While visiting Seattle in August 2024, I popped into arguably one of the best aviation museums in the world.
The Museum of Flight is based at King County airport also known as Boeing Field. It houses some iconic aircraft and space artifacts. Since my last visit in 2011, the Aviation Pavilion has been added to the museum on the opposite side of the road from the museum. More of that later.
The museum has several galleries for different periods such as WW1 and WW2 and several Boeing aircraft which are not seen anywhere else.
I arrived and was met by my old friend Ted Huetter who is the Public Relations Manager. He quickly organised passes for myself and Herb who is a family member in Seattle.
Entrance to main gallery
Boeing Model 80A - only one left
another view of the main gallery
Apollo 007A capsule
Remains of Apollo 12 engine parts recovered from the bottom of the sea
One walks into the main gallery from the entrance and is greeted with some amazing aircraft - a Boeing 80A and is the only surviving model of its kind. From then on, it is just wall to wall spectacular and interesting aircraft. The main gallery leads to the space gallery and then across to the WW2 and above that WW1 galleries. Again, some pretty spectacular aircraft - many of the WW2 aircraft saw active duty during the war but most of the WW1 aircraft are replicas. The exception is the Aviatik D.I and the Caproni Ca.20 which is considered to be the first fighter plane. Another is the Nieuport 28 C1 which is a restored original. The last one is the Pfalz D.XII which is an authentic WW1 survivor. In all, the museum has 18 WW1 aircraft displayed in various ways - either standing or hanging from the roof. If you are into WW1 aircraft, this is the place to see them.
Curtiss P40N Warhawk
View of WW2 gallery
Caproni WW1 fighter - original condition
WW1 gallery view
The WW2 aircraft are just as interesting with many of them I have seen flying at Duxford. I liked the way they are displayed and with caption boards explaining their history and specifications.
The museum is particularly proud of its space artifacts. The Space gallery has some amazing bits and pieces. The replica Sputnick 1 is a prime example. Manufactured by the Academy of sciences of the USSR, it hangs in the Space gallery and one can just marvel at the way technology and space development has changed in just a few years. This tiny satellite was launched in1957 and sent out a beep-beep signal which at the time was a marvel to some and alarming for others.
Salvaged from the bottom of the sea, some components of the engine of Apollo 12 - slightly bent but identifiable as the F1 engine bits. Another very interesting item is the Apollo Command Module designated CM007A. It was originally the exact copy of Apollo 1 which was involved in the launch pad fire which cost the lives of Gus Grissom, Ed White and Roger Chaffee. CM007 was thereafter sent back to the manufacturer for modifications and was re-designated as CM007A and returned for the Apollo 1 accident review board to make sure the mods had been carried out to their specifications which included the redesigned hatch which hampered the rescue team reaching the stricken astronauts in the fire.
My visit included a visit to the “new” (for me) Charles Simonyi Space Gallery and Aviation Pavilion which is across the road from the museum itself but is included in the entry fee.
View of the Charles Simonyi Space Gallery with the Shuttle trainer
Soyuz TMA-14 capsule
Soyuz TMA 14 dwarfed by the Shuttle trainer
For those who do not know, Charles Simonyi was the developer of Microsoft Excel and a space traveller. He was lucky enough to be able to afford two trips via the Soyuz space crafts. In 2007 he was launched into space with two other astronauts in Soyuz TMA-10 and returned 11 days later in Soyuz TMA-9. Then in 2009 he lifted off in Soyuz TMA-14 and returned to earth in Soyuz TMA-13. He thus became the first repeat space tourist.
The gallery has one major artifact and several smaller ones. However, the major one dominates the gallery in the form of a full fuselage trainer - a mock-up of the orbiter for training the astronauts due to go on a mission in the orbiter. It was one of several built and used by NASA for this purpose. Training included familiarization of the orbiter, galley ops, payload bay systems and egress/ingress of the orbiter. Standing in the payload bay, one can only be amazed at the size of the spacecraft. It has, I believe, a working payload arm. Hanging above the bay is a replica of the Boeing developed Inertial Upper Stage rocket booster. The booster could be launched from the payload bay and then it would fire its motors to propel the payload it carried into space. Typical payloads were Magellan to Venus, Galileo to Jupiter and Ulysses to the Sun.
The cavernous payload bay of the Shuttle & the Inertial Upper Stage hanging above the payload bay
Standing next to the Orbiter mock-up is a Soviet capsule (Soyuz TMA-14) bought by Charles Simonyi from the Russians. It shows the blistering re-entry temperatures these capsules encounter on returning though our atmosphere.
The final section of the museum is the Pavilion which “houses” many historic aircraft. I say housed as while they are covered by a roof, the sides are open to the elements. Not ideal but better than when I last saw some of these aircraft in 2011 on my last visit. Back then they were standing in the open.
Douglas A4-F Skyhawk - Blue Angels
Different views of the Aviation Pavilion aircraft
Highlights for me was seeing the prototype Boeing 747 and 737. Both aircraft have been refurbished since I last saw them. Another highlight was seeing the Boeing 787-003 which was on the assembly line in 2008 when I visited the Boeing factory. Some other memorable aircraft in this pavilion are a B-17, a B-29 and a WB-47 which was standing on the hard stand outside of the Museum in 2011 and thankfully is now in the pavilion under cover.
Boeing B-17 bomber in the Aviation Pavilion
B29 Bomber
Boeing VC-137B "Air Force One”
Boeing 747 prototype - “City of Seattle” - notice the old Springbok emblem with other airlines - one of the first customers! The first pic taken with my Canon 5D3 - the rest are all my Insta360 Ace Pro
A Boeing VC-137B “Airforce One” is next to a British Airways Concorde with several oldies - a Boeing 247D and a DC2 standing in front of them. There is also a Boeing 727 and then many smaller fighters and a Chinook helicopter.
All in all, if you are into famous and rare aircraft or Boeing aircraft, this is the museum to go to.
Thank you to Ted for another fantastic visit to the museum and to Herb for being a great host in Seattle.
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