On Tuesday, Textron eAviation announced it will loan a Pipistrel Velis Electro to the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C., where it will be showcased for the next three years. Textron acquired Pipistrel and the Velis for $235 million in 2022.

“This contribution represents a major milestone in actively promoting sustainable aviation technology to educate the next generation of aviators, while also strengthening our position as leaders in reducing the industry’s impact on the environment,” said Kriya Shortt, president and CEO of Textron eAviation.

The Velis Electro, winner of the 2021 American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Aircraft Design Award, will be a unique addition for the museum, which largely features aircraft that no longer fly.

It received European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) type certification in 2020, becoming the first electric aircraft in the world to reach the milestone. In March, it earned a light sport aircraft (LSA) exemption from the FAA, opening up flight training using electric aircraft in the U.S.

In 2021, flight school Florida Tech became the first in the country to own and fly (in the experimental category) an electric aircraft when it purchased the Velis. The following year, a student pilot flying the model became the first in the U.S. to earn a pilot private certificate in an electric airplane.

Even the U.S. military is interested in the aircraft—last year, AFWERX, the innovation arm of the Air Force, picked the Velis for its Agility Prime aircraft development and flight test program. The initiative seeks to uncover military applications for commercial designs that have yet to hit the market.

Soon, members of the public will have the opportunity to see the Velis Electro up close and personal at the National Air and Space Museum’s upcoming exhibition next year.

“As we endeavor to tell stories about innovations occurring right now in aerospace, Textron eAviation’s loan of a Pipistrel Velis Electro allows us to explore the topic of sustainability efforts in aviation,” said Roger Connor, a curator at the museum.

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Scheduled to debut in spring 2025, the “Boeing Milestones of Flight Hall” and “Barron Hilton Pioneers of Flight” galleries will inaugurate this pivotal chapter in the museum’s overhaul. Coupled with the Lockheed Martin IMAX Theater and the museum entrance on Jefferson Drive, these openings represent a crucial step toward completing the comprehensive renovation, with additional galleries expected to follow suit in a phased approach. The museum aims to welcome visitors to most remaining galleries and public spaces by its 50th anniversary in July 2026, aligning with the United States Semiquincentennial.

The museum’s east end, now primed for exhibition installation, will showcase over 1,600 artifacts, a testament to meticulous planning and execution. These artifacts include items that have undergone conservation and restoration processes, bringing them back to life for museum visitors. The upcoming exhibitions, spanning from “At Home in Space” to “World War I: The Birth of Military Aviation,” promise an immersive exploration of aviation’s rich history.

• READ MORE: Museum Spotlight: Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum

The renovation initiative involves a comprehensive redesign of all 20 exhibition spaces, an exterior cladding face-lift, and the replacement of outdated mechanical systems. The recent completion of the stone replacement on the building facade in December marked a significant milestone in the ambitious project. 

The first phase of the renovated museum welcomed visitors in October 2022, featuring eight new and reimagined exhibitions, a planetarium, a museum store, and the Mars Café. Visitors can secure free timed-entry passes, which are needed for admission and designed to provide a high-quality, accessible experience for all.

Located at Sixth Street and Independence Avenue S.W. in Washington, the museum invites visitors to explore its exhibits daily from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. EST with the exception of December 25. You can stay updated on the museum’s renovation progress and discover more about its offerings by visiting the official website, an interactive hub reflecting its commitment to transparency and engaging the public throughout this transformation.

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“The women had kept their identities quiet for that time out of a desire to focus on the importance of the missions and not the individuals,” the Smithsonian National Air & Space museum, which had a hand in identifying the pilots, said in a statement. “The flyers agreed to be named in an exclusive article in the just-released winter 2024 issue of museum’s Air & Space Quarterly magazine, which was based on interviews with the women.”

• READ MORE: When Women Earned Their Wings: the USAF’s First Crop of Female Pilots

In April 1993, the Department of Defense ended its long-held combat exclusion law, allowing women to fly combat missions. 

In November of the following year, U.S. Navy Lieutenant Kimberly “Face” Dyson took off in a McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C Hornet off the deck of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, becoming the first female pilot to fly a combat mission for the U.S. military.

Dyson was one of five female naval pilots who flew combat missions in 1994 and 1995 in Iraq and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

“We were ready to do anything,” Dyson told the Smithsonian of her first combat flights. “It was a little nerve-wracking. But in the end, it turned out to be a normal flight, very much the same as we had done in practice.”

First Female Pilots to Fly Combat Missions for the U.S.

• U.S. Navy Lieutenant Kimberly “Face” Dyson, F/A-18C Hornet
• U.S. Navy Lieutenant Sharon “Pinto” Deegan (Cummins at the time); F/A-18C Hornet
• U.S. Navy Lieutenant Junior Grade Joy “Trigger” Dean (Adams at the time), F/A-18C Hornet
• U.S. Navy Lieutenant Lisa “KP” Kirkpatrick, Grumman E-2C Hawkeye
• U.S. Navy Lieutenant Lynne Fowler, Sikorsky SH-3 helicopter

While news of the combat milestone was reported at the time, their names had not been released.

• READ MORE: Beware the Night Witches: The All-Female Pilot Crew Who Struck Fear into Nazis

“My entire goal was to be a great wingman and to fly perfect combat spread,” said Dean “I wanted to be ready, have situational awareness, and join up and refuel with the tanker—get in and get out. This is the other side of the world, and we’re here doing something that not a lot of people have the opportunity to do. It was probably a one-second thought, and then it was right back to flying combat spread.”

The Smithsonian magazine article, “Just Doing Their Jobs,” may be found here.

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According to Dorothy Cochrane, the museum’s curator of the aeronautics department, the answer is a resounding “Yes!”

“The challenge is that there are lots of Wright Flyer replicas at museums around the country,” Cochrane said. Also, the famous design doesn’t look 120 years old, due in part to meticulous care taken over the decades and a recovering of the wings in the mid-1980s when the museum did conservation work on the Flyer. This work consisted of disassembling it, inspecting and cleaning the parts, and documenting its construction and the materials used. 

• READ MORE: Reenacting the First Airplane Flight via Simulator

According to information provided by Cochrane, the fabric on the airplane at this time is not the same as it was when it flew in 1903, because in 1928, when Orville Wright loaned the Flyer to the London Science Museum, he recovered the aircraft entirely. It remained in England until 1948, when it was shipped back to the U.S. and the Smithsonian took it for display.

“When the aircraft was recovered in 1985, it was done the same way Orville had done it in 1903,” said Cochrane. “Our conservation and restoration people acquired new fabric from the same company that made the original fabric that Orville put on.”

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Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum, Washington, D.C.

Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird

“One of my favorite things to do is watch visitors come into the Udvar-Hazy Center, busy and distracted, and then be totally mesmerized by the sight of the SR-71 Blackbird. I love seeing them slowly lower their phones, their jaws dropping as they take in the sleek, majestic shape of the fastest jet airplane ever built. I can’t blame them, I had the same response when I saw it for the first time! The SR-71 is certainly one of my favorite aircraft. It still looks like it’s from the future, even though its design began in the late 1950s. It was designed by hand, calculated with slide rules, long before computer-aided design techniques existed. It was also the first airplane to be designed from the beginning to reduce its detectability by radar. Although it is not a ‘stealth’ plane by today’s standards, it was a foundation for later stealth aircraft like the F-117 Nighthawk and the B-2 Spirit. I think the fact that the Blackbird is also an unarmed surveillance and reconnaissance plane adds to its mystique. This is not a plane that engages in active fighting, but its role demonstrates just how important reliable information is for national security concerns. The Blackbird provided key intelligence during the Vietnam War and most of the Cold War, allowing policy makers at every level to make informed decisions.”

– Mike Hankins, aviation curator, Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum

Pitts S-1C 

“Betty Skelton’s Pitts S-1C is the oldest existing Pitts as well as a unique/the smallest Pitts still in existence. Betty’s story stands alone in her pursuit of aerobatic excellence as three-time Feminine Aerobatic Champion, twice in this aircraft—1949 and 1950. The championships and her airshow performances created the buzz and respect for the design. The plane’s excellent aerobatic qualities created by Curtiss Pitts made it the aerobatic aircraft of choice for U.S. acro pilots in the 70s and 80s (an American won the 1972 World Aerobatic Championship flying the Pitts S-1S—that type also in our collection), and it remains an important aerobatic trainer to this day. I am so pleased Betty’s Little Stinker greets everyone at the Udvar-Hazy Center entrance, and Betty was delighted too!”

– Dorothy Cochrane, aviation curator, Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum

Lockheed Vega 5B

“Amelia Earhart’s Lockheed Vega 5B is the huge draw in my collection for obvious reasons and is possibly in the museum’s top three or five after the Wright Flyer and Spirit of St Louis.”

– Dorothy Cochrane, aviation curator, Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum

Boeing 247-D, 307 Stratoliner, Ryan NYP

“Boeing 247 (the subject of my first book); the Macchi C.202 Folgore (I love Italian machines); Ryan NYP Spirit of St. Louis (it is the “Spirit” after all); the Boeing 307 Stratoliner (it is too cool), and many more.” 

– Bob van der Linden, aviation curator, Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum

Curtiss F9C-2 Sparrowhawk

“I am particularly fond of the Curtiss F9C-2 Sparrowhawk currently on display at the Udvar-Hazy Center. It is a Navy biplane that was specifically assigned to the airship fleet, and operated from the flying aircraft carriers USS Macon and USS Akron. It used an incredible hook and trapeze recovery system that allowed it to be launched from and recovered by the airships in flight, and were stored within the airships in specially designed hangars.”

– Thomas Paone, museum specialist, Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum

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Last month, the Smithsonian invited me to the grand reopening of the National Air and Space Museum. The new “We All Fly” exhibition includes my story and the stories of many other GA pilots. I am honored that my story of flying with a disability can show aspiring aviators that aviation is within reach.

Can I tell you a secret? I never went to prom. Living with a disability is complicated, and it got the better of me in high school. A lot has changed since then, thanks in no small part to becoming a pilot. So what’s a girl to do when invited to a gala that outshines the regret of not attending prom? I had a dress custom-made for me, featuring an image of my Ercoupe on the skirt.

For the first time, I felt like Cinderella at the ball. And also, for the first time, people noticed my dress before seeing my armlessness. It was magical.

Dressed-up party characters on stilts greeted us at the entrance to the museum. While walking around, I ran into an aviatrix on a bicycle. The short program started with a welcome address and expressions of gratitude for those involved in the museum renovations.

One of my favorite encounters was with Tom Haas, who supported the We All Fly exhibition through the Thomas A. Haas Foundation. I also complimented Sean Tucker on his upside-down airplane above the exhibition entrance. The event was blessed with great company, and there was a feeling of awe in the air. Seeing so much greatness in aviation filled me with gratitude for the opportunity to be a part of it all.

I couldn’t help but ask for a picture with him when I spotted Mario Andretti. Because he is not an aviator, I was thinking about how to introduce myself. To my pleasant surprise, the first thing he said as I walked up to him was, “I heard you were coming….” (Blush.)

It feels special that disability is an essential focus of the museum’s renovations. My story highlights the message that aviation should be accessible for all and, therefore, the museum should accommodate many disabilities. The We All Fly exhibition isn’t alone in accessibility. All eight of the new galleries featured many ways for people to experience the history and future of aviation.

I remember going to my local public library as a child. I would kick off my shoes as I ran through the doors. I preferred being barefoot because I explored through my feet like they were my hands. And like any child, I wanted to be able to grab books, stuffed animals, and all the other toys in the library. Not having my shoes on was an accommodation I needed, but it worried a lot of adults. It was not “normal.” Preventing me from going through the library barefoot was denying me the ability to explore in my own accommodated way. 

About a week after the grand reopening, I went back to the museum to enjoy it leisurely with a few friends. I was even more impressed. My favorite elements are the original Wright Flyer and the life-size statues of Wilbur and Orville Wright.

The fantastic integration of multiple media methods provided an experience that truly brought the exhibits to life. As a disability advocate, I have a radar for inclusive practices in public places and attractions. The inclusivity of the museum was evident from the beginning. There are tactile experiences in some of the exhibits for those with visual disabilities. There is closed captioning on the videos for the hard of hearing. There are interactive exhibits that allow children to learn about aviation.

The elevator interior looks like the Apollo 11 Lunar Lander. They took what otherwise could have been any other elevator in the world and turned it into an experience. It was almost an amusement ride simulating landing on the moon. Most people will miss it, but not the people who need it.

Please don’t take my word for it—do check out the museum next time you find yourself in D.C. It is such a beautiful space and an enriching experience. The best thing about it? It is indeed for one and all. 

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Bell Textron’s electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft hasn’t taken flight, but it’s already headed for the Smithsonian.

The aerospace company announced last week its Nexus Air Taxi concept vehicle will be part of a special exhibit of futuristic technology at the new Smithsonian Arts and Industries Building in Washington, D.C., beginning in November.

“The Bell team is paving the way for future electric-powered vehicles and greener technology to flourish,” said Bell CEO Mitch Snyder in a statement. “We have a rich history of partnership with the Smithsonian Institute, with our various legacy aviation and aerospace products on display throughout the years.”

The Smithsonian describes its new “FUTURES” display as “part exhibition, part festival” with nearly 32,000 square feet of inventions, speculative designs, and “artifacts of the future,” according to the museum website.

The exhibit is expected to include digital displays for visitors to learn more about eVTOL technology and how it could be used in real-word scenarios.

The Bell aircraft, which debuted at the 2019 CES, is a ducted-fan concept vehicle designed to fly passengers on short hops over dense urban traffic. Its development is part of a wave of Wall Street interest in the eVTOL market, which is expected to be worth $1 trillion by 2040.

The Smithsonian exhibit also will include the company’s iconic Bell Rocket Belt jet pack made famous in the 1960s James Bond film “Thunderball.”

Visitors of the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum may remember that it also holds Bell’s historic X-1 plane—the first supersonic aircraft—and the first FAA certified helicopter, the Bell 47B.

The free “FUTURES” exhibit is expected to last through July 2022.

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The National Air and Space Museum is undergoing a massive multi-year renovation project that will see all 23 exhibitions being completely reimagined and the addition of new presentation spaces and attractions.

The magnitude of the NASM project, started in 2018, is revealed in this detailed Flickr photo gallery.

The NASM said the transformation of the museum “represents an unprecedented moment in the conservation and preservation of thousands of artifacts, as well as a remarkable evolution of the museum’s immersive experience, with 23 galleries and spaces being reimagined for immersive learning.”

In all, there will be 1,400 new objects on display and more than 5,200 artifacts moved and preserved when galleries start to open in 2022.

‘We All Fly’

One of the most exciting additions to the NASM will be the Thomas W. Haas “We All Fly” gallery, a new exhibit space devoted to general aviation.

“We have moved into installation mode in the new Haas GA gallery,” said Dorothy Cochrane, NASM’s curator, general aviation/aeronautics department. “And one of the first airplanes to be suspended was Jerrie Mock’s 1953 Cessna 180, N1538C, or just ‘Charlie’ to people who know the story about her historic solo around-the-world flight in 1964. This aircraft is, of course, just one small but integral part of the discussion on general aviation, what it is, and how it affects our daily lives. We want people to know that general aviation supports rescue, firefighting, food supply, environmental work, health, local economies, as well as private and business transportation.”

Cochrane said the new Haas GA gallery will include artifacts from sport, private, business, humanitarian, and utility aviation. “With the Haas Gallery,” Cochran said, “we are encouraging people to understand general aviation and join in either as casual airshow audiences, as pilots, or in a variety of professions and activities.”

Seven aircraft support this education opportunity, including:

• The oldest existing Lear Jet
• Sean D. Tucker’s Challenger III
• A Cirrus SR22

“Besides Jerrie Mock, I talk about Jerrie Cobb, the Orbis Flying Eye Hospital, golfer and pilot Arnold Palmer, and much more,” Cochrane said. “There will be audio/visual elements and computer interactives that engage people to learn about and join in GA.”

Another addition coming to the NASM through the renovation project is a new Wright Brothers exhibition that will provide visitors with unprecedented access to the iconic 1903 Wright Flyer.

Wall panels will detail the Wright Brothers’ story of invention and innovation and the exhibit will feature bronze statues of the brothers. Visitors will step beyond the panels for the “reveal” of the Wright Flyer at the center of the space, giving them a much closer look at what many consider to be the most important aviation artifact in the NASM collection.

The renovation project has been partially funded by $250 million raised from business leaders and the aerospace industry, including Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, who donated $200 million. A portion of the Bezos gift—$70 million—is earmarked for the renovation project, with the remaining $130 million to be used to launch a new education center at the NASM.

Other donors include:

• Textron Aviation
• The Thomas W. Haas Foundation
• The Boeing Company
• Raytheon Technologies
• Kenneth C. Griffin
• The Hillside Foundation
• Kislak Family Foundation
• Plus several major airlines and additional donors.

The NASM is located at Sixth Street and Independence Avenue S.W. in Washington, D.C., while the Smithsonian’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center is located in Chantilly, Virginia, near Washington Dulles International Airport.

For more information about how the museum is transforming all of its exhibitions and revitalizing the building visit the NASM website.

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Compare 1969, and the launch of Apollo 11 to 2020, and the successful docking of the crewed Dragon Endeavor with the International Space Station. Both milestones in the push that the United States made into space happened against similar backdrops of racial protest. The Smithsonian Institution has called upon its various member museums to delve more deeply into these connections, to provide context to the history. The National Air and Space Museum has joined this effort through several recent stories and blogs.

In doing so, the NASM invites a greater exploration into the diverse perspectives offered by those who approached aviation with passion and persistence—and against the backdrop of challenges driven solely by the color of their skin. These stories serve as lessons in perseverance and genius worth studying in their own right.

For just one example: Dive into the story behind aircraft designer and pilot Neal V. Loving, who also launched the first all-black Civil Air Patrol squadron, before building his first airplane, a tiny race plane called the WR-1. This special airplane would become Loving’s Love, famous to members of the Experimental Aircraft Association, as it hangs in the EAA Museum in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Loving’s illustrious resumé puts him alongside Curtis Pitts and Frank Christensen—by way of Wayne State University and the Flight Dynamics Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.

While the main National Air and Space Museum on the Mall in Washington, DC, and the Udvar-Hazy Center near Dulles, Virginia, remain temporarily closed to in-person visits, a virtual visit through such stories can have its own rewards.

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