To Contact Me


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 NASM building
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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.
Click on a Photo to activate the link. All photographs open in a new window.
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.
Lilienthal Glider
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Lilienthal Glider
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1909 Wright Military Flyer
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1909 Wright Military Flyer
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Blèriot XI
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Curtiss D‑III Headless Pusher
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Curtiss D‑III Headless Pusher
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Ecker Flying Boat
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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.
Challenger III (N260HP)
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Challenger III (N260HP)
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Cosmos Phase II (C‑IEQU)
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Cessna 180 (N1538C)
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Fulton Airphibian (NC74154)
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Cirrus SR22 (N266CD)
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Bell 47B (N116B)
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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.
Huff‑Daland Duster
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Northrop Alpha 4A (NC11Y)
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Fairchild FC‑2 (NC6853)
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Fairchild FC‑2 (NC6853)
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Ford 5‑AT Tri‑Motor (N9683)
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Boeing 247‑D (NR257Y)
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DC‑3 (N18124)
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DC‑3 (N18124)
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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.
RT‑14 Meteor (NX263Y)
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RT‑14 Meteor (NX263Y)
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RT‑14 Meteor (NX263Y)
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Sharp DR 90 Nemesis (N18JS)
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Thiokol XLR99‑RM‑1
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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.
Gemini VII Capsule
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Apollo 11 Command Module
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Neil Armstrong's Spacesuit
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Lobby or Foyer Exhibits
Loving WR‑3 (N553A)
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Loving WR‑3 (N553A)
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Extra EA‑260 (N618PW)
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T-38A Talon (60‑0551)
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T-38A Talon (60‑0551)
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T-38A Talon (60‑0551)
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