We thought we were done with the Lewis and Clark expedition until we started covering their trip home, but when we were in McMinnville, Or., in the fertile Willamette Valley, we picked up some more information in one of our books. In addition to the expedition discovering the river leading to this valley, we also learned that this valley was the destination of pioneers on the Oregon Trail that started in Independence, Missouri, and ended in Oregon City, Oregon. The trail passed through Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming, and Idaho (we saw signs for the Oregon trail as we were sauntering home). Their trip took them four to five months to completed as they walked 15-20 miles per day. (info from SI)
We first learned about pioneers coming this way when we were at the Fort Leavenworth museum in Kansas just over the Missouri River west of Kansas City. This museum that told us all about the exploration of the west starting in 1827 when the fort opened. Today Fort Leavenworth is known as the “Intellectual Center of the Army.”
Here’s what we read about the Corps of Discovery in our photographic journey book, “About 50 miles upriver, Lewis took the time to explore a few miles of a river the Indians called the Multnomah (now the Willamette) [south of today’s Portland]. Because its mouth is concealed by many islands, the river had been overlooked the previous fall. From their campsite on the Multnomah, the explorers could see three of the Cascade range’s most spectacular peaks (named earlier by English explorer George Vancouver): to the north, Mount Rainier and Mount St. Helens, and to the south, Mount Hood.”
Hughes’ flying boat was a symbol of innovation. Mechanical engineers participated in numerous aspects of the aircraft project that ranged from the models constructed for wind tunnel evaluation and towing basin tests through to the final launching details of the completed seaplane.
Mechanical engineering was also involved in designing many elements of the Flying Boat: the jigs and fixtures for holding the aircraft parts, the fire suppression systems, multiple hydraulic components such as flareless tubing fittings and slip joint, the fuel and oil tanks, the pumps and piping for the fuel and oil supplies, the oil cooling system, and the cockpit instrumentation—not to mention the design of the massive engines and full feathering propellers with reversing capability.
Have you seen any of these shows?
- 2004 – The film The Aviator documents the early career of Howard Hughes, culminating in the flight of the Hughes Flying Boat.
- 2005 – The television show The Simpsons parodies the story of the Spruce Goose with “The Plywood Pelican.”
- 2009 – The children’s show Phineas & Ferb followed the show’s titular characters on an adventure to build a papier-mâché Spruce Goose.
- 2013 – The television show Leverage even takes place at this museum and follows the team as they plan to trick a corrupt airline CEO into stealing the Spruce Goose.
Howard Hughes was greatly concerned that his Flying Boat might sink in the event of a major accident. To address this fear, he ordered the original clamshell nose doors removed and replaced with a solid nose. He also ordered the void spaces in the lower hull and wing floats be filled with inflated rubber bladders and beach balls.
As just mentioned, the Spruce Goose was designed to have its cargo loaded through “clamshell” doors located at the nose. The cargo would have rested in the hull of the giant seaplane. Today’s cargo-carrying aircraft load goods in a similar way.
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The “clamshell” doors are made of the same “Duramold” material as the rest of the Flying Boat.
walking to the other building
my favorite planes in this 2nd museum
This next sign was so interesting to me because it covered travel across the U.S. since the stagecoach era.
Occasionally, a product becomes so universally used and well-regarded that its brand name becomes generic for that type of product. This is true for the Learjet, whose name is synonymous with personal luxury/executive travel.
The Learjet’s origins are found in the design of the FFA P-16, a Swiss fighter plane from the 1950s, which failed to reach production. American inventor William Lear purchased the tooling from the Swiss. After setting up a company in Wichita, Kansas, Lear created the world’s first “business jet” designed for busy corporate executives who needed to travel in a hurry. The idea caught on and the Learjet became the world’s best-selling executive jet. Throughout the years, the design has been stretched to accommodate more passengers, more fuel, and more efficient engines.
Louise Timkin was the first woman to be type-rated in a Learjet in 1965. She earned her pilot’s license in 1943 and was active in the Civil Air Patrol during the latter stages of WWII. She flew her own Learjet until she was 82.
Bruce Peterson was the real “Six Million Dollar Man.” The 1970s television show of the same name was based on his the experience as an engineer and test pilot at NASA’s Flight Research Center. Instead of becoming a cyborg as the show documents, Peterson walked away from the crash in his M2-F2 relatively unscathed. As a NASA research pilot, he flew a wide variety of airplanes, including the F-100, F-104, C-47, and Learjet.
Why was this Learjet 24 in the museum?
He passed away from kidney failure while on a chartered medical flight, in a Lear 24 like this one, from his penthouse in Acapulco, Mexico, to Methodist Hospital in Houston, Texas.
now to the military stuff
It was nicknamed “bazooka” from a vague resemblance to the musical instrument of the same name invented and used by Bob Burns. So who was he?
From Wikipedia, “Robin ‘Bob’ Burns (August 2, 1890 – February 2, 1956) was an American musical comedian, who appeared on radio and in movies from 1930 to 1947.”
“Burns played a novelty musical instrument of his own invention, which he called a “bazooka.” During World War II, the U.S. Army’s handheld anti-tank rocket launcher was nicknamed “bazooka” after Burns’s instrument, and the term remains current into the 21st century as a generic name for some shoulder-fired rocket launchers.” Now we know.
1st generation from 1940s to 1950s. The first jet fighters replaced piston-engine aircraft after WWII. Straight wings, early turbojets, and guns were standard, with limited speed and range.
2nd generation from 1950s to 1960s. Swept wings, radar, and guided missiles transformed air combat. These fighters were faster, climbed higher, and reflected Cold War priorities of interception and nuclear defense.
3rd generation from 1960s-1970s. Designed for supersonic speed and multi-role missions, these aircraft added improved avionics and beyond-visual-range missile capability. Combat experience also renewed the need for maneuverability.
4th generation 1970s-1990s. Highly agile fighters with fly-by-wire controls, powerful radars, and advanced missiles. Built for air superiority and precision strike, many remain in service today.
4.5 generation 1990s=-present. Upgraded 4th generation designs with AESA radar, sensor fusion, reduced radar signature, and modern networking. They bridge the gap between classic fighters and stealth aircraft.
5th generation 2000s-present. Stealth shaping, internal weapons bays, sensor fusion, and unmatched situational awareness define this era. These fighters are built to survive and dominate in heavily defended airspace.
6th generation looking ahead. Now in development, future fighters are expected to combine next-level stealth, artificial intelligence, optional piloting, and teamwork with uncrewed aircraft.
drones – foreign
Drones are redefining combat in the digital age. This museum is the only institution authorized to display these four full-scale composite drone replicas, acquired through donations and constructed by CMR-D—a Department of Defense contractor that manufactures operational counterparts of these foreign-designed systems.
The Lancet 3 was deployed by Russia and built there. Its role was to act as a kamikaze/suicide drone for precision strikes
The QASEF-1 was deployed by the Houthis in Yemen. It was built in Iran and assembled locally in Yemen. Its role was also as a kamikaze/suicide drone for precision strikes.
The SHAHED-135 was deployed by Russia. It came from Iran, and Russia mass-produced its own version (GERAN-2), and its role was also as a kamikaze/suicide drone for long-range strikes.
drones – technology and tactics
Modern warfare blends innovation with improvisation, as seen most visibly in Ukraine, where weaponized drones are affordable, agile, and precise enough for even small First-Person View (FPV) models to destroy multimillion-dollar equipment.
Planned in secrecy by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) under President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the mission targeted five Russian long-range bomber bases deep inside its territory.
Using small, low-cost FPV drones smuggled into Russia under the guise of commercial shipments, Ukranian operatives staged a simultaneous daylight attack that destroyed or damaged dozens of Russian Air Force Long-Range Aviation assets. The strikes—timed to coincide with Russia’s Military Transport Aviation Day—ignited fuel depots and exposed serious gaps in Russian air defenses.
Beyond its physical impact, Operation Spider’s Web symbolized a new era of warfare, where ingenuity, precision, and accessible drone technology can challenge even the most powerful military.
On the left, the head of SBU is viewing satellite images of Russian military airfields.
the future of drone warfare
Rapid advances in autonomy, swarm coordination, and SI-driven targeting are transforming drone warfare into a contest of speed, adaptability, and mass production. Nations are developing jam-resistant control links, long-range loitering munitions, and countermeasures like laser defenses to meet emerging threats.
In the next picture, soldiers are conducting a critical live-fire exercise that showcases the capabilities of the Mobile-Low, Slow, Small-Unmanned Aircraft Integrated Defeat System (M-LIDS).
As drones become cheaper and more capable critical infrastructure—from airports to power grids—faces potential attack by both state and non-state actors. Future conflicts will favor those who can innovate fastest, making electronic warfare, SI defense, and agile response the new pillars of protection.
Looking ahead, the DoD is investing in AI-enabled command-and-control, modular “plug-and-play” kits, and rapid deployable “fly-away” counter-UAS packages to protect bases and infrastructure.
The strategy emphasizes integrating these countermeasures into regular force structure so that both fixed installations and mobile units are resilient to evolving drone threats.
In short, the U.S. approach to defending against drone attack combines detection, disruption, and destruction—plus rapid integration of future technologies—ensuring that as adversaries adopt weaponized drones, U.S. forces maintain the agility and layered protections needed to detect, intercept, and mitigate unmanned threats.
Now on to the state of Washington where we’ll see some long-time friends, a “trip” to When Calls the Heart, and Mount Baker.
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