New Smithsonian A&S!

**Uesugi Kenshin** · 04-24-2006, 00:09

I was in D.C on a college visit trip this week (five colleges in 4 days, 1040 miles!

) and when we got to D.C we visited the new Smithsonian Air and Space museum. It was quite cool, they have 300 aircraft, but unfortunately they can only show 200 at a time. They show commercial, military and space vehicles, but mostly military ones. The most interesting part for me was that they have the only DO-355 and Ar-247, they also have the only Ju-219 (iirc) fuselage, but it isn't in the greatest shape.

Anyone else been there?

Oh and while I am putting this thread up I visited Gettysburg College, Lehigh University, American University, George Washington University and Georgetown University. Gettysburg and Lehigh are both in Pennsylvania while the other three are in D.C. Anyone with any special insight into these colleges or questions please post them.

**Alexanderofmacedon** · 04-24-2006, 01:06

Sounds cool. I think I'm going to D.C in June. I'll try and check it out. Thanks.

**Uesugi Kenshin** · 04-24-2006, 01:31

It is a hangar next to Dulles airport iirc. It is named after some guy who donated a ton of money to them, it was the Herzy Center or something.....

**Csargo** · 04-24-2006, 01:37

I am going to D.C. in May I'll make sure too chech that out Kenshin.

**Uesugi Kenshin** · 04-24-2006, 02:08

I found the actual name of it, it is the Stephen E. Udvar Hazy Center, it is right next to Dulles airport and some other airport I forgot the name of.

**Beirut** · 04-24-2006, 02:37

I'd be dee-lighted to go.

I'm an air-o-holic.

**Reverend Joe** · 04-24-2006, 03:40

Want my advice on DC?

1. Head down to Georgetown. Rather expensive, but very nice place to walk around, look at stuff. Plus, if you head down to the Canal, there are some interesting hidden places down there. There is even a tiny sushi bar and a Chinese restaraunt.

2. Find Tenleytown- lot of places 'round there too.

3. As far as colleges go, I would recommend American if you are looking for a real campus atmosphere. It has a lot of great teachers and some very laid-back students. Plus, I went there for one year (and I should be returning this fall.) and I loved it. (Long story why I left.) If you really want to be in the city, though I would look more closely at George Washington- it is right smack in the middle of DC, and the campus is integrated with the city. Very interesting place.

**drone** · 04-24-2006, 16:08

If you like planes, the museum is supposedly worth the trip. My grandfather (a WWII pilot) went there late last year and loved it. Unfortunately, I have not made the 10 mile trip to see it yet.

One of these days...

Can't really help with the colleges though. GW, Georgetown, and AU all have good reputations, but I can't comment on the atmosphere. Which one you pick probably depends on what field you want to go into.

**Uesugi Kenshin** · 04-24-2006, 22:07

Well as far as academics are concerned GU, GC, GW, then AU in order of best to worst academics for what I am looking at. Lehigh focuses more on engineering so I'm not really sure where they fall, maybe between GU and GC, or GC and GW.

I liked the atmosphere at Gettysburg the most, but if I got accepted to Georgetown I'd definately go there because of the academics and Georgetown is really well known and in D.C.

Drone I don't think this new facility was open late last year, I could be wrong though. Are you thinking of the one just off the National Mall?

**drone** · 04-24-2006, 23:09

Originally Posted by Uesugi Kenshin

Drone I don't think this new facility was open late last year, I could be wrong though. Are you thinking of the one just off the National Mall?

The Udvar-Hazy center next to Dulles airport is the one.
http://www.nasm.si.edu/udvarhazy/ says it's been open since Dec 2003, but I don't think all exhibits were open then.

Wonder how it compares with the Duxford Imperial War Museum in the UK.
http://duxford.iwm.org.uk/
I went there in 1998, it was a pretty impressive collection, not just planes but tanks and other gear as well.

**Uesugi Kenshin** · 04-25-2006, 02:21

I'll need to check that place out if I'm ever in the area. I've only seen a couple of tanks close up, three M-60's parked about half a mile from my school max, and an M1A1 that I got to sit in. I was small so that was a big event at the time.

In Physics today we watched a movie about atomic bombs, there was a fair amount of footage of the Enola Gay, including some of it dropping the bomb. It was kind of odd to think that I had been within a few feet of it a few days ago.