Thanks! And no, I guess they don't.

Did you notice that they added glass on the catwalk above the Enola Gay? Back in 2003, when the museum opened, a handful of protesters showed up, demanding that the death toll from the atomic bombings be posted with the plane. Somebody tried to throw red paint on the plane to symbolize blood.

This may be the Internet, but I come from a more friendly corner of it. So I'm trying to lead by example. Just like with my children, people tend to listen better when you're not yelling.

True, and if you pop for a Smithsonian membership you save a bit on food and swag.

True. And with the traffic in that place, there's not much floor space. I was there in the summer of '76 when it opened, and at least three or four times since. It's only getting more crowded.

That's a good point. I always thought that having it at eye level for those on the upper level made it kind of hard to see, though you could view into the cockpit. I wonder if they have it off the ground in order to protect it.

I did. I made my comment when I was on my phone, and didn't see your reply to Phil.

Kettle, meet pot.

They were not visible. They are on the underside of the wing, though.

Just don't eat there. The food is wicked expensive.

You touch on an important point about the NASM and the Udvar-Hazy Center. When you are looking at the Enola Gay, it's not a B-29 painted to look like the Enola Gay, it is the Enola Gay. When you are looking at the Spirit of St. Louis, it's the Spirit of St. Louis, not a replica. These planes aren't only important to…

You may be right, but where will it be seen by more people? I would wager that the NASM counts its visitors in the millions per year, from all over the globe. With deference to you and the citizens of St. Louis, I think it's in the right place.

So does avgas need lead? Or is it just a holdover from the lead days? I'm surprised that avgas was not included in the lead fuel ban in the US. Interesting. Thanks.

See: Bogan

Why is avgas so scarce in Europe?

Just swap the Mustang engine into the Cessna and rebadge it as a P-51.

Not at all. You're among friends here.

This is a detail from the Concorde on display at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Virginia. Rolls-Royce/SNECMA Olympus 593 Mk 602, 17,259 kg (38,050 lb) thrust each (there were four on the Concorde).

Do you have any idea what those pylons are constructed of so that they break away like that and don't get caught on the wing?

I knew there had been a water crash at least once. I thought the pic of Matt Hall was that incident. Looks like the exact same situation in both crashes.