January 05, 2004
In the cathedral of flight
The National Air and Space Museum has always been a favorite of mine, and the Steven F. Udar-Hazy Center has raised the museum's ante considerably. Aircraft and spacecraft are the ultimate geek artform. And the giant hangars that house the Smithsonian's prize collection of this art elevate them to religious artifacts.
Here are my kids in front of the shuttle Enterprise, the test vehicle that paved the way for the shuttle program. The thing may be a space truck, but the lighting makes it a beautiful bird.
The F-4 Phantom is probably the most iconic jet fighter ever. It looks like a warbird, muscular and menacing even sitting quietly without its weapons pods. The MiG behind it, a "Fishbed", seems flimsy in comparison.
The Vought F4U Corsair, of "Baa, Baa, Black Sheep" fame, has that same iconic nature. Its gull wings, long nose and distinctive cowling make it look like some nightmarish prop-driven raptor swooping in on its prey. It's always been a favorite of mine, even before Robert Conrad pretended to fly one, as has its distant cousin the Hellcat.
Below the Corsair is the centerpiece of the Smithsonian's collection, the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird. If ever an aircraft design merged art with function, the Blackbird is it. Designed to fly faster than a bullet on the edge of space, the spyplane is speed wrought in titanium.
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