The Museum of Flight in Seattle, Washington, is the largest independent, non-profit air and space museum in the world. It has more than 175 aircraft and spacecraft. Shown below are some of the displays outside of the museum.
McDonnell Douglas F/A-18A Hornet
The F/A-18 Hornet entered service in 1983 as a fighter and attack aircraft for the United States Navy and Marine Corps. According to the display:
“The Hornet was the first fighter manufactured with carbon fiber wings and digital fly-by-wire flight controls, giving the Hornet the control and durability to fulfill multiple roles. It was the first tactical aircraft to be designed to fulfill both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions and can easily be converted for photoreconnaissance and electronic countermeasures missions.”
It has a top speed of about 1,360 mph, a range of 2,400 miles, and a ceiling of 50,000 feet.
Lockheed 1049G Super Constellation
The G-model Super Constellation was first flown in 1954 and Northwest Orient Airlines introduced it into commercial service in 1955. It was a popular choice among airlines with 42 flown by U.S. carriers and 59 by foreign airlines. According to the information sign:
“The ‘Super G’ was the most successful version of the Lockheed Super Constellation and one of the last great piston-engine airliners. Soon after the plane’s introduction, it became clear that airlines would invest in new jet aircraft.”
This aircraft has a cruising speed of 305 mph and a top speed of 370. It has a range of 4,140 miles.
The Museum’s Super Constellation was delivered to Trans-Canada Airlines (TCA in 1954 as a Model 1049C and was later upgraded to 1049G status. It was flown until 1963.
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG 17
The MiG-17 was an improved and significantly upgraded derivative of the MiG-15. With an afterburning turbojet, it was capable of near-sonic velocities in level flight. It has a top speed of 711 mph and a range of 913 miles with two drop tanks.
This MiG-17 was formerly active with the Moroccan Air Force.
F-86 Sabre Dog
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