Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/08/23
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]All... Steve LeHuray and I have been kicking around some ideas for a fun LUG day-trip / photo-shoot and have come up with what we think may be a winner: a free, reservation-only, docent-guided tour of the National Air and Space Museum's [NASM] Paul E. Garber Preservation, Restoration, and Storage Facility in Suitland, Maryland. The Garber facility is where the NASM preserves and stores aircraft, spacecraft, and other aerospace related artifacts, and is contained within 32 buildings. The guided tour goes through only 3 of the larger buildings, including the actual restoration shop, where you can ask questions of the professionals that work there. All of the exhibits of the NASM building on the Mall first came through the Garber facility. Each artifact at the Garber location has a story behind it and there are all sorts of one-of-a-kind pieces of historical significance. One of my favorites is the Horten IX (Gotha Go 229) flying wing from WWII Nazi Germany, which has a skin molded out of *plywood*. The example on display at the Garber is one of the few remaining in the entire world; details about it [and actual photos of the example at Garber] can be found here: http://www.hotel.wineasy.se/ipms/stuff_eng_detail_hoix.htm Many other examples that are on display I have only seen in old photos, and I did not realize there were existing craft still available for viewing and *PHOTOGRAPHING*. The Garber facility allows photos [flash and available light, handheld and tripod, still and video] to be taken throughout the *entire* tour. Having recently taken the tour through Garber, I am planning on returning with a tripod and a wide-angle lens, as my Noct and SF 20 were swallowed by the dark, cavernous interiors of the storage spaces and the dark paint of the aircraft. Details about Garber, the tour, directions, etc. can all be found here: http://www.nasm.si.edu/nasm/garber/Garber.html All interested parties, please let me know ASAP. If there are 10 folks or less, I can setup the reservations via phone; larger parties require a fax reservation and a *lot* of lead time. Regards, /Mitch _____________________________________ Mitch Zeissler E-mail: zeissler@directvinternet.com - -- To unsubscribe, see http://mejac.palo-alto.ca.us/leica-users/unsub.html