starting to assemble Flak-Bait?

[old iron]

See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWeLX8ZhfZk, forward to circa 14:30...

Looks like things may be starting to come together with Flak-Bait.

[menards]

looks more like they rearranged the bits in a "this is what it should look like fashion" i doubt that it gets reassembed anytime soon.

[APG85]

Definitely looks like they are doing something with it. Interesting...

[old iron]

They have cleaned up the whole north side of the hangar - Lincoln Standard moved to the south side - and moved the Wittman "Buster" (racing airplane) and Wright VinFiz through the restoration hangar and onto the Udvar Hazy floor in the past month. We have not seen that level of activity in ... years.

Another small racing airplane, the Mong "Full Tilt Boogie", with an extensive and successful Reno record, is a new accession and can be seen at the southern end of the hangar.

[JimH]

Stopped in about a month ago. As can be seen the engines, props, and the turret is sitting under Enola Gay. Buster was also on display and nice to see again. There isn't much room left...Shoo Shoo stuffed in the back...it'll be interesting to see how they bring it all together and where they will put them. I hate driving in DC so I skipped going to the Mall...

Jim

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[Warbirdnerd]

They are adding on to the Hangar. 20% increase in display space.
https://airandspace.si.edu/newsroom/pre ... azy-center

[Warbird Kid]

I cannot believe they are adding onto the north side and not the south. I really thought they were going to add on here:

[old iron]

They are adding on to the Hangar. 20% increase in display space.

This adds up to four new arches, on the Modern Aviation end of the hangar. That is the most that can be added given constraints on access roads and natural areas. This may presume some additions of new post-1945 accessions (F-117, A-10, others?) and adding the Pogo, FJ-1 Fury and Skyraider/SPAD from Garber, perhaps also the H-5 helicopter, F-104 +others? Four new bays will almost double the space on that end of UH, so this means a lot of additions to that end. I would like to see the Constellation (in National Guard markings) move over the the Modern Aviation side, which would make room for more civil aircraft on the south end.

I agree that addition of arches on the other (commercial and helicopter) end of the hangar is desired, but maybe that is planned for another (larger) donation. There is room for about eight new arches on that end. What I would love to see is those eight arches dedicated to the World War II aircraft, with the current WWII area being replaced by especially historic aircraft (the B-29 would thus stay there, but most everything else would be moved); I think it would be nice to see the current Axis end of that area go to the display of some of NASM's extensive art collection.

What is not being increased is the size of the WWII portion of the hangar. There is talk about adding the Shoo Shoo B-17 and Flak Bait, Sikorsky seaplane + the DH Mosquito, but there is little room for anything else. There are a number of restored ac that should be moved to the UH floor - Me.262, P-80 (prototype), Macchi 202, Spitfire, Zero. I hear that the P-61 will likely be withdrawn to storage.