Aviation National Museum of the US Air Force

[iamdlewis]

Made a visit to the National Museum of the US Air Force in Dayton Ohio. If you have any interest in aircraft this needs to be on your list of museums to attend. If you are debating between this and the Smithsonian Air and Space the US Air Force is the better option.
Things to know about the museum: 1) It is free to park and enter and open from 9-5 all but 3 days of the year 2) It is BIG, it is about 4 times the size of the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center (Air and Space near Dulles) 3) If you are going to read all the exhibit info you will need multiple days 4) the food sucks and you can't bring your own (you can bring 20oz clear water bottles). 5) It is rather dark in the hangers so if you want to photograph things bring a fast very wide lens, I found 17-28mm lens to be best, with most on the short end.

A few shots:
Hanger 3: Highlights (visible in this shot) in here are the B2, SR-71, B1, F117, F15 and Mig 29

• ILCE-1
• E 17-28mm F2.8-2.8
• 17.0 mm
• ƒ/10
• 1/8 sec
• ISO 1600

Highlights (visible in this shot) in here are the B36 and B58

• ILCE-1
• E 17-28mm F2.8-2.8
• 17.0 mm
• ƒ/8
• 1/15 sec
• ISO 1600

Hanger 4:
Highlights (visible in this shot) in here are the XB70, X15 and YF12

• ILCE-1
• E 17-28mm F2.8-2.8
• 28.0 mm
• ƒ/13
• 1/15 sec
• ISO 1600

Highlights (visible in this shot) in here are the: VC54, SAM26000

• ILCE-1
• E 17-28mm F2.8-2.8
• 28.0 mm
• ƒ/13
• 1/15 sec
• ISO 1600

Also in hanger 4 there is an old space camera:

• ILCE-1
• E 17-28mm F2.8-2.8
• 17.0 mm
• ƒ/9
• 1/15 sec
• ISO 1600

• ILCE-1
• E 17-28mm F2.8-2.8
• 28.0 mm
• ƒ/9
• 1/15 sec
• ISO 1600

Then for a mystery for you, this is arguably the most important aircraft in the history of the AirForce:

• ILCE-1
• E 17-28mm F2.8-2.8
• 17.0 mm
• ƒ/5
• 1/15 sec
• ISO 1600

 

[iamdlewis]

Very cool! My son and I have a short trip planned. Ohio State Reformatory next Thursday, then the Dayton Air Museum on Friday. Then I have Autorama on Saturday!

Is the mystery airplane a Handley Page?

If you like prisons there is a good one to visit in Philly. A warning about the museum is that there is currently a "Dinosaurs in motion" exhibit there (guess nowhere else could fit it) in hanger 4, which is a lot of clanging and banging. If you want to deal with the fewest people I suggest going directly to hanger 4 then basically going backwards through everything.

It is not the Handley Page.

 

[iamdlewis]

I get discounted rates at Marriott properties so I stayed at the Fairfield Inn & Suites Dayton, it is across the street from the minor league baseball stadium, free parking, free breakfast, number of decent places to eat within walking distance and about 10 minutes from the museum. There is a Comfort Suites Dayton-Wright Patterson across the street from the museum and probably has some cheap rates.

I took a few shots with the 24-105 for planes hanging from the ceiling. There was what I believe to be a Peragine falcon (difficult to tell with the lighting) in hanger 3 and that would be the only thing a long lens would be useful for. You'll be within touching distance to most aircraft and as you can see from the shots they went for quantity in the setup. The planes that are outdoors you can walk right up to them.

 

[Uncle Kevriano]

Awesome planes, and some nice shots too.

 

[iamdlewis]

Martin?

Winner. The Martin MB-2. That was the plane used in the "Battleship" tests which showed that a single plane could take out what was considered the most powerful weapon system in the world. Of course a lot of people poo-pooed the test but enough understood what they just saw.

 

[Clide]

Very nice! 1/15 sec, did you use a tripod?

 

[iamdlewis]

Very nice! 1/15 sec, did you use a tripod?

No these are 17mm shots so it was easy

Bag is packed. Plenty of room in my Tenba Solstice 10L for the A7 IV, 17-28, 24-105, and 24/1.8 pus other paraphernalia. Also taking my 'museum tripod'. The reformatory doesn't allow video at all, and no 'external' camera gear. So, no flashes, tri/mono pods, etc. Hopefully I can take everything in to the air museum.

I was in the act of opening my camera bag, telling them it was camera gear when they said go ahead. They don't have anything on the entry limits saying you can't bring in tripods or flashes.