A couple of weeks ago, Denny and I took his parents to the National Air and Space Museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center.  We had been before, but we were happy to visit again and play tour guides for his parents.  Being such a fan of WWII-era fashion as I am, I shimmied into an era-appropriate dress, swirled my hair into victory rolls, and pinned in a flower for the occasion.  Unfortunately, I forgot to have Denny snap a picture of my look, but I’m sure I’ll wear something very similar in the future, and I’ll try to remember to get a picture then.

Speaking of looks, I got a few as we were walking around, but as there were a few people dressed in flight suits and Amelia Earhart-style aviation gear for a Girl Scouting event, I think most people assumed I was in costume.  The dress wasn’t super fancy or costumey, so I think it had a lot to do with the victory rolls.  I love victory rolls because they instantly make me feel like a pinup, and they’re named for a flight maneuver!  So appropriate for a visit to the Air and Space Museum.

One of the first planes you see when you walk in the building is Lope’s Hope.

I love the fierce snarl painted on this plane; it makes me want to jump in and gun down some enemy fighters!Beside Lope’s Hope is another plane whose paint job reminds me of a shark, but only in the coloring.

Can’t you just picture it flying against a bright blue sky?Arranged on the floor below are many more planes from all eras, but I was, of course, drawn to the ones painted with interesting details.

F-14 Tomcat with Felix the Cat getting ready to drop a bombI remember seeing an F-14 at an air show when I was younger and deciding that it was my favorite plane because it’s called a Tomcat.

Love the bright yellow and the eagle on this one!Of course, one of the most interesting, to me, doesn’t have much in the way of artwork on it.

The Boeing B-29 Superfortress Enola GayDespite the lack of artwork, the Enola Gay is quite a beauty with her flashy silver coloring and oh-so-40’s lines.  If you enjoy eye candy like this, I encourage you to watch Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow.  It’s a gorgeous film!

Finally, I had to share this little bit of fashion.

Belle of the Brawl leather bomber jacket, complete with bombs!Is it weird that I would totally wear a replica of this?  Totally normal, right?  Anyway, if you look closely, you can actually see a bit of my reflection in the glass case.  I have to apologize for all of the terrible cell phone pictures.  It was a cloudy day, and there’s not much light in this museum to begin with, but I’m sure the pictures would have been better if I hadn’t been too lazy to bring my real camera.  I promise to take it with me on future outings!

Obviously I’ve only shown a tiny portion of the Udvar-Hazy center here.  It’s a very interesting museum, and I didn’t even show any of the space wing.  When we were there, they had started to prepare theEnterprise for its flight up to the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York.  In turn, space shuttleDiscovery will soon be taking Enterprise’s place at Udvar-Hazy.  I’d love to watch Discovery land at Dulles on the back of a jumbo jet, but sadly, I have to work.

There is one thing I find a bit disappointing about the Udvar-Hazy center.  I wish they had more planes with nose art, or at least a display devoted to the art.  I’m fascinated by the pinup girls painted on the sides of those old planes, bolstering morale with every wink and clever name, like the Avenging Angel.

Cute coasters, no? Click the picture to see them on Etsy.Oh, and the other thing that Udvar-Hazy is missing?  The real Enterprise!

This large U.S.S. Enterprise model is at the Air and Space museum in downtown DC. Click the picture for details.Next post will be a shopping haul and a little bit of a store review.  See you then!

SWAK!