#air and space museum

[pointandshooter]

When I was a kid I used to build model airplanes and hang them from my bedroom ceiling.

Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, Virginia

photos: David Castenson

[nocternalrandomness]

Bell X-1 'Glamorous Glennis' at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, Washington DC

[istandonsnowpiles]

Discovery and Concorde at Udvar-Hazy

[beardedmrbean]

[accessibleaesthetics]

Earlier this year, I went to Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum, and I was struck by who I saw using some of the accessibility features of the exhibits.

[Image Description: Photo of the Command Module Columbia exhibit at Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum. The command module, which sits behind glass, is a full-size truncated cone with a docking probe and dish-shaped aft heat shield. In front of the glass is a sign with information about the command module on the left, a photograph in the middle, and a labeled smaller model on the right. The smaller model is labeled in both slightly raised text and Braille, and has a slightly raised hand icon next to it inside of a yellow speech bubble. End Image Description.]

This exhibit, like several others, included a part of the sign you were supposed to touch, as indicated by the hand symbol. This meant that people who couldn't see the actual thing behind the glass could get a very good idea of what every part of it looked like by touching the model and reading the label, which was offered in both raised letters and Braille.

[Image Description: Close up of the right side of the exhibit sign from the previous image. The light shining on the black surface of the exhibit sign shows darker spots where people left fingerprints. The entire Braille label is a near solid dark spot. End Image Description.]

This is obviously very cool and it's great that they invested inclusive design. But what really struck me about this was how much it was being used. You can tell from the photo that the Braille part of the sign has had many fingers on it, but I don't actually think all of those were from members of the target audience.

I could be wrong, of course, you can never really tell if someone is blind or low vision simply by looking at them. But I saw multiple children come up and run their hands over the smaller model mounted to the sign. At least one of them was running their fingers along the Braille too.

And it wasn't just children either. I saw at least one adult (other than myself) interacting with a similar model in another exhibit, one of a footprint on the moon. This one openly encouraged you to touch it rather than just implying permission like the one in this picture did. And that got me thinking: how many more adults would be doing the same thing the kids were if they weren't held back by this unspoken "oh, this feature is not for me" assumption? There are many haptic learners out there, after all.

If the people who design these museums realized the potential for a curb cut effect here, how many more exhibits would have these features?

And having full three-dimensional modules for people to touch weren't the only thing this museum offered either. You don't have to have all that to make the sign more user-friendly to those who have trouble seeing it.

[Image Description: A sign with a two-dimensional diagram of the Blériot XI aircraft. Each part of the illustration, including the person next to it for size, is slightly raised off the surface of the sign. All words on the diagram are labeled in both raised text and Braille. Beside the diagram is a slightly raised hand icon next to it inside of a yellow speech bubble. The labeled parts are the front, propeller, rudder, and elevator, most of which have arrows pointing to the respective parts of the illustration. End Image Description.]

You can make two-dimensional diagrams accessible too.

Finally, as an aside, the videos at the exhibits, the ones you could play on your own, all had open captions, and at least one had open audio descriptions as well.

[usafphantom2]

In October 1940, the Vought XF4U-1 Corsair prototype made history as the first single-engine U.S. fighter to fly faster than 400 mph. This F4U-1D, is on display at the Udvar-Hazy Center: s.si.edu/3Sfsx4E

@airandspace via X

Tap Title bar to view☝️

[hyper-coasters]

Blue Angels. Udvar-Hazey Smithsonian Hangar, 2024.

[chuckpatch]

Washington 1984

[lockvogel]

More Pima Air & Space Museum snapshots

[johnathan-armanithan]

Saw some stuff today, Lads. I needed to share.

No need for introductions here.

Nazi planes. (And a missle)

This is the capsule that the dude jumped out of from space for the highest free fall in history. HE BROKE THE SOUND BARRIER. Took 4 and a half minutes to reach the ground.

A P-51 Mustang stunt plane.

You know.

This is Flak Bait. It is being restored for display. It holds the record for most bombing runs in WW2. Look at those marks! (200 runs!)

The mothafukin DISCOVERY! I have seen 2 Shuttles in the last 8 months. Saw the Atlantis in December of '22.

And last but not least, the Mig-15bis

Aka, Fagot B.

Nothing like having your 14 year old cackle and say very loudly,

"OH MY GOD THEY CALLED IT A FAGOT!"

I died right there.

[crj-200]

sky baby. my newest most bestest friend

[benjohnston1]

[un-ionizetheradlab]

Saw the actual Enola Gay too.

[toasters-and-rockets]

A pleasant surprise on my recent DC trip — this Pontiac driven by Richard Petty to his 200th victory in 1984, on display at the National Air and Space Museum in their Nation of Speed exhibit.

There were three Cars diecasts displayed next to the car: Lightning, Doc, and Strip.

The label reads, “Disney Pixar’s animated film Cars (2006) evoked Americans’ nostalgia for mid-20th century cars and racing, in a story that touched multiple generations.”

[flightlessangelwings]

Went to the air and space museum today and saw the x-wing they have on display!! It was so awesome to see it in person!!! 🥰🥰

[nonrhoticity]

"There were years of drinking, depression, cheating.... I flipped over a SAAB in the San Fernando Valley. I once woke up in the Air and Space museum with a revolver in the waistband of my jean shorts"

Buzz Aldrin - No dream is too high: Lessons from a man who walked on the moon