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What are you looking forward to the most at the USAF Museum?


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Is the XB-70 still there? I don't remember seeing it back in the summer of 07.

It's in the R & D hangar now. That plane really impressed me the first time I saw it.

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We'll probably just make a token visit. We're only four hours from Dayton, and get to the museum on a regular basis..in fact, I'll be making my fourth visit in six months tomorrow, to take the "Behind The Scenes" tour of the restoration hangars.

SN

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For those going on Friday, there is a tour through the restoration dept each week. You have to call ahead to get a seat (free) in the group. I think it is 11:30-2pm each Friday.

Also (any day of the week), if you ask the info kiosk near the Bob Hope/USO display, you can get on the bus out to the presidential and experimental hangars for an hour. Those buses can fill up quickly some days, so if you want to do it go put your name in as soon as you get there.

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For those going on Friday, there is a tour through the restoration dept each week. You have to call ahead to get a seat (free) in the group. I think it is 11:30-2pm each Friday

Is there going to be an organized ARCer road trip to the museum or is it gonna be every modeler for himself?

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For those going on Friday, there is a tour through the restoration dept each week. You have to call ahead to get a seat (free) in the group. I think it is 11:30-2pm each Friday.

Also (any day of the week), if you ask the info kiosk near the Bob Hope/USO display, you can get on the bus out to the presidential and experimental hangars for an hour. Those buses can fill up quickly some days, so if you want to do it go put your name in as soon as you get there.

I was there last Oct, and the place is AWESOME. Just an FYI for non-Americans. You need to present a valid passport to visit the presidential and experimental hangers.

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Is there going to be an organized ARCer road trip to the museum or is it gonna be every modeler for himself?

Not sure if there will be a mass fieldtrip (it is just over an hour from nats). But for those who have never been there before, it is huge. You can easily spend a whole weekend wandering around. So wear comfortable shoes. I usually decide it is time to go home when my feet hurt and I get tired.

Also, if you want to take pictures in the cold war or modern section you should bring a tripod. They discourage the use of flash photography in the museum and these two hangars have particularly dim lighting.

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Not sure if there will be a mass fieldtrip (it is just over an hour from nats). But for those who have never been there before, it is huge. You can easily spend a whole weekend wandering around. So wear comfortable shoes. I usually decide it is time to go home when my feet hurt and I get tired.

Also, if you want to take pictures in the cold war or modern section you should bring a tripod. They discourage the use of flash photography in the museum and these two hangars have particularly dim lighting.

All of the hangars are now dim lighting and charcoal grey paint. When I was there over Christmas, they were repainting the last hanger (the one with the Vietnam stuff) with that charcoal grey / black ceiling.

Also, gone is the ability to walk up and get close to the planes so bring that tripod, a mini tripod for the lower angles and a monopod for going high and hopefully you can get some good pictures. it is really a shame they roped it off. I remember when they did not have the F-117 roped off, about ten years ago, and I got under there to get landing gear and weapons bay shots. They have the F-111A with it's weapons bay open - would love to get in there but the answer was no. Kind of a shame. I hope the Naval museum in PNS does not do the same. It is nice being able to walk amongst the aircraft.

The one thing I did see that had not been there the year before was the YF-23, which is in the R+D Hangar.

Mark

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Also, gone is the ability to walk up and get close to the planes so bring that tripod, a mini tripod for the lower angles and a monopod for going high and hopefully you can get some good pictures. it is really a shame they roped it off. I remember when they did not have the F-117 roped off, about ten years ago, and I got under there to get landing gear and weapons bay shots. They have the F-111A with it's weapons bay open - would love to get in there but the answer was no.

The one thing I did see that had not been there the year before was the YF-23, which is in the R+D Hangar.

Mark

I was able to get up all under the 117 when they were reorganizing and did get some pictures. There is all kinds of graffiti and well wishes etc from all of the pilots and ground crews. I was also lucky to see the B-36 parked outside GLEAMING in the sunlight. That was the prettiest thing I'd ever seen.

I think we will have some special logistical plans for the R&D Presidential hangars for the trip out to the museum but you NEED TO SIGN up for it with your convention registration.

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I would really like to get some shots of the X-15 and some of the 50s era jets. I have not been to the Museum since the mid 1990s. Looking forward to finally getting back. Don M.

The X-15 is in the R+D Facility now, sits under the XB-70

Mark

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We will definately do an ARC trip out to there......I'm guessing enough guys will be at the Nats with cars that bus transportation won't be needed and we can just car pool. I would think either Thursday or Friday would be the ideal days for a trip to the Museum......most people will be at the Nats by then. I mention Thursday as a possible day becasue there will be full tables of models to enjoy on Friday at the Nats and Saturday is the last day and there's sometimes good deals in the vendor rooms. The nats gets busier as each day passes. The ideal day to hit the museum is on the first or second day of the Nats....but the problem with that is many people don't attend the whole event.

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We will definately do an ARC trip out to there......I'm guessing enough guys will be at the Nats with cars that bus transportation won't be needed and we can just car pool. I would think either Thursday or Friday would be the ideal days for a trip to the Museum......most people will be at the Nats by then. I mention Thursday as a possible day becasue there will be full tables of models to enjoy on Friday at the Nats and Saturday is the last day and there's sometimes good deals in the vendor rooms. The nats gets busier as each day passes. The ideal day to hit the museum is on the first or second day of the Nats....but the problem with that is many people don't attend the whole event.

I would think about when the 2Bob's party is and plan around that. You should be ok if you plan on leaving from Wright Pat around 6-7pm.

I'll be helping Steve Stohr vend and hiding from Jason Holt most of the week so I doubt I'll go, besides....its 45 minutes up the road from me anyway :cheers:

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hiding from Jason Holt most of the week so I doubt I'll go, besides....its 45 minutes up the road from me anyway :woot.gif:

Hurmph! Hiding from me? I see how you are. And to think I got you those gold cuff links for Secrataries Day coming up!

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We will definately do an ARC trip out to there......I'm guessing enough guys will be at the Nats with cars that bus transportation won't be needed and we can just car pool. I would think either Thursday or Friday would be the ideal days for a trip to the Museum......most people will be at the Nats by then. I mention Thursday as a possible day becasue there will be full tables of models to enjoy on Friday at the Nats and Saturday is the last day and there's sometimes good deals in the vendor rooms. The nats gets busier as each day passes. The ideal day to hit the museum is on the first or second day of the Nats....but the problem with that is many people don't attend the whole event.

Perhaps the hotel has one of those vans we could 'borrow'? :thumbsup:

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Hurmph! Hiding from me? I see how you are. And to think I got you those gold cuff links for Secrataries Day coming up!

Someone must have mailed the wrong box, all I got was a couple of bronze colored thumbtac's B)

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I would think about when the 2Bob's party is and plan around that. You should be ok if you plan on leaving from Wright Pat around 6-7pm.

Well, the museum closes at 5:00, so that's not an issue.

I miss the "old days" 10-15 years ago, when they used to do after-hours "open cockpit" events for IPMS groups (although I understand the museum wanting to limit wear and tear on the aircraft.)

As for lighting, the WWI/WWII galleries have Olive Drab ceilings, the Cold War gallery is black, and the Modern Flight gallery (Korea & Vietnam) is being painted Neutral Gray as we speak. Here are a some pics I shot last Friday. This shows the original white ceiling..the area behind the curtain is what's currently being painted.

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That's one big tarp!!

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And here's the south end of the gallery, with the new paint. It's not as bad as I feared, and should be OK once the new lighting is in place. Still, flash is only good for closeups. If you want to get shots of a whole plane, a tripod is your best bet..especially if you're shooting film.

01-09-09240.jpg

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Cheers!

Steve

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