In one of
The Aerodrome Forum threads it was mentioned that the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. had a nice inventory of World War I flying machines and other artifacts, but the exhibit was under repair or the planes themselves were being refurbished and were not available.
I visited the Smithsonian on a rainy Saturday in February and can tell you that the World War I exhibit, Legacy of the Air Battles in the Great War, is alive and well.
Upon entering the exhibit, the first area is the streetside walkway under the Movies Marquis and a bright red fully restored Pfalz D.XII machine with it's menacing skull ensignia. This is subtly linked to the first display of articles, pictures and subsequent commercial products extolling the exploits of the Red Baron, Manfred von Richthofen. A first edition copy of The Red Knight of Germany by Walters is displayed behind a glass wall. There are also pizza boxes, toy games and hotrod models, all related to the famed aviator.
The exhibit walkway leads you into a replica of a movie theater, circa 1920, where a brief film runs continuously. Narrated by Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., the film actually makes a very worthwhile effort at setting the record straight on World War I flying machines and their pilots as compared to how they were portrayed in early films. According to Fairbanks, villains and heroes sold tickets and that was the motivation for many of the early movies. This educational short includes scenes from Wings, Ace of Aces, both versions of Dawn Patrol, Hell's Angels, etc. It reminds you of how and why you got hooked on World War I aviation in the first place. At least it brought that message home for me.
Next, you walk by a SPAD XIII named Smith IV. Adjacent to the plane, Ray Brooks, the pilot who flew this very machine, is interviewed in a video that runs continuously on a small monitor. Ray is quite old in the video and is obviously confined to a wheelchair but his mind is sharp and his memory is as clear as if it was only yesterday. Just hearing him talk about the dogfights and bravery of his comrades and opponents makes a visit to the Smithsonian worthwhile. I was spellbound, hanging on his every word. I don't know if any of you know of him or have read about him but this certainly made me want to find out all I could about this brave pioneer of air combat.
Ironically, mixed in with the displays of the planes and their own individual stories were some replica displays and recreations of the war on the ground and in the trenches. Just enough background information to give you a sense of what was going on down below the pilots. According to a quote on the wall, in the overall scheme of things, the impact of aviation on the outcome of the battles and the war on the ground was insignificant. An interesting, even surprising, but enlightened statement from one of the participants.
There was also a brief display highlighting the story of the women who worked in German airplane assembly plants during the war. It was illustrated with pictures and featured a replica engine under construction.
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