The Smithsonian announced Tuesday that the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly in getting an expansion. The facility’s Boeing Aviation Hangar will be getting an additional 44,000 square feet. Display space will be added to the north end of the hangar, increasing its size by 20 percent.
The expansion will allow for the display of additional artifacts from the museum’s collection. These include the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress “Shoo Shoo Shoo Baby” and the Martin B-26 Marauder “Flak-Bait.” Neither of these aircrafts have been displayed at the center fully assembled.
Other additions will include the restored Sikorsky JRS-1, a Pearl Harbor survivor; the De Havilland DH-98B Mosquito; and the Franklin “Texaco Eaglet.” The museum also expects to receive new acquisitions that will go on display prior to the project’s completion.
During and after the construction, Udvar-Hazy will rearrange the configuration of aircraft currently displayed in the hangar. For example, the “Flak-Bait” will be installed in the World War II section, which is located in the center of the hangar.
“We are excited for this expansion of our world-class facility in Virginia,” said Chris Browne, the John and Adrienne Mars Director of the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum, in a statement. “Adding on to the Udvar-Hazy Center will allow us to offer even more to the public and will give us a chance to make major changes to the arrangement of artifacts in the entire center, enhancing the experience for our visitors.”
Construction on the privately funded expansion should be completed at the end of 2028. The Udvar-Hazy center will remain open during the expansion.
Feature image of Boeing Aviation Hangar at the Udvar-Hazy Center courtesy Smithsonian Institution
