Apollo 9 is the one of only two Apollo Command Modules flown in space on display west of the Rocky Mountains. The spacecraft was moved on May 18, 2004, from its former home at the Michigan Space and Science Center, where it had been on exhibit for more than two decades, and carefully transported to the San Diego Air & Space Museum. The exhibit opened to the public on July 21, 2004, the day after the 35th anniversary of the first manned lunar landing.
In the early 1900s, aviation pioneer Glenn H. Curtiss was a key contributor to the development of the U.S Navy’s initial aviation program, including the first aircraft to launch from a ship. He invested much of his time and effort in seaplanes (aircraft fitted with floats instead of wheels or skids for landing gear), and his first seaplane designs were light, fast and maneuverable and destined to become the most widely-built aircraft in the U.S. prior to the World War I.
One of the most versatile aircraft in history, the Consolidated PBY Catalina was developed in response to a 1933 U.S. Navy request for a flying boat to replace Consolidated's P2Y. It was to have increased range and a greater load capacity.
In 1927, with Charles Lindbergh's record-breaking solo Trans-Atlantic flight, a new fascination with flying quickly took over the public, and an ever increasing number people yearned to fly their own airplane. The Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company of Garden City, New York saw this as a great opportunity to offer an affordable, durable, and easy to fly airplane for sale to the general public.
Among aircraft credited with changing the tactics of naval warfare, the Douglas SBD Dauntless is perhaps the most significant. In the pivotal Naval Battle of Midway in June of 1942, the Douglas SBD Dauntless turned the tide of the Pacific War in favor of the United States, and in the process helped to complete a paradigm shift in naval warfare tactics.
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The San Diego Air & Space Museum is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Federal Tax ID Number 95-2253027.
