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London Science Museum

2007-12-01T09:00:32Z

:: London Science Museum ::

Walking northwards from the South Kensington tube station, I was first greeted by the huge London Natural History Museum (and made a mental note to visit it in the future). Just around the corner is the London Science Museum.

Just before stepping into the museum, I had an eerie anticipation. With one of our main international offices being in London, I have made my way to the city well over ten times. But during all of these visits I never got beyond the airport-office-hotel triangle. Except for the late night pub and restaurant tours, of course. Gripping the handle, I knew that I had broken out of that particular spell - I had overcome the unfriendly nature of museum opening hours towards business travelers.

Being first greeted by a security guard reminded myself of the museums in Washington, but the check was more casual. The gift shop had tons of exciting memorabilia, gadgets and puzzles. But what came beyond that was a lot more exciting - the museum itself.

There were groups of young girls and boys who found the museum to be very agreeable. For me personally, there were moments of recognition in item after item. Things that captured the imagination or transformed the world in their own day. Let them be giant steam engines that revolutionized the safety of mining before proceeding to change the face of transportation and manufacturing forever. Or fabric looms that clothed Europe and later became the foundation of early computers. Not to mention Miss England and other competition craft that inspired many generations of British engineers.

It sadly was a Friday and I had to catch a plane back to Estonia in just a few hours. I rushed onwards through some exhibitions with determination to come back for a more thorough look.

Speaking of aviation, there are two floors dedicated to space and aviation. Among the space exhibits were the Sputnik, Apollo lunar lander (that I had already seen in the Air and Space museum) and Apollo capsule. A V-2 rocket and the XG900 plane stood next to each other in the main gallery. The first one was Hitler's wonder weapon that the British government managed to keep from the London public for quite a while despite several hits. The latter one was one of the first successful VTOL (vertical takeoff and landing) testbed that later gave learnings to the building of the Harrier.

The Flight gallery featured planes such as the Antoinette monoplane, Lilienthal's glider, Wright Flyer's repo, the Roe Triplane and from the more modern era a Spitfire, cross-section of a jumbo, a glider, Learjet and many more. A cross-section of the V-1, putting the internals on display, was interesting and the selection of engines was impressive. Attracting a flock of kids were several simulators (though the experience cost extra).

Right now I'm torn between whether to go for a more in-depth visit the next time or check out London's other attractions.

Location: Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London SW7 2DD, England, United Kingdom

Further information:
- My London Science Museum photos
- London Science Museum aviation, unofficial list of planes
- London Science Museum, official page

Book review: Visions of Flying Machine

2007-12-01T09:00:32Z

:: Book review: Visions of Flying Machine ::

Orville and Wilbur were the first men to build and fly a controlled powered plane, but they began their quest much more humbly. They set out to systematically study the subject. The now infamous letter to Smithsonian read "I have been interested in the problem of mechanical and human flight ever since as a boy I constructed a number of bats of various sizes after the style of Cayley's and Penaud's machines." Wilbur continued, "I am an enthusiast, but not a crank in the sense that I have some pet theories as to the proper construction of a flying machine. I wish to avail myself of all that is already known and then if possible add my mite to help on the future worker who will attain final success."

In an age where there were less disciplined men jumping off buildings with makeshift wings, the systematic approach of the Wright brothers is what brought them the final success they thought other men would have. This book is about that journey. It's about the problems and the challenges along the way to attain success. In a few places, the reading pace felt a bit slow, but that may have been because I've already read one book about them and I've seen several films. Nevertheless, it's a good detailed book.

It turns out that nearing the turn of the century, not much was known about mechanical flight. That which was known, often had fundamental flaws. Lillienthal's were incorrect, as was the accepted Smeaton's coefficient. That led to dramatically less lift on their first models than they anticipated. To understand the core problem, they isolated it and built a wind tunnel. There had been swirling arms and wind tunnels before, but the Wrights excelled with the construction of measurement instruments and the systematic approach with a larger set of objects to experiment with.

It ultimately led to a large table of wing profiles and their performance, as well as other different shapes, performance of bi-planes and so forth. It also led to a coeficent that improved upon Smeaton's and has been proven to be correct to just within a few percent - an amazing feat.

Unlike the other book I read about the Wright brothers ("To Conquer the Air"), this book eliminates the other story lines almost ruthlessly. It does not go deeply into analysis of the extended family relationships, other competitors and their feats nor the patent and commercialization struggles after the invention. It's about the journey towards the goal of powered manned flight. It clearly discusses the apparatus they used to make measurements, the techniques of building, the thought processes and even some mathematics. If that strikes your fancy, I do recommend you head over to your local book store or Amazon and get it.

My rating: 3.5 stars (out of 5) - if I had not read about the Wright brother's with this detail before, it might well have been a 4.

Get more information and buy at Amazon.com.

Aeroseum aviation museum (near Säve airport), Gothenburg/Göteborg, Sweden

2007-11-25T15:51:11Z

:: Aeroseum aviation museum (near Säve airport), Gothenburg/Göteborg, Sweden ::

New museum, old military underground base. Near Säve/Saeve airport.

Each of us presses the button labeled "In" outside the doors to log us in, the number on the counter screen increases from 17 to 39, indicating the count of people in the facility. A signal is sounded to boost up the motors opening the doors.

"They built this to withstand a nuclear blast hitting the Säve airport (which used to have a military airfield) just 500 meters away," a person translates our guide. Eret and I did not call in advance to order an English tour as requested on their website. Luckily for us, there are a few friendly volunteers that help the Aeroseum group out and can both translate and answer our questions without disturbing the rest of the group.

We have already descended some 10 meters below ground level into a mass of granite without even getting to the entrance itself. We're at a tri-intersection. Two to give any blastwave a pass-through tunnel to dissipate the energy. The third path carved into the stone behind the doors to lead us further underground.

A second signal and the 180 tons of almost a meter thick blastdoors slide open effortlessly. A streak of overhead lights guides our gaze down to the deeper end of the facility that must lie behind the downwards sloping curve. The foreground has several large jet aircraft, giving a real sense of how the base would have operated. On the left wall is a world map depicting a timeline with the highlights of the Cold War, a product of which the current museum underground shelters are.

Our group strolls into the museum. In this museum, everything that is presented and is not behind a wire, can be looked at, photographed, touched and even climbed into. One of the things that the most eager visitors discover first is that the cabins of some of the aircraft are surprisingly small despite the 10+ meter lengths of the aircraft.

On the side of the tunnel is a door with bare stone and a photo gallery of the building and blasting of the base. The base has two underground shelters built in two phases in 1942 and 1955 with a combined area of 30.000 m². The sheer amount of the rock carried out is amazing. That said, it is not the biggest facility of its kind in Sweden by far.

Further down the shaft are several helicopters, treaded and wheeled vehicles, generators and another set of doors leading to much larger areas. This is where the exhibition really begins. Planes from the early eras of aviation, hang gliders, helicopters, private aircraft to military jet ejection seats, jet planes, engines, missles and "aerial torpedoes" (ancestors to modern cruise missles).

One military airplane we soon walk past, is a Saab aircraft. A volunteer along with the group used to be a navigator on the very same model. He had over 2000 flights with some of these to the once highly secret base where we were now and which had been declassified only some twenty years ago.

The guide who obviously knows his stuff and the friendly helpers of the museum guide us through the many aerial vehicle contraptions, allowing for ample time to look at them closely. Before long, an hour and half - over half of the tour duration - has passed and it's time for coffee, refreshments and snacks.

When the tour resumes, the restoration efforts are highlighted.

Right next to the planes we watch are people hard at work restoring, composing the frame of a wooden wing, placing the sections in place. We don't disturb them, but we do look at something very similar. A cross section of a wing. The section shown to us is very light. It's built upon a wooden frame like the models I used to build when I was much younger in a model plane club. The tour guide explains how the frame gets first covered with fabric, then surfaced with various substances until you have a readymade wing, able to support a substantial plane.

After also looking at some of the service tunnels, the control room and the radio room (with another volunteer filling us in on some of the details that came up with questions), we get to another array of planes and jet engines. The final 30 minutes is filled with getting acquainted with them first hand, through the tour guide's view and asking any remaining questions.

All in all, two and half hours well spent. As we leave the facility, pressing the "Ut" button, the counter decreases again. It's completely dark now outside. I set my camera on a tripod for a long exposure and take a final shot of the museum, capturing the intersection and passage into the underground shelter.

For more from my trip to the Aeroseum, look at the photo gallery from the day.

Some further information also from the Aeroseum website.

Aeroseum is near Gothenburg City Airport Saeve AB station. It's ~20 minutes by bus nr 35 from Gothenburg central stop 'Hjalmar Brantingsplatsen' to stop 'Granhäll', followed by a 5 minute walk (also on Google maps):
.

Tartu aviation museum, Estonia

2007-09-25T05:54:21Z

:: Tartu aviation museum, Estonia ::

The day I went for a joyride in a glider, I also went to the Tartu aviation museum. Obviously the visit was not quite as dramatic as the almost 200 ton doors of the Aeroseum and it's big hangars that were carved into solid granite to withstand a nuclear blast. But I was amazed to find, first of all, that there even is an aviation museum in Estonia and second of all that it's fairly rich in the planes it displays, well organized and that it's growing at a good pace. It's also amazing that it has been founded in the second biggest town of Estonia (actually even a bit south from it). I suspect it's because it's one of the oldest education cradles of Europe with it's university and because the Tartu Aviation College also resides there.

Suprisingly, aviation in Estonia is not as new of a thing as I thought. The first aero club was founded in 1908 (just a few years after the first motorized flight) and that the first Estonian republic had an airforce starting from 1918. With the Soviet occupation, all the 65 planes that the Estonian airforces had along with the ground and naval airfields, were taken by the occupation forces or dismantled during the war. The occupation years of course brought another era of aviation to Estonia - many rocket bases (both nuclear and SAMs) and airfields, among them the second biggest military airfield of Eastern Europe. With the re-independence, Estonian aviation started to advance again in the early 1990s.

The Tartu aviation museum was opened in 2002. It's open every day from April to November from 10 am to 6 pm (check their website for latest information). I arrived just an hour before closing time and was 10 minutes late in getting out, but the friendly staff allowed me to finish taking pictures of the last objects I sought after. Overall an enjoyable visit.

My photos of the visit.
Official page: Tartu Lennundusmuuseum
Full address: Veskiorg, Lange, Haaslava vald, 62101 Tartumaa, Eesti

Glider flight in Southern Estonia

2007-08-25T14:54:21Z

:: Glider flight in Southern Estonia ::

During a fun weekend, I was driving around in Southern Estonia and enjoying both the scenery, as well as the roads. In the early hours of Friday, I noticed a place name with a familiar ring to it. Ridali. It's the home to an aeroclub, where they extensively fly gliders (or sailplanes). I know because I have repeatedly been to their website for two things. When I was younger, I seriously considered getting a glider. Lately, I had been thinking about going up in a glider with a pilot for a fun recreational flight - the price is a little over an Estonian kroon for each meter of initial elevation.

Unlike the recommendation on their website, I had not booked a flight in advance. It was only 9 am, so when I arrived I that there was just one person there apart from the guard. Luckily he was very friendly and fun to be around. It turned out that it would not be a problem to go up for a glider flight that day.

Since nobody else was at the airfield yet, we pushed out the planes from hangars onto the grass airfield together. A Wilga and a smaller plane. I was surprised to find out that the Wilga is was designated as an experimental plane and actually came in forms of kits during the Soviet times to do resource extension. It showed that it's old, but it seemed sturdy enough and is bound to be ideal for short grass airfields such as this.

An hour or so later, others showed up, a glider was swiftly prepared. As we waited on the airfield, it was interesting to see that one could balance the glider to stay upright on the ground in the wind that blew across from us.

We then took off from the airfield and later released the tow cable, I found that the windy autumn day made for a bit of a bumpy ride. The best gliding season was said to be over, but we struck lucky. There were quite a few rising air columns, which meant we had an option to also go up, not just fall down. The experience was nice and relatively quiet. Sure, there was quite a bit of a whooshing noise - much like in a car. But the lack of engines meant there was no humming nor rumbling noise. The plane is very light and you feel connected with the outside environment.

On the instrument panel, there were compasses and gages relative and absolute speed, absolute altitude meters and altitude meters showing the delta or how much you rose/fell for every distance unit you flew. Mostly the airspeed was under 100 kmph, but we reached as much as 120 kmph during some bursts.

Some time later, it was time to land and continue my trip in Southern Estonia. I had other things planned - among them a visit to the Tartu aviation museum (visit report).

Photos of the visit and flight
Official website of Ridali flight club

Steven F. Udvar-Hazy museum travel report

2008-03-23T14:54:21Z

:: Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, Washington International Dulles Airport ::

While on the way to vacationing in Central America, I had to change planes in New York. A connection immediately popped into my mind. This was a chance to see the SR-71 Blackbird.

The Intrepid Sea, Air and Space museum (an aircraft carrier converted into a museum and docked to Manhattan's Pier 86 in New York) was unfortunately shut down for repairs and would not open until November 11, 2008 - a full half a year after my trip. Not easily deterred from this opportunity, I booked Washington as a two day 390 km detour on the trip.

Washington DC has the Smithsonian Air and Space museum. It never had the space to display the SR-71, but thanks to a generous donation, they've opened the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center as an extension to it. It's next to the Dulles airport, a half an hour bus ride away from the city center of Washington DC. The Smithsonian Air and Space museum (in downtown Washington DC) info desk gives out sheets with information on how to get to the center.

So one morning we stepped onto the 5A bus to Dulles Airport, changed buses half an hour later at Dulles airport, where there is a connecting bus a few minutes after the 5A arrives and were at our destination a further 10 minutes later. The buses do cost something - I don't remember how much, but I do remember that you needed exact change and it was cash only. The museum itself, like all Smithsonian museums are free.

You have to go through security when entering the museum. The only thing that bothered them was my camera tripod. You are forbidden to use tripods almost everywhere in Washington DC unless you have a special permit. They either wanted me to check it in or keep it in my bag at all times. It did put me in something of a tight spot - there isn't a lot to do with a camera in a place lit the way it was, but I did manage to get some shots when leaning against something.

The first sight from inside the museum was the SR-71 Blackbird. It was as sleek as I knew it to be, but it was smaller than I pictured in my head. The Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center features many iconic pieces of history. I don't know where they were kept before it opened nor what else they might have hidden away in storage facilities. But I'm sure glad they are all on display in addition to the things on show in the Air and Space Museum already.

For example, looking over the distinct shape of the Blackbird, you see the Space Shuttle in the background. Look left and you see the Concorde. Elsewhere, you have the chance to see the Enola Gay, F-14, Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer, X-35 Joint Strike Fighter, Northrop N-1, history of rockets, Langley's aerodrome, a range of jet engines and many-many more planes as well as helicopters.

While I was happy to see all of that, my major goal was to see the SR-71, as said in the beginning. I first became interested due to the vast leap of technology it represented and that it still has not been superseded. An interest that was positively galvanized after reading the book 'Skunk Works' by Ben Rich, after which it started to represent an admiration for the Kelly Johnson management and development philosophy (it reminds me of the Chief Technical Officer I used to have at Skype) as well as the embodiment of aspiration towards engineering excellence. A truly brilliant book and excellent hotbed of development.

Whenever you have a chance to visit the Udvar-Hazy center, make sure you also visit the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.

Tips:
- To get to the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, take the 5A bus from the corner of 7th St SW and Maryland Av, right next to a metro stop (you can get printed instructions from the National Air and Space Museum). Change buses at Dulles Airport (the connection bus leaves 5 meters from the 5A stop just a few minutes after the 5A arrives). Bring cash for the bus trip.
- No need to bring your camera tripod unless you have a special permit.
- The museum is free of charge.
- The cinema at the museum is not free of charge.

Further information:
- My Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center photos
- Smithsonian's National Air and Space museum
- My Air and Space museum photos
- Wikipedia: Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, Washington Dulles International Airport
- Official Smithsonian Institute page about the 'Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center'

Smithsonian's National Air and Space museum travel report

2008-03-23T14:54:21Z

:: Smithsonian's National Air and Space museum ::

When visiting the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, I also went to see the main National Air and Space Museum - right smack in the central of Washington DC. Both the Udvar-Hazy center (by means of public transport), as well as the entire Washington DC center, including the Air and Space Museum was very nicely accessible by foot from the Holiday Inn I was staying in (550 C street SW).

You are greeted here, in the most popular of the Smithsonian museums, the same way you are in almost all other Smithsonian museums - by security guards and metal detectors. Unluckily I had forgotten a Swiss knife in my backpack, but the staff was receptive and polite when I brought their attention to it before proceeding through the security check. The museum is free. Only the simulators and the cinema areas are paid for 'attractions'.

The main hall normally has the permanent exhibition of Milestones of Flight. During my visit there were minor renovations going on, but one could see the embodiments of significant leaps peeking out from underneath white tarps - the Bell X-1, the fastest rocket plane X-15, the Voyager no refueling around the world flight and the SpaceShipOne.

On the west end there's a giant glass wall that is used as a door for planes and opposite to it is the Apollo Lunar Module on the east end. Moving through the museum, I was especially glad to see the How Things Fly exhibition - kids flocked to it and allowed themselves a long agreeable while to play with exhibitions like you'd normally only find in science museums. They were also entertained by a speech with tips on paper airplane construction and end it with a fly-off like the big boys do. Or they could learn to fly a plane by keeping it stable in the onslaught of air from fans.

My personal favorite exhibitions were the Space Race with a V-1 and V-2 on display (the latter being practically the sole path from which all other rocketry evolved) as well as Looking on Earth with aerial photography. With the immense size of the museum, I'm sure everybody else will find their cup of tea as well.

Further information:
- My Smithsonian's National Air and Space museum photos
- My Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center travel report
- My Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center photos
- Wikipedia: National Air and Space Museum

Planespot links

2007-06-25T15:54:21Z

:: Aviation links ::

Military Aviation in Sweden website by Lars Henriksson - lots of Swedish aviation museums.

List of world's aviation museums.

Johan Junemo's writeup of a visit to the Aeroseum.

Some spectacular photos at hottail.nl (check out the Volkel night flying pictures) and the Aeroseum visit.

Found a writeup of an early visit to the Aeroseum - a few years before I was there. The page is at bogers.nu. Lots has changed since then.

Old pages on this site:
B-2 Spirit
Canuck
Rafale
Mig-25
Mig-31
Sukhoi-27
Sukhoi-37
Levasseur Antoinette
X-33/VentureStar