Visit to the National Air and Space Museum

Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center

Posted below are pictures that I took during a visit to the National Air and Space Museum - Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center on February 10, 2007.  This museum is located out near Dulles International Airport, about 45 minutes from downtown Washington DC.  The amount of displays was truly impressive.  I was surprised at how uncrowded it was for a Saturday, but it was about 20 degrees outside so I'm sure that slowed down the visitors.   One side of the large hangar-like building has military aircraft, and the other side has civilian and racing aircraft and helicopters.  A section off the middle of the hangar covers space exploration and early missiles.  There are a lot of displays including the space shuttle "Enterprise," which is truly huge.  Fans of German V-Weapons and early precision guided munitions will have a lot to salivate over.  One rarity in the aircraft section is the XF-35B short takeoff / vertical landing (STOVL) prototype of the Joint Strike Fighter in its demval test markings (check out the Revell and Italeri kits).  One comment I would make is that the lighting is not very good throughout the building making it hard to take pictures.  Most of my pictures were taken with the ambient light level due to the distance away from the aircraft.  Additionally, the planes are arranged such that it is hard to photograph them without something being in the way.  A big advantage over the downtown Air and Space Smithsonian and the Air Force Museum is that there are multiple balconies around the inside of the building that do allow you to get some unimpeded shots looking down on the aircraft.  However, some of the aircraft are parked right beneath the balconies, leading to some gyrations trying to get a good shot.  Sometimes you have to shoot between steps and poles, especially if you're a Korean War fan.  There is only one balcony in the space exploration section, so it is harder to get pictures there.  I would definitely recommend that you put this on your list to visit if you are in the Washington DC area!  All pictures by Mike Blohm.

Check out the museum's website at:  http://www.nasm.si.edu/udvarhazy/

Vought F4U-1D Corsair	Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird	Rockwell Space Shuttle "Enterprise"	Boeing B-29 "Enola Gay" and Civilian / Helicopter Section	Boeing B-29 Stratofortress "Enola Gay"

McDonnell F-4S Phantom II	Mikoyan-Gurevich MIG 21F-13 Fishbed-C	Republic P-47D Thunderbolt	Arado Ar 234B-2 Blitz	Focke-Wulf Fw 190 F-8

Heinkel He219A Uhu Fuselage	Dornier Do-335A-1 Pfeil	Lockheed P-38J Lightning	Boeing B-29 Superfortress "Enola Gay"	Nakajima J1N1-S Gekko "Irving"
Aichi M6A1 Seiran	Boeing P-26A Peashooter	North American F-86A Sabre	North American P-51C Mustang "Excalibur III"	Grumman F6F-3 Hellcat

Curtiss P-40E Warhawk	Vought-Sikorsky OS2U-3 Kingfisher	Northrop P-61C Black Widow	Grumman F-14 Tomcat	Lockheed Martin X-35B STOVL JSF

JB-2 Loon (V-1)	Nike-Ajax Missile SAM	Fritz X Guided Bomb	Henschel Hs 293 A-1	Rheintochter (Rhine Maiden) R I  SAM

Tracking and Data Relay Satellite	Agena-B Upper Stage	Pegasus XL Launch Vehicle	AGM-86A Air Launched Cruise Missile (ALCM)	Mars Pathfinder Lander Prototype & Sojourner Rover

 

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Several ASM members traveled together to attend the air show at Kirtland AFB New Mexico on July 1, 2006.  The featured performance was the USAF Aerial Demonstration Team, the Thunderbirds.  Other flight performances included a "Heritage Fly-By" consisting of a P-51D Mustang, F-4E Phantom II and an F-15C Eagle; the CV-22 "Osprey"; HC-130 with two HH-60's; and an F-117 Stealth Fighter.  Static displays included a SCUD missile transporter, an A-10 Warthog from Davis-Monthan AFB AZ; an F-16C from the 150 Fighter Group "Tacos" here at Kirtland AFB; a German Tornado from Holloman AFB NM; one of the new "Eclipse" biz-jets being built here in Albuquerque; a C-5 Galaxy, and a CV-22 Osprey, HH-53, HH-60 and multiple C-130 types from Kirtland AFB.  A P-51D and a T-6 Texan were in attendance but unfortunately were roped-off in a "prepping to fly" area where you couldn't get too close.  Several pictures from the air show are posted below.  It was a great time, but way too many people under a hot sky and long lines to get refreshments.

By John Tate ASM # MA9

While on a business trip to Germany, I was curious about the local scale modeling scene so when some websurfing turned up a weekend scale model show near Frankfurt, I decided to check it out. It was hard to know what to expect beforehand, since the website was entirely in German, but travel is adventure so I headed towards the venue in Offenbach-am-Main.

The show was being held in the town’s "Stadthalle," which turned out to be a mid-size municipal auditorium. Admission was 3 Euros, about $4. The event itself was unlike any model show I’ve seen in the U.S., since there was no contest. Instead, picture the vendor room at the Nationals with large model club display tables set up in the middle of the hall. I started checking out the vendor tables and found an amazing selection of model kits, reference material and aftermarket products. I like to think I’m current on the hobby, but about half of the products on display were completely new to me – it was an alternate universe of modeling! In the U.S., we are used to a Japan-dominated hobby, but Europe has its own hobby industry with an outstanding selection of kits, aftermarket products and reference books. I spent a half hour just looking at all the new products before buying anything. The show’s primary focus was armor, diorama and figure modeling, but there were also plenty of aircraft kits and aftermarket items for sale.

The model displays were first-rate, representing about a dozen local model clubs. Aircraft, armor, figure and diorama models dominated the displays, but some nice car, ship and card models were also on hand. Particularly interesting was a card model display with some incredible ship and Zeppelin models – I couldn’t believe these models were made out of paper! After seeing some of these great models, all I can say is that I’m glad there’s an ocean between us and Europe or we would be in serious trouble at our Regional and National contests. Overall, the show had a friendly, business-like atmosphere, with participants shopping the vendor tables, admiring one another’s work and sharing historical tidbits and modeling tips; similar to an American show, but without the high-pressure competition.

But some things took some getting used to. For example, smoking was allowed in the lobby and there was beer on tap at the venue’s snack bar, something you don’t see at an American modeling event. Another curious note – none of the WWII Luftwaffe models had swastikas on their tails. They were left off, covered or only partially applied. This was in keeping with German law banning public display of the swastika. I know this is controversial to some American modelers but the Germans took it in stride. The only downside to the show was the exchange rate - no bargains here for Americans, since the dollar was only worth about 75 cents against the Euro.

Having a chance to visit a German model show was a worthwhile hobby experience. I enjoyed seeing a lot of new products and models on display and was interested to see a different approach to organizing a hobby show. If any ASM members find themselves in a foreign country, take an opportunity to check out the local scale modeling scene – you might be in for a treat.

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   Weekend of Heroes (WOH), a large action-figure event held annually in Southern California, took place at the Ontario, CA convention center the weekend of 25-27 Jun 04. Ordinarily this is not an event I would attend, but the WOH website boasted of a Stalingrad re-enactment, armor display and scale-model contest. A full-page, back-cover ad in a recent Finescale Modeler (FSM) billed WOH as a Hasegawa/DML-sponsored modeling event.   Since I was in the area on business, I made an effort to attend the show.

The FSM ad notwithstanding, the scale-modeling portion of the event was tiny compared to the action-figure draw, which was the primary focus of WOH.  Model turnout at WOH was about the size of a small local contest, with model entries lumped into a few large categories and judged by volunteers from IPMS Orange County.  I ended up placing third with my Hasegawa 1/48th SBD-3 Dauntless in a combined category of 1/48th and 1/32nd scale jets and props.  Mr. Hasegawa awarded trophies to the winners at a small ceremony on Sunday afternoon.

There was a large vendor floor at WOH, about the size of the vendor room at the IPMS Nationals, but the vendors were primarily oriented towards the action-figure market. There were a few exceptions, with the standout being Mission Models of Los Angeles, CA, which had an excellent selection of aftermarket armor conversion kits.  WWII armor displays included a restored M3A3 Stuart tank, SdKfz. 222 armored car and reproduction Tiger I based on a T-34 chassis, used in the movie Saving Private Ryan. Active-duty armor was also on display, including an M1A1 tank from the California Army National Guard.

Highlights of WOH were the two "Combat Dinner" events on Friday and Saturday nights.  Friday's event was a talk by Lt. Col. James Megellas, a highly-decorated veteran of "H" CO, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, who saw action from Anzio to Germany in WWII.  His recent book, "All the Way to Berlin," is a must-read.  Lt. Col. Megellas is a natural leader and riveting speaker and the dinner audience listened closely to his account of frontline combat in the Anzio beachhead.  Lt. Col. Megellas reminded us that in war, it is young men in small units who do the fighting, not the Generals and Grand Armies on which most historians focus.  In his closing remarks, Lt. Col. Megellas cautioned against glorifying war, useful advice for an audience of militaria buffs.

The Saturday night event was a re-enactment of the Battle of Stalingrad, held in a commercial steelyard in nearby Rialto, CA.  Conventioneers were taken by bus to the steelyard, where a Soviet re-enactor gave a call to arms to fight for the Motherland (a la Enemy at the Gates) and herded us off the bus.  Under the watchful eyes of Rialto Police Department, a prolonged shootout followed between Red Army and Wehrmacht re-enactors of the WWII Research and Preservation Society (RPS).  The authentic uniforms, loud automatic weapon reports and sputtering armored vehicles made it look and sound a lot like the real thing.

After the battle, the spectators were put back aboard buses and returned to the convention center for dinner.  The two combat veterans of Stalingrad, Maj. Alfred von Habsburg-Hohenberg and Col. Anatoly Kozlov, each gave speeches about their experiences.   Both veterans were true gentleman and received standing ovations from the audience.

As an event, WOH was not cheap, since it was designed as a Nationals-type show for action-figure hobbyists.  The cost of the Friday and Saturday night dinner events, contest registration and parking exceeded $200.  When food, fuel and lodging were added in, it became an expensive show for anyone outside the local area.  John Lu, the event organizer, put a lot of effort into making WOH a logistical success and action-figure conventioneers enjoyed themselves.  However, given the high cost of WOH and the focus on action-figures, scale-modelers could be disappointed.  My advice: if time and money are limited, stick to dedicated scale-modeling events.  Nothing beats the IPMS Nationals!

by  John Tate, MA-9

Albuquerque Scale Modelers was represented in force at the ninth annual Tamiya/Con event, held 17-18 April 04 at the Tamiya America HQ in Aliso Viejo, California. ASM members Ed and Mike Mummey, Ken and Keith Liotta, Don Alberts, Chuck DeWitt and myself made the trip to southern Orange County to enter our best Tamiya models in one of the most prestigious modeling events in the country.

Tamiya/Con IX was a two-day, Saturday/Sunday show, with the models divided by subject among three contest rooms. Registration began at 9 AM on Saturday with the remainder of the day filled with modeling events and demos. Tamiya America's front office model gallery was open to visitors and a WWII re-enactment group was on hand, displaying a vintage U.S. Army half-track, 37mm anti-tank gun and M5A1 Stuart tank. Tamiya America erected a large sales tent in front of their HQ and there were a number of great deals on selected Tamiya kits and accessories.

Saturday was a slow day, possibly due to a rain front that moved through the area, but Sunday saw a huge turnout, similar to a large IPMS Regional. It was enjoyable to shop the sales tent and see the great models on display, but the highlight of the show was ASM's own Mike Mummey, MSG, USMC. At the invitation of Tamiya America, Mike gave an interesting talk about markings changes on USMC tanks during his 20-year career as a Marine tanker, which included service in Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Mike is a great speaker and enlivened his presentation with humorous anecdotes about his experiences in the Corps. Particularly memorable was a story about how he applied desert mud to camouflage the green reactive armor tiles on the M60A1 tanks in his company, something he learned from reading a model reference book on WWII Panzers in Russia!

Award presentations were made by senior Tamiya America representatives and Mr. Tamiya himself was on hand to witness the ceremonies. Although the basic categories at Tamiya/Con were similar to those at IPMS Regional contests, judging was less restrictive, with emphasis on creativity and attractive finishes. Well-built, eye-catching, imaginative models had the edge. ASM winners were as follows:

- Ed Mummey, 3rd Place in Wheeled Military Vehicles, All Scales, for his 1/35th U.S. Army Dragon Wagon, loaded up with a captured Panther.

- Don Alberts, 1st Place in 1/48th Scale Jets for his USN F4D-1 Skyray and 2nd Place in 1/48th Allied Props for his USN F2A Brewster Buffalo.

- I won a 1st Place in Dinosaurs for my 1/35th T-Rex and a 3rd Place in 1/700th Ships for my Kursk submarine.

Unfortunately, none of us won a trip to Japan, although four lucky modelers were selected for the legendary journey, scheduled for May 04.

All in all, Tamiya/Con was a worthwhile experience. Tamiya America obviously values its customers and went to great lengths to see that their contest was fun for all participants. If I can finish more Tamiya models over the next year, I will certainly be at Tamiya/Con X and recommend it to all ASM members looking for an enjoyable contest experience.

Field Trip!

War Eagles Air Museum, Santa Teresa, NM

January 25, 2004

By Tom Perea

We started out at 0700, and it was great that we were all able to fit into the same van. Danny Williamson was nice enough to put the miles on his own vehicle. If you don't know Danny, he's our newest member, and he's been in Japan for the past three and half years. Talk about hobby heaven. So six of us piled into the van: Danny, Brian Peck, Rick Carver, Jason Clevenger, Patrick Dick and I. Tim Estes had made the trip with his friends and family, and we met up with him at the museum.

After making a couple of stops along the way for breakfast and leg stretching exercises, we made the trip in record time. OH, wait a minute-Brian wasn't driving. It really did go by fast for a four and half hour trip. The company was good and the conversation was interesting. As we got closer you could hear the anticipation in everyone's voices. "Turn Here!" "No, park here!" "Let me out, I'll just walk from here. " Well, it wasn't quite that drastic, but you get the idea.

Six dollars apiece and we were in, except for Danny who got the military rate. The very first thing you walked into was the gift shop, and of course we had to check out all the books, posters, and, of course, models. I think overall we were pretty well disciplined - we didn't buy everything we saw. Of course, I think most of us were smart not to bring a whole lot of money on this trip. The very first thing that we saw when we walked in was a Duesenberg, the first car to enter WWII; well, maybe not.

The museum was a mixture of classic cars and airplanes. It was my first time here and I had taken my digital camera. I think I saw the whole museum through the lens of my camera. It was great.

I really like all the planes that were there. Some were smaller then I thought and some were bigger then I had imagined. There were a couple of P-51s, a P-38, various MiGs, a cool-looking Corsair - just so many nice planes.

After hanging out and talking about variations of all the planes we saw, we grabbed a quick bite at Chili's, and we were on our way back home. If anyone had the desire to see these planes for themselves, it's a trip that's well worth the time it takes to get there.

The museum's web site is accessible at the address

http://www.war-eagles-air-museum.com

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