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Video Rating: 4 / 5

This is David Ford performing Cheer Up (You Miserable Fuck) at Sonic Boom Records in Seattle on May 28th, 2006. If you would like to see other videos from this performance, check out the David Ford @ Sonic Boom Records playlist at the link below. Playlist URL: www.youtube.com Official Website: www.david-ford.com Myspace www.myspace.com Sonic Boom Records: www.sonicboomrecords.com Video by prOOf TV proof.tv

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Washington DC – Foggy Bottom: John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts


Image by wallyg
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, or Kennedy Center, located on the Potomac River, adjacent to the Watergate Hotel, opened in 1971 as both the nation’s living memorial to President John F. Kennedy and the national center for the performing arts. The center’s origins date to 1958, when President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed into law the National Cultural Center Act, the first time in history that the US government backed and helped finance a structure dedicated to the performing arts. Designed by architect Edward Durrell Stone, it was built by Philadelphia contractor John McShain and is administered by a bureau of the Smithsonian Institution. It receives federal funding each year to pay for maintenance and operation.

The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts is 100 feet high, 630 feet long, and 300 feet wide. It features a 630-foot long, 63-foot high grand foyer, with 16 hand-blown Orrefors crystal chandeliers (a gift from Sweden), red carpeting, and Robert Berks’ bust of Kennedy. The Hall of States and the Hall of Nations are both 250-foot long, 63-foot high corridors. The Kennedy Center also offers one of the only downtown open air rooftop terraces.

The Center has three main theaters: The Concert Hall, opened in 1971 and renovated in 1997 on the south side, seats 2,442; The Opera House, in the middle, seats 2,300; and The Eisenhower Theater, on the north side, seats 1,100 and is named for President Dwight Eisenhower. Cyril M. Harris designed the Kennedy Center’s auditoriums and their acoustics.

The first performance was on September 5, 1971, with 2,200 members of the general public in attendance to see a premiere of Leonard Bernstein’s Mass in the Opera House. The Center’s official opening took place on September 8, 1971, with a formal gala and premiere performance of the Bernstein Mass. The Concert Hall was inaugurated on September 9, 1971, in a performance by the National Symphony Orchestra conducted by Antal Doráti. On Friday, September 10, 1971, Alberto Ginastera’s opera, Beatrix Cenci premiered at the Kennedy Center’s Opera House.

Washington DC – Foggy Bottom: John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts


Image by wallyg
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, or Kennedy Center, located on the Potomac River, adjacent to the Watergate Hotel, opened in 1971 as both the nation’s living memorial to President John F. Kennedy and the national center for the performing arts. The center’s origins date to 1958, when President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed into law the National Cultural Center Act, the first time in history that the US government backed and helped finance a structure dedicated to the performing arts. Designed by architect Edward Durrell Stone, it was built by Philadelphia contractor John McShain and is administered by a bureau of the Smithsonian Institution. It receives federal funding each year to pay for maintenance and operation.

The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts is 100 feet high, 630 feet long, and 300 feet wide. It features a 630-foot long, 63-foot high grand foyer, with 16 hand-blown Orrefors crystal chandeliers (a gift from Sweden), red carpeting, and Robert Berks’ bust of Kennedy. The Hall of States and the Hall of Nations are both 250-foot long, 63-foot high corridors. The Kennedy Center also offers one of the only downtown open air rooftop terraces.

The Center has three main theaters: The Concert Hall, opened in 1971 and renovated in 1997 on the south side, seats 2,442; The Opera House, in the middle, seats 2,300; and The Eisenhower Theater, on the north side, seats 1,100 and is named for President Dwight Eisenhower. Cyril M. Harris designed the Kennedy Center’s auditoriums and their acoustics.

The first performance was on September 5, 1971, with 2,200 members of the general public in attendance to see a premiere of Leonard Bernstein’s Mass in the Opera House. The Center’s official opening took place on September 8, 1971, with a formal gala and premiere performance of the Bernstein Mass. The Concert Hall was inaugurated on September 9, 1971, in a performance by the National Symphony Orchestra conducted by Antal Doráti. On Friday, September 10, 1971, Alberto Ginastera’s opera, Beatrix Cenci premiered at the Kennedy Center’s Opera House.

Shoreham Hotel


Image by StreetsofWashington
Built in 1887, the original Shoreham Hotel stood at 15th and H Streets NW. More on the Shoreham Hotel is at streetsofwashington.blogspot.com/2010/01/old-shoreham-hot…

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Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center: Air France Concorde (caption)


Image by Chris Devers
Quoting Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum | Concorde, Fox Alpha, Air France:

The first supersonic airliner to enter service, the Concorde flew thousands of passengers across the Atlantic at twice the speed of sound for over 25 years. Designed and built by Aérospatiale of France and the British Aviation Corporation, the graceful Concorde was a stunning technological achievement that could not overcome serious economic problems.

In 1976 Air France and British Airways jointly inaugurated Concorde service to destinations around the globe. Carrying up to 100 passengers in great comfort, the Concorde catered to first class passengers for whom speed was critical. It could cross the Atlantic in fewer than four hours – half the time of a conventional jet airliner. However its high operating costs resulted in very high fares that limited the number of passengers who could afford to fly it. These problems and a shrinking market eventually forced the reduction of service until all Concordes were retired in 2003.

In 1989, Air France signed a letter of agreement to donate a Concorde to the National Air and Space Museum upon the aircraft’s retirement. On June 12, 2003, Air France honored that agreement, donating Concorde F-BVFA to the Museum upon the completion of its last flight. This aircraft was the first Air France Concorde to open service to Rio de Janeiro, Washington, D.C., and New York and had flown 17,824 hours.

Gift of Air France.

Manufacturer:
Societe Nationale Industrielle Aerospatiale
British Aircraft Corporation

Dimensions:
Wingspan: 25.56 m (83 ft 10 in)
Length: 61.66 m (202 ft 3 in)
Height: 11.3 m (37 ft 1 in)
Weight, empty: 79,265 kg (174,750 lb)
Weight, gross: 181,435 kg (400,000 lb)
Top speed: 2,179 km/h (1350 mph)
Engine: Four Rolls-Royce/SNECMA Olympus 593 Mk 602, 17,259 kg (38,050 lb) thrust each
Manufacturer: Société Nationale Industrielle Aérospatiale, Paris, France, and British Aircraft Corporation, London, United Kingdom

Physical Description:
Aircaft Serial Number: 205. Including four (4) engines, bearing respectively the serial number: CBE066, CBE062, CBE086 and CBE085.
Also included, aircraft plaque: "AIR FRANCE Lorsque viendra le jour d’exposer Concorde dans un musee, la Smithsonian Institution a dores et deja choisi, pour le Musee de l’Air et de l’Espace de Washington, un appariel portant le couleurs d’Air France."

Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center: Air France Concorde


Image by Chris Devers
Quoting Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum | Concorde, Fox Alpha, Air France:

The first supersonic airliner to enter service, the Concorde flew thousands of passengers across the Atlantic at twice the speed of sound for over 25 years. Designed and built by Aérospatiale of France and the British Aviation Corporation, the graceful Concorde was a stunning technological achievement that could not overcome serious economic problems.

In 1976 Air France and British Airways jointly inaugurated Concorde service to destinations around the globe. Carrying up to 100 passengers in great comfort, the Concorde catered to first class passengers for whom speed was critical. It could cross the Atlantic in fewer than four hours – half the time of a conventional jet airliner. However its high operating costs resulted in very high fares that limited the number of passengers who could afford to fly it. These problems and a shrinking market eventually forced the reduction of service until all Concordes were retired in 2003.

In 1989, Air France signed a letter of agreement to donate a Concorde to the National Air and Space Museum upon the aircraft’s retirement. On June 12, 2003, Air France honored that agreement, donating Concorde F-BVFA to the Museum upon the completion of its last flight. This aircraft was the first Air France Concorde to open service to Rio de Janeiro, Washington, D.C., and New York and had flown 17,824 hours.

Gift of Air France.

Manufacturer:
Societe Nationale Industrielle Aerospatiale
British Aircraft Corporation

Dimensions:
Wingspan: 25.56 m (83 ft 10 in)
Length: 61.66 m (202 ft 3 in)
Height: 11.3 m (37 ft 1 in)
Weight, empty: 79,265 kg (174,750 lb)
Weight, gross: 181,435 kg (400,000 lb)
Top speed: 2,179 km/h (1350 mph)
Engine: Four Rolls-Royce/SNECMA Olympus 593 Mk 602, 17,259 kg (38,050 lb) thrust each
Manufacturer: Société Nationale Industrielle Aérospatiale, Paris, France, and British Aircraft Corporation, London, United Kingdom

Physical Description:
Aircaft Serial Number: 205. Including four (4) engines, bearing respectively the serial number: CBE066, CBE062, CBE086 and CBE085.
Also included, aircraft plaque: "AIR FRANCE Lorsque viendra le jour d’exposer Concorde dans un musee, la Smithsonian Institution a dores et deja choisi, pour le Musee de l’Air et de l’Espace de Washington, un appariel portant le couleurs d’Air France."

Concorde!


Image by Chris Devers
Posted via email to ? HoloChromaCinePhotoRamaScope?: cdevers.posterous.com/concorde. See the full gallery on Posterous …

• • • • •

Quoting Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum | Concorde, Fox Alpha, Air France:

The first supersonic airliner to enter service, the Concorde flew thousands of passengers across the Atlantic at twice the speed of sound for over 25 years. Designed and built by Aérospatiale of France and the British Aviation Corporation, the graceful Concorde was a stunning technological achievement that could not overcome serious economic problems.

In 1976 Air France and British Airways jointly inaugurated Concorde service to destinations around the globe. Carrying up to 100 passengers in great comfort, the Concorde catered to first class passengers for whom speed was critical. It could cross the Atlantic in fewer than four hours – half the time of a conventional jet airliner. However its high operating costs resulted in very high fares that limited the number of passengers who could afford to fly it. These problems and a shrinking market eventually forced the reduction of service until all Concordes were retired in 2003.

In 1989, Air France signed a letter of agreement to donate a Concorde to the National Air and Space Museum upon the aircraft’s retirement. On June 12, 2003, Air France honored that agreement, donating Concorde F-BVFA to the Museum upon the completion of its last flight. This aircraft was the first Air France Concorde to open service to Rio de Janeiro, Washington, D.C., and New York and had flown 17,824 hours.

Gift of Air France.

Manufacturer:
Societe Nationale Industrielle Aerospatiale
British Aircraft Corporation

Dimensions:
Wingspan: 25.56 m (83 ft 10 in)
Length: 61.66 m (202 ft 3 in)
Height: 11.3 m (37 ft 1 in)
Weight, empty: 79,265 kg (174,750 lb)
Weight, gross: 181,435 kg (400,000 lb)
Top speed: 2,179 km/h (1350 mph)
Engine: Four Rolls-Royce/SNECMA Olympus 593 Mk 602, 17,259 kg (38,050 lb) thrust each
Manufacturer: Société Nationale Industrielle Aérospatiale, Paris, France, and British Aircraft Corporation, London, United Kingdom

Physical Description:
Aircaft Serial Number: 205. Including four (4) engines, bearing respectively the serial number: CBE066, CBE062, CBE086 and CBE085.
Also included, aircraft plaque: "AIR FRANCE Lorsque viendra le jour d’exposer Concorde dans un musee, la Smithsonian Institution a dores et deja choisi, pour le Musee de l’Air et de l’Espace de Washington, un appariel portant le couleurs d’Air France."

• • • • •

Quoting Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum | Federal Express’s Dassault Falcon 20:

The Dassault Cargo Falcon 20 is a French jet aircraft that, on April 17, 1973, became the first to carry a Federal Express air package. This was a new milestone in the history of air transport in the United States and created a new category of airline, the exclusive air express carrier. Within a decade, no less than thirty-three were flying on the spokes of the Federal Express network. The service was so successful that, by the early 1980s, its front-line aircraft were expanded to the McDonnell Douglas DC-10Cs, whose cargo holds were big enough to carry several Falcons each.

The first Dassault Falcon made its maiden flight on May 4, 1973. It is a well-proportioned, all metal low-wing monoplane, with full cantilever wing and tail surfaces, pressurized fuselage, and retractable tricycle dual-wheel landing gear. It is powered by two aft-mounted General Electric CF-700-2D turbofan engines. For cargo use, the Series 20 was modified by several basic changes, the success of which is a tribute to the inherent soundness of the design. The Cargo Falcon 20 also features an oversized cargo door, measuring 55 inches x 74.5 inches, and a strengthened floor to accept loads of concentrated weight.

Gift of the Federal Express Corp.

Manufacturer:
Dassault-Bruguet Aviation

Date:
1973-1982

Country of Origin:
United States of America

Dimensions:
Height: 17 ft 7 in
Length: 56 ft 4 in
Wingspan: 53 ft 6 in
Weight: 15,940 lbs

Materials:
Overall: Aluminum

Physical Description:
Twin engine jet transport, purple and white, orange trim, all metal.

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Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center: south hangar panorama, including North American P-51C “Excalibur III”, Grumman G-22 “Gulfhawk II”, Boeing 367-80 (707) Jet Transport among others


Image by Chris Devers
Quoting Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum | North American P-51C, "Excalibur III":

On May 29, 1951, Capt. Charles F. Blair flew Excalibur III from Norway across the North Pole to Alaska in a record-setting 10½ hours. Using a system of carefully plotted "sun lines" he developed, Blair was able to navigate with precision where conventional magnetic compasses often failed. Four months earlier, he had flown Excalibur III from New York to London in less than 8 hours, breaking the existing mark by over an hour.

Excalibur III first belonged to famed aviator A. Paul Mantz, who added extra fuel tanks for long-distance racing to this standard P-51C fighter. With it Mantz won the 1946 and 1947 Bendix air race and set a transcontinental speed record in 1947 when the airplane was named Blaze of Noon. Blair purchased it from Mantz in 1949 and renamed it Excalibur III, after the Sikorsky VS-44 flying boat he flew for American Export Airlines.

Gift of Pan American World Airways

Manufacturer:
North American Aircraft Company

Date:
1944

Country of Origin:
United States of America

Dimensions:
Wingspan: 11.3 m (37 ft)
Length: 9.8 m (32 ft 3 in)
Height: 3.9 m (12 ft 10 in)
Weight, empty: 4,445 kg (9,800 lb)
Weight, gross: 5,052 kg (11,800 lb)
Top speed: 700 km/h (435 mph)

Materials:
Overall: Aluminum

Physical Description:
Single seat, single engine, low wing monoplane, World War II fighter modified for racing.

• • • • •

Quoting Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum | Grumman G-22 "Gulfhawk II":

One of the most exciting aerobatic aircraft of the 1930s and ’40s, the Grumman Gulfhawk II was built for retired naval aviator and air show pilot Al Williams. As head of the Gulf Oil Company’s aviation department, Williams flew in military and civilian air shows around the country, performing precision aerobatics and dive-bombing maneuvers to promote military aviation during the interwar years.

The sturdy civilian biplane, with its strong aluminum monocoque fuselage and Wright Cyclone engine, nearly matched the Grumman F3F standard Navy fighter, which was operational at the time. It took its orange paint scheme from Williams’ Curtiss 1A Gulfhawk, also in the Smithsonian’s collection. Williams personally piloted the Gulfhawk II on its last flight in 1948 to Washington’s National Airport.

Gift of Gulf Oil Corporation

Manufacturer:
Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation

Date:
1936

Country of Origin:
United States of America

Dimensions:
Wingspan: 8.7 m (28 ft 7 in)
Length: 7 m (23 ft)
Height: 3.1 m (10 ft)
Weight, aerobatic: 1,625 kg (3,583 lb)
Weight, gross: 1,903 kg (4,195 lb)
Top speed: 467 km/h (290 mph)
Engine: Wright Cyclone R-1820-G1, 1,000 hp

Materials:
Fuselage: steel tube with aluminum alloy
Wings: aluminum spars and ribs with fabric cover

Physical Description:
NR1050. Aerobatic biplane flown by Major Alford "Al" Williams as demonstration aircraft for Gulf Oil Company. Similar to Grumman F3F single-seat fighter aircraft flown by the U.S. Navy. Wright Cyclone R-1820-G1 engine, 1000 hp.

• • • • •

Quoting Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum | Boeing 367-80 Jet Transport:

On July 15, 1954, a graceful, swept-winged aircraft, bedecked in brown and yellow paint and powered by four revolutionary new engines first took to the sky above Seattle. Built by the Boeing Aircraft Company, the 367-80, better known as the Dash 80, would come to revolutionize commercial air transportation when its developed version entered service as the famous Boeing 707, America’s first jet airliner.

In the early 1950s, Boeing had begun to study the possibility of creating a jet-powered military transport and tanker to complement the new generation of Boeing jet bombers entering service with the U.S. Air Force. When the Air Force showed no interest, Boeing invested million of its own capital to build a prototype jet transport in a daring gamble that the airlines and the Air Force would buy it once the aircraft had flown and proven itself. As Boeing had done with the B-17, it risked the company on one roll of the dice and won.

Boeing engineers had initially based the jet transport on studies of improved designs of the Model 367, better known to the public as the C-97 piston-engined transport and aerial tanker. By the time Boeing progressed to the 80th iteration, the design bore no resemblance to the C-97 but, for security reasons, Boeing decided to let the jet project be known as the 367-80.

Work proceeded quickly after the formal start of the project on May 20, 1952. The 367-80 mated a large cabin based on the dimensions of the C-97 with the 35-degree swept-wing design based on the wings of the B-47 and B-52 but considerably stiffer and incorporating a pronounced dihedral. The wings were mounted low on the fuselage and incorporated high-speed and low-speed ailerons as well as a sophisticated flap and spoiler system. Four Pratt & Whitney JT3 turbojet engines, each producing 10,000 pounds of thrust, were mounted on struts beneath the wings.

Upon the Dash 80′s first flight on July 15, 1954, (the 34th anniversary of the founding of the Boeing Company) Boeing clearly had a winner. Flying 100 miles per hour faster than the de Havilland Comet and significantly larger, the new Boeing had a maximum range of more than 3,500 miles. As hoped, the Air Force bought 29 examples of the design as a tanker/transport after they convinced Boeing to widen the design by 12 inches. Satisfied, the Air Force designated it the KC-135A. A total of 732 KC-135s were built.

Quickly Boeing turned its attention to selling the airline industry on this new jet transport. Clearly the industry was impressed with the capabilities of the prototype 707 but never more so than at the Gold Cup hydroplane races held on Lake Washington in Seattle, in August 1955. During the festivities surrounding this event, Boeing had gathered many airline representatives to enjoy the competition and witness a fly past of the new Dash 80. To the audience’s intense delight and Boeing’s profound shock, test pilot Alvin "Tex" Johnston barrel-rolled the Dash 80 over the lake in full view of thousands of astonished spectators. Johnston vividly displayed the superior strength and performance of this new jet, readily convincing the airline industry to buy this new airliner.

In searching for a market, Boeing found a ready customer in Pan American Airway’s president Juan Trippe. Trippe had been spending much of his time searching for a suitable jet airliner to enable his pioneering company to maintain its leadership in international air travel. Working with Boeing, Trippe overcame Boeing’s resistance to widening the Dash-80 design, now known as the 707, to seat six passengers in each seat row rather than five. Trippe did so by placing an order with Boeing for 20 707s but also ordering 25 of Douglas’s competing DC-8, which had yet to fly but could accommodate six-abreast seating. At Pan Am’s insistence, the 707 was made four inches wider than the Dash 80 so that it could carry 160 passengers six-abreast. The wider fuselage developed for the 707 became the standard design for all of Boeing’s subsequent narrow-body airliners.

Although the British de Havilland D.H. 106 Comet and the Soviet Tupolev Tu-104 entered service earlier, the Boeing 707 and Douglas DC-8 were bigger, faster, had greater range, and were more profitable to fly. In October 1958 Pan American ushered the jet age into the United States when it opened international service with the Boeing 707 in October 1958. National Airlines inaugurated domestic jet service two months later using a 707-120 borrowed from Pan Am. American Airlines flew the first domestic 707 jet service with its own aircraft in January 1959. American set a new speed mark when it opened the first regularly-scheduled transcontinental jet service in 1959. Subsequent nonstop flights between New York and San Francisco took only 5 hours – 3 hours less than by the piston-engine DC-7. The one-way fare, including a surcharge for jet service, was 5.50, or 1 round trip. The flight was almost 40 percent faster and almost 25 percent cheaper than flying by piston-engine airliners. The consequent surge of traffic demand was substantial.

The 707 was originally designed for transcontinental or one-stop transatlantic range. But modified with extra fuel tanks and more efficient turbofan engines, the 707-300 Intercontinental series aircraft could fly nonstop across the Atlantic with full payload under any conditions. Boeing built 855 707s, of which 725 were bought by airlines worldwide.

Having launched the Boeing Company into the commercial jet age, the Dash 80 soldiered on as a highly successful experimental aircraft. Until its retirement in 1972, the Dash 80 tested numerous advanced systems, many of which were incorporated into later generations of jet transports. At one point, the Dash 80 carried three different engine types in its four nacelles. Serving as a test bed for the new 727, the Dash 80 was briefly equipped with a fifth engine mounted on the rear fuselage. Engineers also modified the wing in planform and contour to study the effects of different airfoil shapes. Numerous flap configurations were also fitted including a highly sophisticated system of "blown" flaps which redirected engine exhaust over the flaps to increase lift at low speeds. Fin height and horizontal stabilizer width was later increased and at one point, a special multiple wheel low pressure landing gear was fitted to test the feasibility of operating future heavy military transports from unprepared landing fields.

After a long and distinguished career, the Boeing 367-80 was finally retired and donated to the Smithsonian in 1972. At present, the aircraft is installated at the National Air and Space Museum’s new facility at Washington Dulles International Airport.

Gift of the Boeing Company

Manufacturer:
Boeing Aircraft Co.

Date:
1954

Country of Origin:
United States of America

Dimensions:
Height 19′ 2": Length 73′ 10": Wing Span 129′ 8": Weight 33,279 lbs.

Physical Description:
Prototype Boeing 707; yellow and brown.

Carbon Glacier in Mount Rainier National Park


Image by brewbooks
On a December hike with my friend Clark. THis used to be a very easy hike, about 3.5 miles and 1300 feet of elevation gain to this spot. With the recent (November, 2006) floods at Mount Rainier National Park, it is going to be much longer because the road to the parking lot has been severely damaged. It’s always a great hike, I hope that the road is repaired, esle it will be a much longer hike.

This was taken at the snout of the Carbon Glacier Carbon Glacier in Mount Rainier National Park, I believe the lowest elevation glacier in the continental US. It’s also a glacier that hasn’t receded much (unlike others in Washington state). It is covered with a lot of dirt and rocks, hence the name Carbon Glacier.
MRNP Carbon Glacier 18 Dec 04

Carbon Glacier

Thy open lips of ice doth pour
A gushing stream in noisy flood
A stream released in joyful roar,
Behold: A glacier’s milk white blood.

Grind, grind, grind
to crumbling dust these stones!
Grind, grind, grind
The Mountain’s shattered bones!

How weak the pen, how vain the brush
To catch the hues of this deep gash!
How here revealed thy power to crush,
How awful is thy breathing’s crash.

Grind, grind, grind
The rocks however hurled!
Grind, grind, grind
Thou mill-stone of a world!

New life from death, eternal whirl,
How brief each puny span of life!
How long the atoms, grinding swirl,
Ere seized anew for a season’s strife!

Grind, grind, grind
To powder every stone!
Grind, grind, grind
New life will death atone!

I mount thy shoulders’ utmost height,
Where threatening ice-cliffs poise and nod,
Where avalanches roar in flight,
Like flying demons cursed of God.

Grind, grind, grind
and grind exceeding fine!
Grind, grind, grind
My Father’s will and thine!

Edmund S. Meany
August 5, 1909

appears on page 144 of Encircling Mount Rainier by Bette Filley.

DSCN5155

Alaska flight 1


Image by afagen
Ready to board our morning flight to Seattle. At Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Arlington, VA

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Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center: South hangar panorama, including gangplank


Image by Chris Devers
Quoting Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum | Monocoupe 110 Special:

Air show pilot and aerobatic champion W. W. "Woody" Edmondson thrilled audiences with his Monocoupe 110 Special throughout the 1940s. Edmondson, who named the airplane Little Butch for its bulldog-like appearance, placed second to "Bevo" Howard and his Bücker Jungmeister in the 1946 and ’47 American Aerobatic Championships, but he won the first International Aerobatic Championship in 1948.

The Monocoupe 110 Special was a clipped-wing version of the 110, part of a line that began with Don Luscombe’s Mono 22 and continued with the 70, 90, and 110 models. The sport coupes of the 1930s, these fast and maneuverable aircraft were ideal for racers Phoebe Omlie and Johnny Livingston. Ken Hyde of Warrenton, Virginia, restored Little Butch prior to its donation to the Smithsonian.

Gift of John J. McCulloch

Manufacturer:
Monocoupe Airplane Co.

Date:
1941

Country of Origin:
United States of America

Dimensions:
Wingspan: 6.9 m (23 ft.)
Length: 6.2 m (20 ft. 4 in.)
Height: 2.1 m (6 ft. 11 in.)
Weight, empty: 449 kg (991 lbs.)
Weight, gross: 730 kg (1,611 lbs.)
Top speed: 313 km/h (195 mph)
Engine: Warner 185, 200 hp

Materials:
Fuselage: steel tube with fabric cover Physical Description:High-wing, 2-seat, 1940′s monoplane. Warner Super Scarab 185, 200hp engine. Red with white trim. Clipped wings

• • • • •

Quoting Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum | Boeing 367-80 Jet Transport:

On July 15, 1954, a graceful, swept-winged aircraft, bedecked in brown and yellow paint and powered by four revolutionary new engines first took to the sky above Seattle. Built by the Boeing Aircraft Company, the 367-80, better known as the Dash 80, would come to revolutionize commercial air transportation when its developed version entered service as the famous Boeing 707, America’s first jet airliner.

In the early 1950s, Boeing had begun to study the possibility of creating a jet-powered military transport and tanker to complement the new generation of Boeing jet bombers entering service with the U.S. Air Force. When the Air Force showed no interest, Boeing invested million of its own capital to build a prototype jet transport in a daring gamble that the airlines and the Air Force would buy it once the aircraft had flown and proven itself. As Boeing had done with the B-17, it risked the company on one roll of the dice and won.

Boeing engineers had initially based the jet transport on studies of improved designs of the Model 367, better known to the public as the C-97 piston-engined transport and aerial tanker. By the time Boeing progressed to the 80th iteration, the design bore no resemblance to the C-97 but, for security reasons, Boeing decided to let the jet project be known as the 367-80.

Work proceeded quickly after the formal start of the project on May 20, 1952. The 367-80 mated a large cabin based on the dimensions of the C-97 with the 35-degree swept-wing design based on the wings of the B-47 and B-52 but considerably stiffer and incorporating a pronounced dihedral. The wings were mounted low on the fuselage and incorporated high-speed and low-speed ailerons as well as a sophisticated flap and spoiler system. Four Pratt & Whitney JT3 turbojet engines, each producing 10,000 pounds of thrust, were mounted on struts beneath the wings.

Upon the Dash 80′s first flight on July 15, 1954, (the 34th anniversary of the founding of the Boeing Company) Boeing clearly had a winner. Flying 100 miles per hour faster than the de Havilland Comet and significantly larger, the new Boeing had a maximum range of more than 3,500 miles. As hoped, the Air Force bought 29 examples of the design as a tanker/transport after they convinced Boeing to widen the design by 12 inches. Satisfied, the Air Force designated it the KC-135A. A total of 732 KC-135s were built.

Quickly Boeing turned its attention to selling the airline industry on this new jet transport. Clearly the industry was impressed with the capabilities of the prototype 707 but never more so than at the Gold Cup hydroplane races held on Lake Washington in Seattle, in August 1955. During the festivities surrounding this event, Boeing had gathered many airline representatives to enjoy the competition and witness a fly past of the new Dash 80. To the audience’s intense delight and Boeing’s profound shock, test pilot Alvin "Tex" Johnston barrel-rolled the Dash 80 over the lake in full view of thousands of astonished spectators. Johnston vividly displayed the superior strength and performance of this new jet, readily convincing the airline industry to buy this new airliner.

In searching for a market, Boeing found a ready customer in Pan American Airway’s president Juan Trippe. Trippe had been spending much of his time searching for a suitable jet airliner to enable his pioneering company to maintain its leadership in international air travel. Working with Boeing, Trippe overcame Boeing’s resistance to widening the Dash-80 design, now known as the 707, to seat six passengers in each seat row rather than five. Trippe did so by placing an order with Boeing for 20 707s but also ordering 25 of Douglas’s competing DC-8, which had yet to fly but could accommodate six-abreast seating. At Pan Am’s insistence, the 707 was made four inches wider than the Dash 80 so that it could carry 160 passengers six-abreast. The wider fuselage developed for the 707 became the standard design for all of Boeing’s subsequent narrow-body airliners.

Although the British de Havilland D.H. 106 Comet and the Soviet Tupolev Tu-104 entered service earlier, the Boeing 707 and Douglas DC-8 were bigger, faster, had greater range, and were more profitable to fly. In October 1958 Pan American ushered the jet age into the United States when it opened international service with the Boeing 707 in October 1958. National Airlines inaugurated domestic jet service two months later using a 707-120 borrowed from Pan Am. American Airlines flew the first domestic 707 jet service with its own aircraft in January 1959. American set a new speed mark when it opened the first regularly-scheduled transcontinental jet service in 1959. Subsequent nonstop flights between New York and San Francisco took only 5 hours – 3 hours less than by the piston-engine DC-7. The one-way fare, including a surcharge for jet service, was 5.50, or 1 round trip. The flight was almost 40 percent faster and almost 25 percent cheaper than flying by piston-engine airliners. The consequent surge of traffic demand was substantial.

The 707 was originally designed for transcontinental or one-stop transatlantic range. But modified with extra fuel tanks and more efficient turbofan engines, the 707-300 Intercontinental series aircraft could fly nonstop across the Atlantic with full payload under any conditions. Boeing built 855 707s, of which 725 were bought by airlines worldwide.

Having launched the Boeing Company into the commercial jet age, the Dash 80 soldiered on as a highly successful experimental aircraft. Until its retirement in 1972, the Dash 80 tested numerous advanced systems, many of which were incorporated into later generations of jet transports. At one point, the Dash 80 carried three different engine types in its four nacelles. Serving as a test bed for the new 727, the Dash 80 was briefly equipped with a fifth engine mounted on the rear fuselage. Engineers also modified the wing in planform and contour to study the effects of different airfoil shapes. Numerous flap configurations were also fitted including a highly sophisticated system of "blown" flaps which redirected engine exhaust over the flaps to increase lift at low speeds. Fin height and horizontal stabilizer width was later increased and at one point, a special multiple wheel low pressure landing gear was fitted to test the feasibility of operating future heavy military transports from unprepared landing fields.

After a long and distinguished career, the Boeing 367-80 was finally retired and donated to the Smithsonian in 1972. At present, the aircraft is installated at the National Air and Space Museum’s new facility at Washington Dulles International Airport.

Gift of the Boeing Company

Manufacturer:
Boeing Aircraft Co.

Date:
1954

Country of Origin:
United States of America

Dimensions:
Height 19′ 2": Length 73′ 10": Wing Span 129′ 8": Weight 33,279 lbs.

Physical Description:
Prototype Boeing 707; yellow and brown.

Mt. St. Helens from a United flight


Image by skinnylawyer
Having just wrapped up a long Seattle weekend, now I am flying back to Los Angeles on an early morning flight.

This is Mt. St. Helens, which erupted in May 1980. The directional nature of the eruption meant that it was the northern slopes that were demolished, as seen here. Having lost a sizable chunk of height, the mountain can no longer be seen from Seattle.

Had I had extra time in Seattle, I would have driven to Mt. St. Helens. This is going to have to wait for my next visit to the area.

registration unknown, Boeing 757-200

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Area Design-Build Team to Construct New University of Maryland Event Center and President’s Residence


Image by University of Maryland Press Releases
Aerial: President’s residence. Shot 5/6/2008

COLLEGE PARK, Md.–The University of Maryland College Park Foundation, concluding a rigorous search and evaluation process, will hire the design-build team of Forrester Construction/Barnes Vanze Architects/Gibson Builders to design and construct a new University Event Center and President’s Residence. The action follows earlier approval from the USM Board of Regents to build the much-needed University Events Center and to either upgrade or replace the newly vacated President’s Residence.

The Foundation, a private 501.c3 corporation, will raise private support to fund the project. The Foundation was established to raise and manage private support to advance the University’s mission and goal to become one of the top public research universities in the nation.

The University of Maryland is in the last two years of its ambitious billion capital campaign, Great Expectations: The Campaign for Maryland, one-third of which is committed to raising much-needed student scholarships and other types of student financial aid. It has raised more than 0 million to date. Maryland’s new president, Wallace D. Loh, will be a significant asset in raising the funds to successfully close out the campaign.

As we all know, a significant and measurable component in the role of any effective president today is to raise funds – both public and private – on behalf of the university. More often than not, the president’s residence doubles as the major venue in this regard, said John N. Lauer, ’63, Chair of the Foundation’s Executive Committee. The University of Maryland has sorely needed a presidential venue in which to host the level of cultivation and recognition events that help advance its mission and fundraising goals.

According to an American Council of Education survey in 2001, university presidents were polled on the four areas that occupy most of their time. Presidents at public institutions spent approximately 44.2 percent of their time actively engaged in fundraising, building partnerships with other organizations, and representing the institution to stakeholders (American College President, ACE, 2002).

The planned Event Center will be integrated with the new residence into a single structure but with public space and private (i.e., residence) space largely separate. With an estimated seating capacity of 125 and a standing capacity of approximately 350, the planned venue will greatly enhance business conducted on behalf of the University of Maryland. The room will be dividable for smaller gatherings. There will be handicapped accessible restrooms, a catering kitchen, storage space, a loading dock, and office and work space for staff. The Events Center will be built to meet or exceed LEED Silver Certification standards.

In addition to fundraising, the new Center will be used for a wide range of university initiatives and activities that will continue raising the university’s profile and visibility — hosting high-level conferences, ambassadors, and guest speakers. The new Event Center will also be located within a short walking distance of other major campus venues, such as the Clarice Smith Center, allowing the university to host events connected to performances at the performing arts center.

The new residence will include the kinds of spaces on the main floor and second (top) floor of the current residence with the addition of a garage and possibly a screened porch. It would be built to meet or exceed LEED Silver Certification standards, smaller in actual size, with much more livable space and more energy efficient than the current residence.

The Project Team
Maryland-based Forrester Construction Company is one of the Washington Metropolitan area’s leading commercial general contractors, having earned an industry-wide reputation for consistently delivering exceptional construction services on projects ranging from small tenant interiors to national landmarks including the Pentagon and Arlington National Cemetery. It has more than 20 years of design-build experience and a 10-year relationship with the University of Maryland. Barnes Vance Architects, Inc. has had a long, successful design history in the Washington, DC area and beyond, providing imaginative architectural solutions carefully tailored to client needs. This is achieved by combining a respect for tradition with the quiet incorporation of the latest technology. Forrester has enlisted Gibson Builders, a company with expertise in residential construction, to be an integral part of the team.

Design-Build Approach
The Foundation opted for a design-build approach, in which the architect and builder work together as a team from start to finish. This typically allows for a project to move forward on a faster schedule and assures rigorous cost control as adjustments can be made easily along the way. Current expectations are for the new facility to be completed by June 2012.

The Foundation has set a cap on the cost of the project at .2 million. All funding will be provided by private donors. More than one-third of the maximum cost was secured before selection of the design-build team and before any concepts or renderings were available.

The Selection Committee
The Committee that selected the winning design-build team consisted of several Foundation representatives, Frank Brewer (Associate Vice President for Facilities at the University), Carlo Colella (the University’s Director of Capital Projects) and two members of his staff, and Steve Hurtt, former dean of the School of Architecture, Planning, and Historic Preservation.

The Current Residence
All proposals submitted to the Foundation’s selection committee deemed the current unsuitable for renovation and use as a residence. The cost of renovation would likely exceed the cost of new construction, achieving a LEED Silver or better Certification level would be unlikely, and the basic structure would remain problematic. One proposer characterized renovation options as if not putting lipstick on a pig, at least it would be dressing up a broken down wreck . The Foundation will work with the University to determine whether the residence can be converted to other uses or should be demolished.

UM Facilities Management as Owner’s Representative
The Foundation has engaged the University’s Facilities Management (FM) Office to provide technical and administrative support and coordination for the project and to ensure that design and work complies with all University standards and policies.

Contact:
Millree Williams
301 405 4621 or millree@umd.edu

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Los Angeles-Nate Holden Performing Arts Center

The Nate Holden Performing Arts Center is dedicated to bringing a voice and a stage to some of the most talented performance artists in the Los Angeles area. From the building to the performances within, the Nate Holden Center is beautiful, and you should be aware of what shows are going on when so that you do not miss out on such an experience.

Designed by FSY Architects, the Nate Holden Center is known for its large and very adequate facilities that are used for many different things, and for its design it has won several architectural awards. The theater consists of 402 seats and can be configured for an orchestra pit, while the blue room is a rehearsal hall and studio that is also used for community meetings.

The extensive performing arts center also includes a café gallery, which also includes a loft at the mezzanine level, a 2,000 square foot cabaret space, and a theater balcony with 88 seats, from which you get a great vantage point of the action. If you get the chance to go backstage, you can see changing rooms, the prop room, and the loading dock, providing a fascinating glimpse into the inner workings of a theater production.

Currently, there are no featured events at the Nate Holden Performing Arts Center, but there are always local, national, and international performances that need a stage, so it is only a matter of time before you are heading out to the Holden. Tickets can be purchased at the NHPAC website at nhpac.com, or at the box office in the lobby. However if you want to make sure that you will get in, go ahead and purchase online. The Holden is a state-of-the-art facility that serves Los Angeles well in providing an outlet for performing arts. The center is located at 4718 W Washington Blvd.

More Washington Theatre Articles

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Question by Witch H: Can anyone recommend a Washington DC hotel that is near from the Verizon Center?
Can anyone recommend a Washington DC hotel that is walking distance from the Verizon Center?
We are staying there for 4 days, and were interested in finding a hotel within walking distance (Or near) of Verizon Center and good shopping malls…that is also in a safe area. Help??

Thanks!

Best answer:

Answer by Jessica
Any hotel in Penn Quarter/Chinatown or near Metro Center would be walking distance to the Verizon Center and in a safe neighborhood.

Sorry but there are no shopping malls in the middle of downtown D.C. There is some shopping on 7th Street NW in Chinatown and some around Metro Center but if you want actual malls you will have to go up to Friendship Heights/Chevy Chase or to Pentagon City. There is also excellent shopping in Georgetown but it’s not near the Verizon Center and not accessible by Metro rail (although you can get there on Metro bus or on a Circulator bus).

What do you think? Answer below!

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Best answer:

Answer by KENMAN
those are actually very good seats for a concert…especially if they are in front of the soundboard area…enjoy the concert!…

Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!

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Question by Rick O’shea: WWE SURVIVOR SERIES VERIZON CENTER WASHINGTON DC PRESALE PASSWORD PASSCODE CONCERT TICKET CODE?
begins 12:01am tue july 28

Best answer:

Answer by Rich
******************HERE IS YOUR ANSWER*****************

Your password has been posted FOR FREE on the page below.
Copy and paste the URL below and view this password NOW!!

http://microurl.org//5x

Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!

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