goSmithsonian - February 2009 - (Page 18) “A REQUIRED VISIT FOR ALL OF HUMANITY” —ZAGAT U.S. FAMILY TRAVEL GUIDE World War I-era Jennys (above, in the exhibition “America by Air”) were the first aircraft to be used in regular service by the U.S. Post Office. Museum store (101): Find books for all ages, science kits, toys, clothing, collectibles—unique items that can’t be purchased anywhere but here. YAFFA ELIACH SHTETL COLL., USHMM, PHOTO SCOTT ROBINSON “Golden Age of Flight” (105): Learn the stories of record-breaking aviators like Roscoe Turner, Amelia Earhart and Jimmy Doolittle, who thrilled audiences with their derring-do in the period between the two world wars. The centerpiece here is the Hughes H-1 racer, in which Howard Hughes recorded world speed records in 1935 and 1937. “Jet Aviation Gallery” (106): In 1939, a pioneering type of aircraft engine developed by a German engineer ushered in a new age in aviation. Don’t miss two jet-age milestones, the German Messerschmitt Me 262 and the Lockheed XP-80 Lulu-Belle. “Early Flight” (107): See the world’s first military airplane, the 1909 Wright Military Flyer, and the 1894 Lilienthal glider. “How Things Fly” (109): Dozens of kid-friendly interactive gadgets teach the four principles of flight—weight, lift, thrust and drag. Activities abound: find out your weight on the moon, hop into the cockpit of a Cessna, or learn to make an award-winning paper airplane. “Looking at Earth” (110): Study the ingenious ways humans have struggled to better view the planet. See a tiny 1903 camera that could be strapped to a pigeon, as well as the Cold War era’s U-2 spy plane. “Explore the Universe” (111): Examine technology used to peer farther and farther into the cosmos, from antique astrolabes to today’s telescopes. “Space Race” (114): A giant black-and-white V-2 rocket marks the entrance to the gallery, home to a spectacular collection of rare items from the earliest days of human space exploration, including Yuri Gagarin’s and John Glenn’s space suits. SECOND FLOOR “Sea-Air Operations” (203): Come aboard the quarterdeck of the fictitious USS Smithsonian. As a member of the crew, watch aircraft take off goSmithsonian.com 100 Raoul Wallenberg Place, SW Washington, DC 20024-2126 South of the Washington Monument Metro: Smithsonian Blue and Orange lines 202.488.0400 ushmm.org http://www.ushmm.org http://www.ushmm.org http://www.goSmithsonian.com
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