At the Controls

(August 26, 2006) - Some of us have seen the outsides of famous airplanes like the Wright 1903 Flyer, Charles Lindbergh's Spirit of St. Louis, or the Boeing B-29 Enola Gay. But who, other than the pilots, has seen the insides of these planes?

Now you can at the San Diego Air & Space Museum in Balboa Park, a Smithsonian Affiliate, until December 17, 2006.

Featuring large-format color photographs (approximately 4' x 7') of cockpits from airplanes and spacecraft in the world-renowned collection of the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum (NASM), this exhibition offers new views of 20 historic aircraft. Among the aircraft represented are the Wright 1903 Flyer, Ryan NYP Spirit of St. Louis, Grumman F4F-4 Wildcat, Supermarine Spitfire Mark VII, and the Space Shuttle Columbia.

NASM photographers Eric F. Long and Mark Avino used a 4x5 camera with a wide-angle lens covering 120 degrees to create these thrilling images. Printed nearly to scale, these photographs let viewers imagine what it's like to sit at the controls.

At the Controls: The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum Looks at Cockpits visually traces the development of cockpits and illustrates the changes and refinements in aviation technology since the first flight a century ago. From the efficiently designed instrument panel of the P-51D Mustang to the myriad switches and gauges in the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird, each photograph displays advances in aviation and aeronautics from the pilot's point of view.

Printed on flexible material that can be displayed on lightweight, freestanding structures or on exhibition wall space, each photograph is accompanied by information about the aircraft, its historical significance, and details on some of the instruments specific to each cockpit. The images of and informative text about the most extraordinary cockpit interiors in NASM’s collection appeal to flight novices as well as enthusiasts.

The San Diego Air & Space Museum is located in beautiful Balboa Park in the historic Ford Building at 2001 Pan American Plaza. For more information call (619) 234-8291, Ext. 19 or visit: www.aerospacemuseum.org.