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. The Museum includes the Red Barn which was historic birthplace of the Boeing Airplane Company.
Shown above is a model of the Red Barn.
Building with wood
The earliest airplanes were built with wood and fabric and making these airplanes required woodworking tools and skills.
Shown above is a table saw.
Shown above is a planer which makes the lumber smooth and reduces the thickness to a standard size.
All of the power tools are driven by belts. Shown above is the motor which drives the belts.
Shown above is a joiner which produces square edges.
Shown above is a band saw used to cut curved shapes.
Wood-framed Fuselage
The display includes a reproduction of a 1918 Boeing Model C. The fuselage is the main body of the airplane, and all other parts are attached to it. The longerons which span the length of the fuselage are made of strong wood to stand stress without breaking. The longerons are kept in place by frames which span from side to side and top to bottom. Frames are made with lighter wood.
Shown above is the engine, a 100 hp Hall-Scott.
Metal
Metal airplanes replaced the early fabric-covered wood-frame airplanes.
Memorabilia
Some of the displays in the Red Barn feature airplane memorabilia.
More airplane photo tours
Museum of Flight: Some early Boeing airplanes (photo diary)
Museum of Flight: Some early airplanes (photo diary)
Museum of Flight: The First Fighter Plane (photo diary)
Museum of Flight: World War I seaplane models (photo diary)
Historic Flight: Biplanes (photo diary)
Museums 101: 1930s Biplanes (Photo Diary)
Evergreen Aviation: Biplanes (photo diary)
Stonehenge Air Museum: Biplanes (Photo Diary)
