For those who like to watch...
Probably got you too interested there. In this case, it's only to watch spacecraft covered in scaffolding and crowds of schoolchildren on a day out to the National Air and Space Museum.
First up - the Space Shuttle Enterprise, currently undergoing a bit of buffing up. Never flew in space, unfortunately. It did atmospheric flight and landing tests, and then was supposed to be refitted into a full orbiter once the second craft (Columbia, OV-102) flew, hence the designation OV-101. Unforunately it cost less to refit the Static Test Article (basically a full "mockup" used for strength tests and the like) into an orbiter, which became Challenger - OV-099.
Sadly, we all know what happened to OV-099 and OV-102.
Some of Enterprise's components were used during the investigation into the Columbia wing failure, prompting the restoration of the entire craft. There's not a lot going on just now though as far as I can tell.
The other webcam is pointed at an SR-71 Blackbird, amongst other aircraft. The Blackbird is cool. Massively fast, flew massively high, and has a strange combination of menace and beauty. (Why it has menace I don't know - it was a recon aircraft).
First up - the Space Shuttle Enterprise, currently undergoing a bit of buffing up. Never flew in space, unfortunately. It did atmospheric flight and landing tests, and then was supposed to be refitted into a full orbiter once the second craft (Columbia, OV-102) flew, hence the designation OV-101. Unforunately it cost less to refit the Static Test Article (basically a full "mockup" used for strength tests and the like) into an orbiter, which became Challenger - OV-099.
Sadly, we all know what happened to OV-099 and OV-102.
Some of Enterprise's components were used during the investigation into the Columbia wing failure, prompting the restoration of the entire craft. There's not a lot going on just now though as far as I can tell.
The other webcam is pointed at an SR-71 Blackbird, amongst other aircraft. The Blackbird is cool. Massively fast, flew massively high, and has a strange combination of menace and beauty. (Why it has menace I don't know - it was a recon aircraft).