Walk through a 747, a 787, a Concorde and more at one of the largest air museums in the world.
Seattle might not spring to mind when you think of important locations in the history of aviation. Kitty Hawk probably, Paris maybe, Edwards Air Force Base for sure. But when it comes to the history of airplanes themselves, Seattle belongs on the list for one big reason: Boeing.
Fitting, then, that the massive Museum of Flight is not only located adjacent to Boeing Field, right down the road from one of the company’s massive factories, but also features several historically important Boeing aircraft. It’s not just a Boeing museum, though. Through its multiple hangars and galleries, there are stunning examples of aircraft from the entire history of aviation. Even better, you can go inside several of these meticulously maintained aircraft.
Want to stand underneath the only surviving M-21 variant of the A-12 spyplane, the predecessor to the SR-71 Blackbird? How about rare and restored WWI and WWII aircraft like the Pfalz D. XII and Yakovlev Yak-9? You can even walk through the first 747, the first 727, one of the 787 prototypes, the first jet-powered Air Force One and more.
Here’s a look inside.
No matter where you put it, an A-12 (top of the page) just dominates the space it’s in. Visually similar to the even more advanced SR-71, the model still looks futuristic now nearly 60 years after its first flight. This is one is even rarer, the M-21 variant that was built to carry an autonomous drone, which is currently sitting on top.
Oh, right, I’m in a museum. The Museum of Flight is just south of Seattle, and I arrive on a cold February day and the museum is packed.
