Friday, March 30, 2007

EAA Museum #3

This is the Hangar X portion of the museum. We were told by the 80 year old + guide to not be afraid to go check it out. Honestly it was my favourite part of the museum :) Here is the thermal imagine camera in use to show how much heat (and rage) my co-worker is giving off for the camera :)


This is a mock up of the F-22 Raptor. I am not sure if the cockpit was to scale or it was made to kid parameters but I couldn't fit one leg in the damn thing if I tried. After this F-22 room they have about 6, 40 inch screens set up in an arcade style setting with MS Flight Simulator running ! It was awesome till I got kicked off the damn thing by an 8 year old ! There is a hot air balloon simulator (kinda boring), and a hang gliding simulator (really really neat). You sit in the harness and it has the metal bar the same as if you would be doing it real life. It has wrap around screens as well as other hang gliders in the sim. You have to make it from the top to the bottom and land on the target...a much harder thing to do after initially seeing the sim. They also have a reclined bicycle that drives a fan and it gives you the amount of thrust you are putting out. It gives you values for airplanes and the human powered aircraft. It also has two hand grips to peddle with and I can generate almost enough thrust with one arm going around and around to power the human powered aircraft. Except when you get tired in real life you better be close to an airport ! Well done with the Hanagar X EAA :)
The Eagles Hangar...this is filled with mostly WW2 aircraft and I believe the B25 and the P51 in this photo are airworthy. I was fortunate the first trip here when I was about 14, they had a B-17 available to walk through, it was simply amazing !

P51 Mustang in all its glory. I believe I saw it at AirVenture back in 1993 or 1994 with the founder of EAA (Paul Poberezney) flying it.


Supermarine Spitfire...this actual aircraft was used in combat in WW2 and flew missions to support the D Day landing.

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