Museum of Flights Part 3: Inside the Museum Continued

Hi Everyone..!! Hope you had enjoyed reading part 2. In case, you had missed it go to the link below.

link: Part 2

This Post is the continuation of part 2. Here you will find the aircraft details missed in Part 2.

7. Douglas DC-3

The first versions of the DC-3, called Douglas Sleeper Transports, began service with American Airlines in 1936. Demand for the airliner was high because there was nothing directly comparable. By 1938, DC-3s were flying 95 percent of the United States' airline traffic. During World War II, the DC-3 design became a troop and cargo carrier called the C-47. Douglas built a total of 10,654 of the rugged and reliable planes and many are still flying today.

The Museum's DC-3 was built in 1940 for American Airlines. It has seen service with various airlines and flown over 20,000 hours. It now wears the livery of Alaska Airlines, which operated many DC-3s and C-47s after World War II.

8.Grumman F9F-8

The F9F Cougar is the swept wing version of its forerunner, the F9F Panther -- Grumman's first jet fighter plane. As MiG-15s tangled with the slower, less agile Panthers and McDonnell Banshees over Korea, the Navy requested a swept wing F9F design from Grumman. The first Cougars were delivered in November of 1951, a year after the debut of the MiG-15 and never saw combat in Korea. But the Cougar, built as a stop-gap, became a successful design with 1,988 built. The last Cougar, an advanced trainer version, was phased out in 1974.

The Museum's Cougar was built at Grumman's Bethpage, New York factory and delivered to the Navy on January 25, 1955. The plane served with Navy and Marine units in North Carolina, Virginia, and Texas. In 1964, it was loaned to the King County Parks and Recreation Department and put on display at Marymoor Park. The Parks Department transferred the Cougar to The Museum of Flight in 1969. Today, it wears the colors of Navy Fighter Squadron VF-81.

9.MacCready Gossamer Albatross II

The Gossamer Albatross aircraft is designed to fly long distances with a human as the only power source. This light and fragile aircraft is pushed by a propeller connected, through a series of gears, to a constantly pedaling pilot. On June 12, 1979, the Albatross, powered and guided by pilot Bryan Allen, made an historic flight across the English Channel. The record-breaking flight covered a distance of 22.25 statute miles (35.6 km) in 2 hours and 49 minutes.

10. McDonnell Phantom II

The F-4 Phantom II, with its harsh symmetry, swept-back wings, and drooping tail was called "brutishly ugly" by some pilots. But whatever the Phantom lacked in looks, it more than made up for with exceptional performance. When unveiled, the fighter was considered huge and immensely powerful. In 1958, the F-4 was selected by the U.S. Navy as a fleet defense interceptor. Soon, its remarkable capabilities led to use by the Air Force and Marine Corps as well. As the pre-eminent American combat aircraft of the 1960s, it fulfilled the roles of interceptor, air superiority fighter, and reconnaissance aircraft and became the standard by which all other fighters were judged for more than ten years.

11. Lockheed YO-3A

Lockheed’s Missile and Space Division designed the YO-3A as a nearly silent observation aircraft.  The United States Army used the plane to spot nighttime enemy activity and to direct artillery fire during the war in Vietnam.  A downward-facing periscope, equipped with night- vision and infrared (heat-sensing) capabilities, allowed the aircraft’s forward-seated observer to spot activity on the jungle floor, even in nearly complete darkness. Its the first stealth Aircraft.

The YO-3A used an ultra-efficient airframe, based on a Schweizer SGS 2-32 glider.  The plane’s muffler-equipped engine drove a special slow-turning propeller that eliminated the buzzing sound typical of propeller aircraft.  This let the YO-3A operate almost unheard by people on the ground.  A Lockheed project manager, Stanley Hall, described the aircraft’s noise as “the gentle rushing sound of the ocean surf.”

12. Northrop YF-5A

In 1959, Northrop toured NATO and SEATO countries in Europe and Asia to determine their future aircraft needs. Their findings formed the basis for the N-156F -- a simple, economical, versatile, and easy to maintain light fighter. In 1962, the aircraft was selected for use with the Mutual Assistance Pact (MAP) countries and designated the F-5A. The F-5 has been sold or produced in over 30 allied countries and also found favor in the U.S. Air Force and Navy.

13.Wright 1903

A group of 1903 Wright Flyers were built by The Wright Experience of Warrington, Virginia. The company's goal was to create the most authentic Flyer reproductions ever made. The first aircraft to be finished was wind tunnel tested at NASA/Langley and toured the country as part of a traveling exhibit celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Wright brothers' first flight.

14. Curtis Robin C-1

The Curtiss Robin was designed for private owners. Conventional in many ways, the Robin was popular because it had an unusually large, enclosed cabin and a reasonable price. Built to use a World War I-surplus OX-5 engine, later Robins incorporated newer power plants. The dependable Curtiss Robin became one of the most commercially successful airplanes of the day, with 769 produced from 1928 to 1930.

Part 4: Space Exhibits