Flak Bait- Tourist Bait???

[Rajay]

Before EVG opened their museum they had some a/c in a hanger on the airport and gave tours.
After a Boy Scout tour F*CK!! was found scratched into the side of the highly polished Curtiss A-22 Falcon
If you know where to look you can see it

I've never seen anyone in that category in a museum!

Yeah, and it still stands. I've still never seen a "gang banging punk" in a museum. Your "boy scout" was probably a different kind of punk....

[skymstr02]

The touching, feeling part of having a "connection to the plane that will last them a lifetime" can easily be achieved at their local airshows. That's what living, breathing, flying warbirds are for - not National Museum centerpieces.

I know that I am not alone in this, but when I take a plane to an airshow, it is NOT for the general public to take out their touching feelings. I can get very verbal and discriptive on various on persons that get that touchey feeley feeling.

[warbird1]

The touching, feeling part of having a "connection to the plane that will last them a lifetime" can easily be achieved at their local airshows. That's what living, breathing, flying warbirds are for - not National Museum centerpieces.

I know that I am not alone in this, but when I take a plane to an airshow, it is NOT for the general public to take out their touching feelings. I can get very verbal and discriptive on various on persons that get that touchey feeley feeling.

What I had in mind was more of the "flight experiences" and "static tours" that large organizations such as Collings, CAF, EAA, etc. provide. I didn't mean to imply that every owner should let the public play all over their airplanes while making airplane noises.

[muddyboots]

The touching, feeling part of having a "connection to the plane that will last them a lifetime" can easily be achieved at their local airshows. That's what living, breathing, flying warbirds are for - not National Museum centerpieces.

I know that I am not alone in this, but when I take a plane to an airshow, it is NOT for the general public to take out their touching feelings. I can get very verbal and discriptive on various on persons that get that touchey feeley feeling.

you need a hug.

[Garth]

Is there a timetable for reassembly and installation in the other building?

It's been stated in the past, (don't know if it's still true) that Flak Bait is supposedly going to be the first airplane to come out of the new restoration facility being built at the Udvar-Hazy annex at Dulles. I don't think construction on the facility has even started on that yet, however. Can somebody confirm this?

Phase II is under construction as we speak, with most of the skeleton and outer paneling up. Quite a ways to go, though.

My understanding is that the restoration of Flak Bait has slipped. The Engen family, which has donated a lot of money to the museum over the years (including the funding necessary to get construction of Phase 2 rolling) wanted the Helldiver done first.

[Steve Nelson]

he security staff could careless about what historical significance the collection has. Ask them an original question and they will direct you to one of the guides or the desk on the ground floor.

Well, I don't really expect Security folks at any museum to know much about the history of the artifacts (that's what docents are for) but I DO expect them to PROTECT said artifacts!

As I said last year, Udvar-Hazy was a completely different experience from the downtown facility. The security guy I talked to at U-H was cheerful and enthusiastic, and actually encouraged me to go back to the car and get my monopod.

SN

[A2C]

you need a hug.

Labels on Aircraft: Beware of air intake, Emergency Access, Beware of Ejection Seat, No Step, and Beware of salty pilot.

[rreis]

he security staff could careless about what historical significance the collection has. Ask them an original question and they will direct you to one of the guides or the desk on the ground floor.

Well, I don't really expect Security folks at any museum to know much about the history of the artifacts (that's what docents are for) but I DO expect them to PROTECT said artifacts!

As I said last year, Udvar-Hazy was a completely different experience from the downtown facility. The security guy I talked to at U-H was cheerful and enthusiastic, and actually encouraged me to go back to the car and get my monopod.

SN

Looking at this set-up I don't think there's no blaim on the security people. If you went all day "don't touch it" you would be nuts at the end of it and also visitors would take a bad impression of the museum. The only solution is the plexi wall which is passive device. I would even say the absence of it is an open invitation to touch.

[warbird1]

Is there a timetable for reassembly and installation in the other building?

It's been stated in the past, (don't know if it's still true) that Flak Bait is supposedly going to be the first airplane to come out of the new restoration facility being built at the Udvar-Hazy annex at Dulles. I don't think construction on the facility has even started on that yet, however. Can somebody confirm this?

Phase II is under construction as we speak, with most of the skeleton and outer paneling up. Quite a ways to go, though.

My understanding is that the restoration of Flak Bait has slipped. The Engen family, which has donated a lot of money to the museum over the years (including the funding necessary to get construction of Phase 2 rolling) wanted the Helldiver done first.

Thanks for the info. Has Phase II been fully funded yet? I know they were still short of money about a year ago. Do you know when the intended completion date of Phase II is?

Yes, I forgot about the Engen Helldiver. That will be nice to see also, after it looks pristinely restored, just like it rolled out of the Curtiss factory. Maybe by then the Good General at Dayton will own F.B.

[Pat Carry]

The Helldiver should be on display now. If it looked good enough to be on display in Pensacola its good enough to be on display in Virginia. Either that or it should have been left in Pensacola!!!!

[warbird1]

The Helldiver should be on display now. If it looked good enough to be on display in Pensacola its good enough to be on display in Virginia. Either that or it should have been left in Pensacola!!!!

I've heard that the Helldiver never really got fully restored. Yes, it had a nice, pretty, gloss blue paint scheme and looked good from the outside, but the internals were apparently in not that great of a condition. Since the NASM is the "caretaker" of these priceless artifacts and they must ensure they can survive for the next several hundred years, I support the NASM doing a full up restoration prior to it going back on display. FWIW, I don't believe that the Naval Museum's restoration standards are anywhere close to those of the NASM's.

[rreis]

Who is UP or at the same level of NASM? It's a true honest question, please no flames.

[warbird1]

Who is UP or at the same level of NASM? It's a true honest question, please no flames.

If you are asking about restoration standards, then no one. NASM is the "gold standard" by which all others are measured against.

I don't include airworthy restorations in the comparison, because that philosophy is totally different, and does not espouse the view of keeping all original material intact (for obvious reasons).

[rreis]

Who is UP or at the same level of NASM? It's a true honest question, please no flames.

If you are asking about restoration standards, then no one. NASM is the "gold standard" by which all others are measured against.

I don't include airworthy restorations in the comparison, because that philosophy is totally different, and does not espouse the view of keeping all original material intact (for obvious reasons).

Even abroad? And close calls?

I understand easily that airworthy is another kind of game, who would be the "NASM" of airworthy restorations?

[warbird1]

Even abroad? And close calls?

I can't comment too much on international museums because I haven't seen the majority of them up close. It wouldn't surprise me, however, if some of the National collections from Britain (IWM, etc.), Australia, France (Musee del'air), etc. did comparable work. Perhaps some of our international WIXers can comment on that. The thing that always impresses me about NASM is that even though aesthetically their restorations look superb, they have a policy of keeping virtually all original material intact on the airplanes for future historians and students, as well as their very, very strict attention to detail - even on parts of the aircraft that will never be seen by the public. Do the National collections in Britain, France, Australia do the same? Anyone know?

I understand easily that airworthy is another kind of game, who would be the "NASM" of airworthy restorations?

There is not one single person or organization, but many, many. There are probably at least 5 to 7 just here in the United States, with many more probably overseas in Britain, Australia, New Zealand, etc.