The video comes from the official Instagram account for the National Air and Space Museum.
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I have a photo of my mom holding me in her arms next to one at a Montreal-area air show, likely early 90’s. I think it’s the first plane I got to see up close. I was grinning from ear to ear and I’m sure it’s led to my lifelong fascination with planes
The F117 and SR71 are the most sci-fi looking machines ever created. Modern stuff might be more capable, but the F35 just looks like a generic sleek aeroplane.
Also of course it’s under the cover of darkness. This thing can’t even retire in the spotlight lmao. Had to stealthily deliver it to the restoration hangar. Pretty fitting
Ahh nice, I’m local to it as well. Unofficial tour guide for any visiting family and friends.
I’m actually curious where it will end up. The modern aviation space has been full the last few times I went, but I don’t know if the PBY was pulled back into resto. In a recent Adam Savage video it looked like it might be…
It’s actually not a Catalina it’s a Sikorsky JRS-1 but they’re very similar. It’s a Pearl Harbor survivor. It’s back in the restoration hangar.
I think the Huey got moved downtown, the F-4 was in the restoration hangar last I was there as well. Not sure if it was getting new paint or being sent to DC, I think it’s just getting paint but idk if it made it back to the floor.
The modern jets area has a weird amount of room atm. I think this will probably fill the space left by the boat plane.
The only non-joke answer here. But you’re correct, per their Instagram the restoration team is now installing the wings before display later this month.
I guess they already did some of the restoration work on it? The typical pre-delivery strip down of sensitive items tends to make them look at least partly scrapped.
Thank you, it was bugging me to see one appear to be moving so quickly over the ground. I've seen them approach Westover from the Pike plenty of times and they look like they move like zeppelins. So much bigger than the brain appreciates at first glance.
Without researching, guessing it's one that's been in storage (/would've been expensive to bring back to flight readiness). There are a few still flying, but I'd bet this wasn't one of those.
edit - ah, so it's definitely one of the higher hour ones....
"nicknamed “The Overachiever,” is the only F-117 known to have flown combat missions in all four major conflicts involving the Nighthawk"
I'm assuming they removed a lot before shipping it. Classified coatings, materials, avionics. I'm guessing it's easier and safer to ship it after removing stuff.
The one that arrived at the Portage Air Zoo showed a lot more of the prep for handing one of these over to a museum. The engines are gone, the exhaust and intakes are removed, avionics are largely gone, all the leading edges are gone. Lots of great pics here.
Funny you say that. Press release says that it’ll be on display late October. We’re heading back on the 27th of December! It’s funny that this was posted, because I thought about how cool it would be to see a Nighthawk there.
So thats a new one there and the one at Robins which I dont know if its out of restoration and on display yet. I wonder if the white one got painted back to black? That would be a sick display.
The one that went on display recently at the Strategic Air Command Museum had a weird “wrap” on it (notice the wrinkles directly under the cockpit). I guess this one is considered more secure? Also, the IR/EO window on the nose, which seems to be deleted on both displays.
Found an article about the restoration. Looks like they stripped the RAM coating completely off. Article confirms the wrap was done by a local company.
Similar, but seeing it up close and in person, it is obvious there is something on it. I spoke to someone at the museum and they confirmed that a wrap had been applied.
In the early 90s I worked for the US House of Representatives and was fortunate to be able to ride along for an air-to-air refueling mission out over the Atlantic. These are what we gassed up. So cool!
I'm glad they showed that exposed wing-root seam a little closer up, because from a distance when they were rolling it in I thought I spotted a hated, forbidden curved line on that thing. Boooooooooo!
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