes.


Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum Gemini VII Capsule
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Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum Apollo 11 Command Module
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Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum Neil Armstrong's Spacesuit
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Lobby or Foyer Exhibits


Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum Loving WR‑3 (N553A)
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Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum Loving WR‑3 (N553A)
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Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum Extra EA‑260 (N618PW)
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Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum T-38A Talon (60‑0551)
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Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum T-38A Talon (60‑0551)
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Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum T-38A Talon (60‑0551)
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