Behind The Scenes

Accomplishing a project of this magnitude took an incredible amount of planning, preparation and coordination among numerous entities. Those who were most involved in the creation of the Udvar-Hazy Center have written articles detailing various facets of the project. The following articles and photos offer a behind-the-scenes account of this major achievement in the history of the National Air and Space Museum. This page will be updated as further phases of the project are completed.

Pre-Planning Considerations

• Building design factors (i.e. temperature, humidity, light) required for the preservation of artifacts
• Fitting 300 aircraft and spacecraft into the Udvar-Hazy Center
• Displaying the smaller artifacts

Construction Specifics

• Thrust-blocks
• Raising the final truss
• Raising the roof
• "Topping off" the Donald D. Engen Tower
• Steps taken to preserve the wetlands
• List of project contractors and vendors

Moving, Hanging, and Assembling Artifacts

• Getting ready for the big move
• Hanging aircraft
• Moving the Enola Gay
• Assembling the Enola Gay

Since Opening

• Since Opening
• Space Hangar Opening