National Air and Space Museum's West Wing Reopens To The Public

'This building opened in 1976 as a gift to the country, funded by the country,' said National Air and Space Museum Director Christopher Browne, speaking at the press preview. 'Since that time, it has greeted more than 350 million visitors. People keep telling us this was a place of awe, of inspiration, that launched careers. We know this place has that impact. But after greeting 350 million people, it became pretty worn out.'
 

Production of the first model in a storied line—the Learjet 23—began in Wichita in 1962. The second Learjet 23 prototype, registration N802L, dominates the Thomas W. Haas ‘We All Fly’ exhibition in the museum's west wing. It flew 1,127 hours and 864 flights as a test aircraft. Author photo.

This Bell Model 47B served over 40 years as a factory demonstrator, newsgathering helicopter, crop duster, trainer, power-line patrol and aerial photography aircraft. In 1989, owner Douglas Daigle and three other pilots set a world hovering record of 50 hr., 50 sec. Author photo

Geraldine ‘Jerrie’ Mock made news with this Cessna 180 Skywagon in 1964 when she became the first woman to complete a solo flight around the world. The single-engine airplane was named Spirit of Columbus for Mock’s hometown in Ohio. Author photo
 

Aerobatic pilot Sean D. Tucker entertained air show visitors in this custom-built Specialty Aero and Aviation Specialties Unlimited Challenger III biplane. Its wings were designed with eight ailerons and curved wingtips for enhanced maneuverability. Author photo

This Cirrus SR22, registration N266CD, in 2003 became the first single-engine piston airplane certified by the FAA with a ‘glass cockpit’ display system, supplied by Avidyne. Also displayed is the Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS). Author photo
 

Dual Garmin G1000 Nxi flat-panel liquid crystal displays, adapted by Cirrus in 2017 for its SR-series G6 Cirrus Perspective+ by Garmin flight deck, are featured in the ‘We All Fly’ exhibition. Author photo

Patricia ‘Patty’ Wagstaff became the first woman to win the U.S. National Aerobatic Championships with this single-seat Extra EA-260 piston airplane in 1991, then repeated as champion in 1992 and again in 1993, the third time with an Extra 300S. Author photo.

Flying this Northrop T-38A Talon supersonic jet trainer in 1961, Jacqueline Cochran set eight world records for speed, altitude and distance flying. While flying a Canadair Sabre Mk. 3 on May 18, 1953, Cochran became the first woman to break the sound barrier. Author photo.

Displayed in the main hall is a “Puffer” derivative of the military Petrel 5 biplane. Huff-Daland Co., a predecessor of Delta Air Lines, in 1924 built the first Puffer, which Huff-Daland Dusters used to start the nation’s first commercial crop-spraying business. Author photo.

One corner of the ‘We All Fly’ gallery is devoted to early drones. Shown is a Flirtey F3.0 (center); a Draganflyer E4-ES (top); and a DJI Phantom (bottom), the Chinese-made quadcopter that in 2012 sparked the rapid proliferation of recreational drones. Author photo.
 

A crane looms over the east wing of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, as seen from Independence Avenue. With the reopening of the west wing (foreground) in October the renovation shifts focus to the east wing, which is expected to reopen in 2025. Author photo.