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Air & Space, Museum, San Diego
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A The Plaza's End
The San Diego Air & Space Museum lay a the very end of Pan American Plaza. It was a short walk from the Bandstand and El Prado Street. Open seven days a week, it cost US $24.00 per adult with an extra charge for special presentations, such as the "Aliens Among Us" exhibit.
The San Diego Air & Space Museum (SDASM) • Balboa Park • 2001 Pan American Plaza, San Diego California • (Photo posted Sunday 20 March 2011) • (Photo taken 15:16:01 Thursday 14 October 1010) • © 2011 Bryan Costales #BCY_0422 Add a comment or report a mistake
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Open Daily
The front entry greeted the visitor with a friendly sign: Welcome to the San Diego Air & Space MuseumThe San Diego Air & Space Museum (SDASM) • Balboa Park • 2001 Pan American Plaza, San Diego California • (Photo posted Sunday 20 March 2011) • (Photo taken 15:22:00 Thursday 14 October 1010) • © 2011 Bryan Costales #BCY_0429 Add a comment or report a mistake
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Spirit Of St. Louis
A flyable replica of the original Spirit Of St. Louis was on display just inside the entrance. Their original replica was destroyed by arson in 1978. The museum built a replacement named Spirit 3 which first flew on April 28, 1979; it made seven flights before being placed on display.
The San Diego Air & Space Museum (SDASM) • Balboa Park • 2001 Pan American Plaza, San Diego California • (Photo posted Sunday 20 March 2011) • (Photo taken 15:23:06 Thursday 14 October 1010) • © 2011 Bryan Costales #BCY_0431 Add a comment or report a mistake
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Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) flew over the entry door. This one was an medium altitude, long endurance (MALE) MQ-1 Predator, a hunter-killer UAV.
The San Diego Air & Space Museum (SDASM) • Balboa Park • 2001 Pan American Plaza, San Diego California • (Photo posted Sunday 20 March 2011) • (Photo taken 15:25:01 Thursday 14 October 1010) • © 2011 Bryan Costales #BCY_0434 Add a comment or report a mistake
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Space Suits
Examples of space suits were on display just inside the entrance. Here was a display case with an example of the space suit worn on the original moon landings.
The San Diego Air & Space Museum (SDASM) • Balboa Park • 2001 Pan American Plaza, San Diego California • (Photo posted Sunday 20 March 2011) • (Photo taken 15:26:34 Thursday 14 October 1010) • © 2011 Bryan Costales #BCY_0435 Add a comment or report a mistake
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Curved Wall Of Art
A temporary curved wall had been built to separate the special exhibit of Aliens On Earth from the regular exhibits. The special exhibit cost more and was on the other side of the temporary wall. On the non-paying side were portraits of famous flight personalities and cases displaying flight memorabilia.
The San Diego Air & Space Museum (SDASM) • Balboa Park • 2001 Pan American Plaza, San Diego California • (Photo posted Sunday 20 March 2011) • (Photo taken 15:30:07 Thursday 14 October 1010) • © 2011 Bryan Costales #BCY_0438 Add a comment or report a mistake
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Skeleton Of A Plane
A World War I biplane was on exhibit with its fabric skin removed. Wood was used for its light weight. The construction was externally braced, having struts and/or bracing wires. These elements gave added strength without excess weight, but they did add unwanted aerodynamic drag.
The San Diego Air & Space Museum (SDASM) • Balboa Park • 2001 Pan American Plaza, San Diego California • (Photo posted Sunday 20 March 2011) • (Photo taken 15:32:09 Thursday 14 October 1010) • © 2011 Bryan Costales #BCY_0441 Add a comment or report a mistake
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SPAD VII.c.1
Société Anoyme pour l'Aviation et ses Dérives (SPAD). At the height of the first world war in 1916, swiss engineer Marc Birkigt introduced a water-cooled 150-horsepower V-8 engine for use in aircraft. It was fitted into the SPADD VII and by 1917 that plane came to rule the skies above France.
The San Diego Air & Space Museum (SDASM) • Balboa Park • 2001 Pan American Plaza, San Diego California • (Photo posted Sunday 20 March 2011) • (Photo taken 15:32:09 Thursday 14 October 1010) • © 2011 Bryan Costales #BCY_0447 Add a comment or report a mistake
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Identifying Documents
One case displayed the documents of a World War I pilot. The was the record for the pilot named G. E. Hewson.
The San Diego Air & Space Museum (SDASM) • Balboa Park • 2001 Pan American Plaza, San Diego California • (Photo posted Sunday 20 March 2011) • (Photo taken 15:35:36 Thursday 14 October 1010) • © 2011 Bryan Costales #BCY_0452 Add a comment or report a mistake
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Commercial Aviation
One whole section of the museum was dedicated to commercial aviation. Here was an exhibit of the planes, attire, and customs of that early era.
The San Diego Air & Space Museum (SDASM) • Balboa Park • 2001 Pan American Plaza, San Diego California • (Photo posted Sunday 20 March 2011) • (Photo taken 15:38:55 Thursday 14 October 1010) • © 2011 Bryan Costales #BCY_0456 Add a comment or report a mistake
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Ryan ST-3KR (PT-22) Recruit
The Ryan ST-3KR, US Army Air Corps PT-22 evolved from the popular Ryan STA "Sport Trainer" and incorporated refinements to the design that resulted in a rugged and easily maintained military trainer.
The San Diego Air & Space Museum (SDASM) • Balboa Park • 2001 Pan American Plaza, San Diego California • (Photo posted Sunday 20 March 2011) • (Photo taken 15:39:43 Thursday 14 October 1010) • © 2011 Bryan Costales #BCY_0458 Add a comment or report a mistake
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The Rotunda
The center of the museum was a huge covered rotunda. Inside it were several large aircraft and spacecraft hung from the ceiling. In the center was a fountain, the design of which was echoed in the standing floor lamps.
The San Diego Air & Space Museum (SDASM) • Balboa Park • 2001 Pan American Plaza, San Diego California • (Photo posted Sunday 20 March 2011) • (Photo taken 15:40:14 Thursday 14 October 1010) • © 2011 Bryan Costales #BCY_0460 Add a comment or report a mistake
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Helicopter
A man stood by the entry/exit to the rotunda and took a photograph. That man, when used to gauge scale, demonstrated how huge the rotunda was.
The San Diego Air & Space Museum (SDASM) • Balboa Park • 2001 Pan American Plaza, San Diego California • (Photo posted Sunday 20 March 2011) • (Photo taken 15:41:49 Thursday 14 October 1010) • © 2011 Bryan Costales #BCY_0467 Add a comment or report a mistake
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Quality Of Displays
This wide angle shot illustrated the quality of the exhibits. Here was a exquisitely restored biplane on a tile floor surrounded by a glass fence and labeled with quality signs. Note the blue bucket.
The San Diego Air & Space Museum (SDASM) • Balboa Park • 2001 Pan American Plaza, San Diego California • (Photo posted Sunday 20 March 2011) • (Photo taken 15:47:33 Thursday 14 October 1010) • © 2011 Bryan Costales #BCY_0474 Add a comment or report a mistake
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Bomber Cockpit
In one section of the museum it was possible to walk up short flights of stairs to view the cut-away internals of aircraft. Here was the cut away interior of a bomber's cockpit.
The San Diego Air & Space Museum (SDASM) • Balboa Park • 2001 Pan American Plaza, San Diego California • (Photo posted Sunday 20 March 2011) • (Photo taken 15:57:58 Thursday 14 October 1010) • © 2011 Bryan Costales #BCY_0479 Add a comment or report a mistake
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Old Versus New Aircraft Carrier
Another exhibit illustrated the size difference between the first aircraft carrier such as the HMS Argus (I49) and a modern, vastly larger aircraft carrier. Aircraft carriers are generally the largest ships operated by navies.
The San Diego Air & Space Museum (SDASM) • Balboa Park • 2001 Pan American Plaza, San Diego California • (Photo posted Sunday 20 March 2011) • (Photo taken 16:00:45 Thursday 14 October 1010) • © 2011 Bryan Costales #BCY_0482 Add a comment or report a mistake
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Last Was The Space Age
The museum ended with an exhibit of the space age and its passive and active space craft.
The San Diego Air & Space Museum (SDASM) • Balboa Park • 2001 Pan American Plaza, San Diego California • (Photo posted Sunday 20 March 2011) • (Photo taken 16:06:00 Thursday 14 October 1010) • © 2011 Bryan Costales #BCY_0488 Add a comment or report a mistake
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The Apollo Spacecraft
An example of one of the Apollo spacecraft that was sent to the moon. Odd to consider that the US space effort peaked in ambition in 1972 with its Apollo program.
The San Diego Air & Space Museum (SDASM) • Balboa Park • 2001 Pan American Plaza, San Diego California • (Photo posted Sunday 20 March 2011) • (Photo taken 16:08:11 Thursday 14 October 1010) • © 2011 Bryan Costales #BCY_0492 Add a comment or report a mistake
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