Museum Relic

The first aircrafzt to have digital displays came out in 1978, that's 31 years ago according to my calculations. why do I bring this up... I'll get to that.

Yesterday a couple of other pilots and I went over to the Virginal Avatoin Museum at the Richmond airport. It was a very nice collection of aircraft including a 1927 Fairchild FC-2W2 that Admiral Richard E. Byrd used on his expeditions to the Antarctic. On Jan. 15, 1929, Stars and Stripes (in the museum) was the first American aircraft to fly over the Antarctic. Some other really cool aircraft were there also. If you have an hour or two and are in Richmond VA, it is worth the $6 to take a look.

The image above is a collection of different avionics that have been used over the years. Included in this collection are a attitude director indicator with cross pointer flight director bars, a horizontal situation indicator, some miscellaneous control panels, landing gear control and a barrel directional gyro that I learned to fly with back in 1971.

The movement to electronic instruments started in corporate aircraft and made its way into airline equipment in the Boeing 757 series aircraft. The last of the airline aircraft that still use the steam gauges is the earlier MD-80 (DC-9) aircraft. These puppies are at least 20 years old and are definitely showing their age.

Tomorrow I will have a cool look at the compressor section of a jet engine. Ok so that sounded a little nerdy but it is the end result that is cool.

Cya tomorrow... Doug