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The Envelope, Please
Lee Ya-Ching stepping from the cockpit of her Stinson SR-9B Reliant "Spirit of New China", c.1939. NASM-9A06062, Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum Archives. Balancing access and preservation is...
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Langley Preservation Project: Thinking Outside the Box
In 1887, Samuel Pierpont Langley became the third Secretary of the Smithsonian. Included among his many accomplishments is his founding of the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory in 1890. His...
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Where There is Wool, There is a Way
My coworkers and I are fortunate: every day, we get to touch pieces of history that few others ever lay hands on and seldom see. Why are we so privileged? We are helping to move some of the National...
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Preserving and Displaying the “Bat-Wing Ship” – March Update
Close up of the acrylic canopy being analyzed by our conservation staff and Smithsonian’s Museum Conservation Institute (MCI). Waiting for an update on the conservation and restoration of our Horten H...
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Horten Ho 229 V3 “Bat-Wing Ship,” January 2015 Update
Following months of preparation, members of the Collections Processing Unit moved the center section of the Horten Ho 229 V3* from the Paul E. Garber Restoration and Storage Facility to the Mary Baker...
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70 Years Ago: Flak-Bait’s 200th Mission
On Tuesday, April 17, 1945, Flak-Bait completed its historic 200th mission as it led the 322nd Bombardment Group in a raid on Magdeburg, Germany. That journey, which began in late July 1943, made it...
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Inside the Enterprise Studio Model
As the Museum is assessing the 11-foot studio model of the Star Trek starship Enterprise, we’re trying to provide occasional updates to the many fans of this iconic artifact of American culture. The...
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A Triage Treatment for Apollo Biomedical Sensors
Much like medical triage, conservation triage analyzes the risk posed to an object and the hazards associated with not taking immediate action. Triage conservators ask questions such as: Can the object...
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Models on the Move: Rehousing 800+ Models from the Collection
You may be surprised to know that in addition to the largest collection of authentic aviation- and space-related artifacts in the world, our Museum also has an impressive model collection. Our model...
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