NASM 747 Jet Age Exhibit Support & Nose Attachment
This three-story-high exhibit of a Northwest Airlines 747 nose segment at the National Air and Space Museum weighs 30,000 pounds and is supported by the front landing gear along with a stabilizing steel frame at the rear. The stabilizing frame was first constructed in the actual plane at the airfield to ensure its fit and establish connection points to the aluminum airplane fuselage, then the frame and airplane were disassembled for transport and reassembled in their final location. To support the load at the landing gear and columns for the connecting bridge, new columns and footings were installed in the museum basement below. McMullan surveyed and analyzed both the existing museum structure in the District and the aircraft at its North Carolina airfield to develop the design from concept to final stages, and then worked with museum staff during construction to help produce this exciting exhibit.
Location
Washington, DC
Client
Smithsonian Institution
Architect/Engineer
architrave p.c., architects
General Contractor
Guard-Lee Inc.
CULTURAL PROJECTS
