Behind the Scenes
Boeing 747-151 Forward Fuselage
A bit of luck
Unfortunately, the Museum did not have room for the massive aircraft, but the curator asked that Northwest give the Museum the forward fuselage for the new America by Air exhibit. The answer was a swift "yes," and the rest, as they say, is history. (Photo of Northwest 747 in retirement, courtesy James Covington) Preparation - it takes a village
Structural considerations for placing such a large object in an existing building are many, and required a large team of experts consisting of two architects, three structural engineering firms, two construction contractors, and sub-contractors. They worked in coordination with Museum design managers from the Office of Facilities Engineering and Operations and the Exhibits Division. (See list below.) Calculations revealed that the gallery's floor had to be permanently reinforced to support the 26,500 pounds (11,793 kg) object and the weight of the bridge. In addition, temporary shoring would be needed to support the crane that would lift the pieces into place. In January, 2006, workers from contractor MCA began building the bridge and the structure to support the forward fuselage. In June, 2006, workers from Guard-Lee, Inc., began disassembling the forward fuselage at Charlotte Aircraft, Maxton, NC, shown in this series of photos. Northwest Airlines had sold the airplane to Charlotte Aircraft for scrap, with the stipulation that the forward fuselage would be saved for the Smithsonian.
Arrival At The Museum The pieces of the 747 - 11 to be exact -- arrived via truck at the west end of the National Mall building on January 8, 2007. Curator Bob van der Linden, taking photos, lighting designer and project manager Frank Florentine, middle, and exhibits production manager Dave Paper oversaw the work performed by Guard-Lee.
Installation Installation of the outer portions took 14 days, and was available to watch live on the Museum's web camera. Workers from Guard-Lee who remained in Florida enjoyed watching the progress through the video camera. Structural Engineer Rocky Styer checked the web periodically to ensure we were following his plan. Rocky later commented that he wished he could have a video cam on all his projects. Fitting the 747 into the space not only required space for the plane but also space for the cranes to lift the pieces into place. Lifting straps were shortened to the minimum to avoid the wings of the Ford Tri-Motor. The tightest lift by the installation crew came at the end of the assembly when the radome and the cone just behind the radome, about 4,000 pounds of weight, floated at the end of the crane and between the 747 and the existing Northrop Alpha airplane. The crane operator slowly hoisted the pieces and the Guard-Lee crews gently pulled the last two pieces of the 747 together and installed the remaining bolts. It all fit!
When the gallery opens later this year, visitors will enter on the 747's upper deck - a revolutionary feature of the airplane that created the 747's easily recognizable "hump." Once inside, they can view the cockpit and marvel at the airplane's bewildering array of 971 lights, gauges, and switches, and gaze through the cockpit windows to view the other aircraft suspended in the gallery. They will also see the spiral staircase leading to the lower level, a unique and much talked-about feature when the first "jumbo jet" was introduced. Boeing 747-151 Forward Fuselage Fact Sheet Keep watching the America by Air live web camera to see more work in progress! Northwest Airlines 747 Forward Fuselage Project National Air and Space Museum Curator: Bob van der Linden |
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The gallery's design called for the forward fuselage to be installed on a wall next to the Albert Einstein Planetarium, which would allow visitors to enter it from the second floor using a newly constructed bridge.
