Taxpayer-funded aviation in the 1950s

by philg

From the Udvar-Hazy Center, taxpayer-funded aviation in the 1950s: $2,500 Piper Super Cubs.

I texted these to a friend. His reply: “Today that would be 50 Blackhawks with $20 million sensor packages.”

Also from the museum, the “San Francisco” is a biplane so that twice as many people can pitch tents under the wings.

1940s and 50s seem to have been the high point for aircraft design cuteness. Note the cartoon-like Bell helicopters:

The Discovery Space Shuttle and its firsts in the gender and racial identity departments:

Don’t let your seaplane near the salt water:

A 1960s German toy for the nostalgic:

(A friend commented “You had to see old guy down the road for the decals.”)

Elizabeth Warren’s test pilot closet:

Some fun overviews…

At AirVenture (“Oshkosh”) 2019, Burt Rutan said that the National Air and Space Museum was “a great place to park a used airplane.” He’s certainly right about that, but it would be nice if the museum could step up its educational effort, which is weak compared to the Museum of Flight in Seattle (previous post).

2 thoughts on “Taxpayer-funded aviation in the 1950s”

  1. When Utah Sen. Jake Garn made his flight in ’85, locals made “Jake off in Space” T-Shirts, featuring a hand wrapped around the space shuttle.

  2. Did you see the Japanese Kamikaze airplane there? I found it eerie to see an otherwise normal-looking airplane but with no landing gear! Totally awesome place to visit.

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