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  • National Air and Space Museum in DC
  • Udvar-Hazy Center in VA
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View of the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center tower at sunset

One museum, two locations

Visit us in Washington, DC and Chantilly, VA to explore hundreds of the world’s most significant objects in aviation and space history. Free timed-entry passes are required for the Museum in DC.

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Apollo 11: Buzz Aldrin on the Moon

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space shuttle launch

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Women in Aviation and Space Family Day

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Bob Hoover Gives an Air Show Performance

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Fairchild-Maxson Line-Of-Position Computer

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  • Fairchild-Maxson Line-Of-Position Computer
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    The Fairchild-Maxson line-of-position computer was an amazingly engineered mechanical computer in which the data sets of different celestial tables were coded onto gears and cams in cassettes that plugged into the main unit. By inputting the elevation of a celestial body and the time, the device would compute a line of position eliminating a number of mathematical calculations. Unfortunately the unit was very expensive and took up valuable space. Nonetheless, it was very useful for Howard Hughes' 1938 around-the-world flight.
  • Fairchild-Maxson Line-Of-Position Computer

Photographer:

Eric Long

ID#:

NASM2013-00142

Source:

Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum

Owner:

Smithsonian Institution

Rights Usage:

Contact Smithsonian Institution

Terms of Use:

Smithsonian Terms of Use

For print or commercial use please see permissions information.

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National Air and Space Museum

6th St. and Independence Ave SW
Washington, DC 20560

202-633-2214

Open daily
10:00 am - 5:30 pm
Free Timed-Entry Passes
Required

Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center

14390 Air and Space Museum Parkway
Chantilly, VA 20151

703-572-4118

Open daily
10:00 am - 5:30 pm
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