Udvar Hazy Center Behind the Scenes - Getting Ready for the Big Move

How do you move over 300 aircraft and spacecraft, including a 2-story high space lab, on Washington's beltway? It involves a lot of planning -- and hard work! For the National Air and Space Museum (NASM), moving irreplaceable national treasures is a challenge. Between March and April 2003 the first 70 aircraft will make the trip from the Paul E. Garber Preservation, Restoration, and Storage Facility in Suitland, Maryland, to the new Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center at Dulles International Airport. By December 2003, 70 aircraft and 65 spacecraft, rockets, and missiles will have been moved.

Think about that. Some very big aircraft (i.e., a B-29) and spacecraft (part of Skylab, for example) must make their way from the Paul Garber Facility in Silver Hill, along Maryland county roads to the Capital Beltway (I-95), across the Potomac River, onto Virginia roads, and into the new museum. Most of you know that it is not easy to drive a car on that route, much less a truck with an oversized aircraft. Because of the many difficulties, the planners at Garber and the National Air and Space Museum are working now to get the planes and the logistics of the move ready for travel.

Al Bachmeier, museum specialist at the Garber Facility, has shed some light on the difficulties faced by the Smithsonian team of restoration specialists, curators, exhibit designers, and others. Here is what they must consider:

Moving Down the Road

Several large aircraft were flown directly to Dulles Airport several years ago (the SR-71 and a C-121, for example) and have been in storage waiting for the new museum. For artifacts at the Garber Facility, it may not be practical to airlift them to Dulles Airport, even from nearby Andrews Air Force Base. The route by road is along highways that have heavy Washington-area traffic 24 hours a day, and many bridges and underpasses to negotiate. The challenge is to avoid moving "oversize" loads (some of the aircraft and spacecraft are really large) that require stopping traffic or raising power lines. In many cases, the solution is to disassemble the large artifacts so that all parts will fit into a tractor-trailer. Placing the pieces inside a trailer also avoids the hazards of winter weather and salt water splashing on a snowy day.

One of the tractor-trailers will be NASM's "Big Blue." Four National Air and Space Museum drivers will use it to transport artifacts to Dulles, starting in 2003. The newest driver is the Collections Processing Unit's Samantha Gallagher. She recently completed the rigorous process to obtain her Commercial Driver's License, and "Sam" is the first National Air and Space Museum female to complete this program.

The A-6 and F-100 are some of the widest aircraft, and restorers are still studying how to break them down so they will fit.

Preparing the Air and Space Artifacts for the Move

As Karl Heinzel, restoration specialist, points out, the restoration philosophy has changed for the move. Normally, aircraft or spacecraft would be completely disassembled, parts repaired or remanufactured, worn fabrics replaced, and the entire surface cleaned and repainted. All this work employs techniques originally used 25, 50, or 100 years ago. Meeting the December 2003 deadline may not allow such meticulous work at this time. Different criteria will be used. Those steps not critical to the appearance or structural stability of the plane must be postponed for future full restorations.

The way the curators want a final display to look may also dictate what preparation is done. They may want an aerobatics plane to be displayed upside down. In this case, the top must be given special attention, but the bottom may not be visible. On the other hand, the restorers may point out that an artifact is too fragile to be mounted the way a curator desires, or the location would block the movement of other artifacts during installation.

How much an aircraft is restored often depends on how it is displayed. For example, the Ercoupe owned by the Museum does not have seats. If the aircraft will hang from the Center's hangar arches and the cockpit cannot be seen, the seats may be left out. Otherwise, they will have to be specially made.

Some artifacts have spent many years hanging from the ceiling at the Garber Facility. When taken down, some of the top surfaces were found to be in poor condition. Decisions must be made as to how far to go with the cleaning and repair of surfaces that can now be seen.

Some artifacts will be hung from the arches or ceilings of the aircraft and space hangars; others will be mounted at floor level. As the aircraft or spacecraft are prepared, they must be fitted with the proper type of mounting hardware.

Other artifacts will sit on the floor at the Udvar-Hazy Center. Wherever possible, stands are built that serve multiple purposes:

Making the Move

Moving the artifacts requires a great deal of planning, cooperation, and hard work. When moving starts, eight Garber staff members will prepare and load the artifacts, and another group will unload at the Udvar-Hazy Center. Many of the restorers at Garber have been there for a long time (some since the move into the National Air and Space Museum on the Mall in 1976), and they can draw on past experience with this kind of move. A contractor will be hired to provide drivers and trucks when help is needed.

Preparing and Hanging or Mounting the Aircraft and Spacecraft

After the artifacts are at the Center, much work will need to be done. For example, the B-29 Enola Gay will be the first aircraft delivered to the Udvar-Hazy Center, since it will take about six months to assemble it. Also, special stands must be built to hold it eight feet off the ground for display and to allow artifacts to be placed under it.

Some preparation work will be done after an artifact is moved into the display area. The space shuttle Enterprise will be enclosed in scaffolding and painted after it is in place. Once an artifact is ready for display, it will get a final cleaning and be wrapped until close to opening day.

As artifacts are moved into the Center, temporary locations may be needed. Room has to be left on the floor to allow riggers and their cranes to hang aircraft from cables. In spite of all that has to be done, the goal is to avoid multiple moves of artifacts. The "just-in-time" principle will be applied so that artifacts can be placed in the display areas as soon as they arrive.

Keeping the Timetable

Preparing and keeping a schedule is an essential and daunting responsibility. As Al Bachmeier points out, the start of the move in April 2003 is not that far away. He explains that there are many factors affecting the order and times needed for a multitude of tasks:

After the Move

The grand opening of the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in December 2003 is not the end of the work of the National Air and Space Museum restorers, curators, and exhibit designers. For example:

After the move, the facilities at Silver Hill will continue to have a role for the Smithsonian. Of the 24 buildings now used by the Garber Facility, 7 will be retained by National Air and Space Museum for the indefinite future. They will house mounting stands, tires, etc. Outdoor storage or temporary trailers will no longer be needed. Other buildings will be used for National Air and Space Museum exhibit preparation, as well as for other Smithsonian museums.

Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center Artifact Display and Assembly