Helicopters: Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center
Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum

After attending the funeral for my uncle Rick Blattenberger at Arlington National Cemetery (he was a decorated Army Ranger during the Vietnam era), Melanie and I drove to the nearby Udvar-Hazy Center annex of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. It has been nearly two decades since we last visited the NASM in Washington, D.C., so I do not know what it looks like now, but the UHC is an incredibly densely packed collection of awesome artifacts from America's aerospace endeavors.

Having another appointment meant only being able to spend about two hours there, which is nowhere near enough time to even come close to taking in all there is to offer. Other visitors must have thought I was a deranged lunatic because of my roaming at a rapid pace, with my head continually rolling from trying to see everything, jaw hanging down out of amazement, drool running down my cheek from a Pavlovian response to the intellectual food all around me, and unintelligible sounds being uttered as I quickly read informational placards half out loud.

These are the helicopters that were on display at the time. Many more were there, of course. Someday, I hope to return and do a much more thorough capturing of the items, and with a much better camera.

Bell UH-1 "Huey" Sikorsky H-34 Choctaw

Scorpion Homebuilt Sikorsky HO5S-1

Gyrodyne QH-50C Drone

• Airplanes
• Aircraft Engines, Rocket Motors
• Artistic Works: Pottery, Plates, Furniture, Instruments
• Helicopters
• Rockets, Missiles, Spacecraft, Satellites

Posted February 23, 2014