Helicopters at the New Air and Space Museum

The National Air and Space Society is attending Heli-Expo for the first time, promoting helicopter exhibits at the Smithsonian's new Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center at the Washington Dulles airport in northern Virginia.

When completed in December 2003, the museum will feature more than 30 artifacts from its vertical flight collection, including such helicopters as the Bell Model 30, Berliner Helicopter No. 5, Hiller XH-44 Hiller-Copter, Sikorsky XR-4 and Piasecki PV-2.

The Dulles site has been cleared for the new facility in anticipation of the museum's awarding a construction contract in late March. The last project at Smithsonian's Silver Hill restoration facilities in Maryland has meanwhile been completed so jigs and fixtures can be readied for the transition.

"With over two levels of hanging artifacts at Silver Hill, we have a lot of prep work to complete before the move," said Smithsonian program coordinator Lin Ezell. In an effort to accommodate additional 207 aircraft, the museum is considering a new option for four additional 50-foot bays. This will bring the overall hanger space to more than 1,000 linear feet and will allow the museum to fit the Concord aircraft promised to them by Air France, or a B-26 that has likewise been offered.