Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, Washington Mall |
| The NASM has two locations, the Mall in the city of Washington, DC, and the Udvar-Hazy Centre, about 25 miles away at Washington Dulles Airport. I have a separate page for the Udvar-Hazy Centre.
There was a separate storage/restoration centre, not open to the public, which was in the process of moving to Udvar-Hazy. Three planes listed here are in the National Postal Museum, which is about a mile away from the Mall museum, next to Union Station. In 2016 I revisited the Museum and there are a few extra aircraft and further views of the aircraft shown here. Click here for the new photos. |
| Aircraft | Reg'n | Thumbs | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albatros D.Va | 7161-17 |  |
German Air Force |
| Beech C17L Staggerwing | NC15840 (N15840) |  |
|
| Bell 206 LongRanger | N3911Z |  |
'Spirit of Texas' made the first round-the-world flight by helicopter, 30/9/1982 |
| Bell X-1 | 46-0062 |
 |
'Glamorous Glennis' 1st supersonic flight, 14/10/47 |
| Bell XP-59A Airacomet | 42-108784 |  |
1st American jet aircraft |
| Bleriot XI |
 |
In April 1915, John Domenjoz performed 40 loops in 28 minutes | |
| Boeing 247D | N11 |
 |
United Air Lines markings. The other side is painted in its MacRobertson Race livery. Ex NC13369 (N13369) NR257Y (N257Y). |
| Cameron Balloons Breitling Orbiter capsule |
 |
Gondola of the first balloon to circle the globe 1/3/1999 - 21/3/1999 | |
| Curtiss D-III Headless Pusher 'replica' |  |
This was built by Glenn Curtiss in 1919 using components of the original 1912 plane | |
| Curtiss R3C-1 | A6979 3 |
 |
Jimmy Doolittle won 1925 Schneider Cup race in this |
| Curtiss Robin J-1 Deluxe | NR526N (N526N) |
 |
'Ole Miss' gained endurance record of 27 days in 1935. Food and fuel were delivered through a roof hatch - the walkway was for servicing the engine. |
| De Havilland DH-4 replica | N249B |
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In the National Postal Museum |
| De Havilland DH-4 | 21959 |
 |
The prototype of US produced DH-4's |
| Douglas D-558-2 Skyrocket | NACA-144 37974 |
 |
Rocket-powered 2nd aircraft, world's 1st Mach 2 flight (just once, slightly downhill: pilot Scott Crossfield). |
| Douglas DC-3 | NC18124 (N18124) |
 |
Spent its whole career, from 1937 to 1953, with Eastern Air Lines before coming to the Smithsonian. |
| Douglas World Cruiser DWC-2 | 23-1230 |
 |
US Navy 'Chicago'. 1st global circumnavigation, 1924 |
| Ecker Flying Boat |
 |
Built around 1912 | |
| Extra 260 | N618PW |
 |
Patty Wagstaff won the US Aerobatics Championship twice in this. |
| Fairchild FC-2 | NC6853 (N6853) |
 |
Pan American-Grace Airways (Panagra) livery |
| Fokker D.VII | 4635-18 U10 20 |
 |
German Air Force - landed in Verdun, France at the end of WW1. |
| Fokker F.IV (T-2) | AS64233 |
 |
1st transcontinental US non-stop flight, in just under 27 hours, in 1923. Fokker hoped this would lead to sales of the 12-seater, but it was too big for the airlines, so only two were built, both for the US Army. |
| Ford 5-AT-B Trimotor | NC9683 (N9683) |
 |
Operated by American Airways from 1929 to 1935, and restored by American Airlines for PR tours in 1962. Ex XH-TAK, AN-AAP, XA-FUE |
| Hughes H-1 Racer | NR258Y (N258Y) |
 |
World speed record in 1935 |
| Lockheed 5B Vega | NC7952 (N7952) |
 |
In 1932 Amelia Earhart was the 1st woman, and 2nd person, to fly the Atlantic solo non-stop (Newfoundland to Northern Ireland). |
| Lockheed 8 Sirius | NR211 (N211) |
 |
'Tingmissartoq' Charles & Anne Lindbergh toured the world in the early 1930's |
| Lockheed U-2C | 56-6680 |
 |
The 7th U-2, operated by the CIA and the USAF. Often based in the UK and the Middle East, said to be the first U-2 to overfly Russia. |
| Lockheed XP-80 Shooting Star | 44-83020 |  |
'Lulu-Belle' The first prototype. |
| Lockheed YF-104A Starfighter | N818NA NASA818 |
 |
Ex 55-2961. 7th prototype, used by NASA from 1956-1975. |
| Lunar Module |  |
Fully flight-worthy backup of the one that did land on the Moon | |
| Macchi MC.202 Folgore | 'MM 9476' |
 |
Folgore = Lightning. Original Italian Air Force identity unknown. One of only two survivors. Ex FE-300, FE498, T2-498. |
| MacCready Gossamer Condor |  |
1st successful human-powered aircraft - pedalled by Bryan Allen to win the Kremer prize in 1977. | |
| McDonnell FH-1 Phantom | 111759 |  |
US Navy |
| Messerschmitt Bf 109G-6 | 2 |  |
German Air Force. Ex KT+LL, FE-496, T2-468. |
| Messerschmitt Me 262A-1a Schwalbe | 7 |  |
Schwalbe = Swallow. German Air Force. Ex 500491, FE-111, T2-111. |
| Mitsubishi A6M5 Reisen Zero Model 52 "Zeke" | 61-131 |  |
Japanese Air Force. Captured on Saipan in 1944. |
| Museum entrances |
 |
NASM North and South entrances | |
| North American P-51D Mustang | 44-74939 |
 |
Never saw combat. Marked as 'Willit Run? YJ-E"' |
| North American X-15A-1 | 56-6670 |
 |
USAF - the first one to fly of the three built, the other survivor is at the USAF Museum. |
| Northrop 2B Gamma | NR12269 (N12269) |
 |
"Polar Star" - Lincoln Ellsworth used this for Antarctic operations from 1934 to 1936. |
| Northrop 4A Alpha | NC11Y (N11Y) |
 |
TWA operated this, the third Alpha built, for a while, retiring it in 1934, and sponsored its restoration. |
| Northrop M2-F3 | NASA803 N803NA |
 |
First of the heavyweight lifting body research aircraft. Made 27 flights from 1970 to 1972. |
| Pfalz D.XII | '2486/18' |
 |
Actually 7517/18. Its WW1 history is unknown, but it featured in many Hollywood films and is marked as it appeared in Dawn Patrol. |
| Pitcairn PA-5 Mailwing | NC2895 (N2895) 21 |
 |
The prototype. After a successful racing career, Eastern Air Transport used it for a while, and they restored it. |
| Pitts S-1S Special | N11DR |  |
Plans-built by J Dawson Ransome, aerobatic pilot and president of Ransome Airlines, first flew in 1969. |
| RAF FE8 replica | N17501 |  |
Built by Cole Palen and on loan from the Old Rhinebeck Museum. |
| Rutan Voyager | N269VA |
 |
Dick Rutan & Jeana Yeager's 1st nonstop global circumnavigation, 1986. |
| Ryan NYP (New York - Paris) | NX211 (N211) |
 |
The real 'Spirit of St. Louis', Charles Lindbergh's 1st non-stop Atlantic crossing, 1927 |
| Scaled Composites 316 SpaceShipOne | N328KF |
 |
Burt Rutan's first private manned spacecraft - 2004 |
| Sopwith 7F.1 Snipe | 'E8082' |
 |
Ex E8105, N8737R. An original, for many years it flew at Old Rhinebeck, and was bequeathed to the NASM by Cole Palen. |
| SPAD XIII | S7689, PU-145, 20 |  |
"Smith IV". Donated by the US Air Service in 1919. |
| Stinson SR-10F Reliant | NC2311 (N2311) |
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All-American Aviation. In the National Postal Museum. Note the package-grabbing hook. |
| Supermarine Spitfire HF.VII | EN474 |
 |
Shipped in 1943 directly from the factory to the US for evaluation and donated to the NASM in 1949. |
| Voisin VIII | 4640 |
 |
The World's oldest purpose-designed bomber (1916). Delivered to the NASM in 1918 after evaluation in the US. French Air Force livery. |
| Wiseman-Cooke biplane | None |  1.jpg) |
Made the first offical US air mail flight in February 1911. In the National Postal Museum. |
| Wittman Buster | N14855 20 |
 |
Ex 'Chief Oshkosh', very successful and long-lived midget racer - 1931 to 1954 |
| Wright 1900 Glider replica | None |  |
|
| Wright 1902 Glider replica | None |  |
|
| Wright 1903 Flyer | None |
 |
The real thing - the world's first successful aeroplane |
| Wright 1909 Military Flyer | None |  |
The world's first military aeroplane |
| Wright EX 'Vin Fiz' | None |  |
Cal Rogers' 1st US coast-to-coast crossing - many days, very many stages & replacement parts - 1911 |
