America by Air Content Document Gallery #2 Working Title: America By Air Target Opening Date: 1/2021 Duration of Exhibition: permanent Size of Gallery: 12,112 sq. ft., ceiling height 50 ft. Gallery Location: NMB Gallery 102 Subject Areas: Technology, business, culture, power, and people Target Audience: General Target “Design-to” number: $4,289,689.00 Needed Services: Exhibition Design NASM Project Number: E-061-15-028 America by Air Exhibition #2 – America by Air Currently, The National Air and Space Museum (NASM) has an exhibit called “America by Air” in gallery 102. This gallery gives visitor a look into the progression of aviation in America. The Gallery is set up in different units. Each unit focuses on a different time period starting from the early days of flight to present day. This gallery houses many large commercial airplanes from the 20th century, but also models of airports, airport towers and the culture during this time period. Exhibition Space Gallery 102 has an open concept. It is surrounding on two side with glass (curtain wall and skylight). This gallery is approximately 12,000 square feet with a 50 ft. ceiling. All galleries will be delivered by the Revitalization project to the design team as black boxes with open ceilings and a lighting grid. The electrical and IT will be updated facilitating more cutting edge interactive and visitor experiences. Final electrical capacity and specific material finishes have not been defined and the contractor will be responsible to coordinate with the COTR the final black box details which are being developed. Contractor shall be responsible for verifying that they have the latest version of the Black Box description. Exhibition Scope The National Air and Space Museum seeks the services of talented and creative exhibit design professionals to assist in the updating of the existing America by Air exhibition. As part of the revitalization of NASM, “America by Air” will have many different portions updated. The exhibit will stay in gallery 102 but many of the artifacts will be removed and stored. This exhibition is deemed a “turn key” space in which the current overall look, feel, style and exhibition components will remain but be upgraded, refurbished, repaired and items replaced as required. “America by Air” is a very large exhibit in gallery 102 and needs a lot of work to be updated. In order to update everything most artifacts will be taken out and the structures will be redone. Work needs to be done on the exhibit while everything is taken out. Some of the areas are dated and require new graphics. The interactives also need to be looked at, updated and re-done in some cases. While it is anticipated that some of the exhibitry will remain in place (i.e. Ford Trimotor wall, Hangar) we have budgeted as if we are replacing with “new”. In certain instances where we can salvage components, they will be refurbished for the gallery re-installation. All of the cases will be re-furbished and re-installed for the new space. All of the cased artifacts will require removal for conservation and temporary storage. The artifacts that are anticipated to remain in place are the hanging aircraft (Pitcairn PA-5 Mailwing, Fairchild FC-2, Ford 5-AT Tri-Motor, Northrop Alpha, Boeing 247-D, Douglas DC-3) and one two large engines (Rolls Royce RB.211 and the General Electric CF6). A pre- inspection of each hanging artifact should occur. This inspection and light cleaning will provide us with any additional requirements that each object may require. These early determinations can better inform our timeline for any hanging aircraft removals and conservation work. While we expect that the Rolls Royce RB.211 and General Electric CF6 to remain in place, we have included the assembly and reinstallation, of these objects in the budget as well. The nose displays of the Airbus and the DC-7 will require external and internal work and will require transportation to UHC or receive contracted services to repaint and refurbish these object. From the NASM collection we plan to display a new aircraft, the J-1 Standard. This aircraft requires significant restoration. The current time estimate for the restoration is three years. Given this duration the work should begin in 2017 if installation prior to opening is desired. The material cost is provided for in the gallery budget and labor cost is identified in the program plan as a support activity. This exhibit does not require any artifact incoming loans or gifts. The interactives require updating. Some of the Mechanical interactives aren’t working properly and all of the Computer Interactives require upgrades. Some of the CI’s just need to be updated to the latest software and hardware specifications, but some of the other ones need to be redesigned to work better. All of the computer hardware will be replaced and many of the Computer Interactives (CI) will be updated. The Mechanical Interactives (MI) will also be fixed and upgraded as some of them are not working currently. Panels have been damaged or faded over the years and some could use redesigning to get the point across more clearly. The cases and lighting will be reused but the cases need to be updated and the lighting may be reconfigured. Some of the cases are also receive a lot dust inside or in some cases in between the glass and a panel which blocks some of the view. This may require some modification to prevent this in the future but the cases are currently planned to be refurbished and reused for the revitalized display. All of the Intro pylons require audio labels to make the audio buttons more obvious. Plex barriers will be added in certain areas to provide additional protection to the artifacts and to prevent visitors from touching some objects. This protection will be required especially when the J-1 is installed in the gallery. Our visitors have a tendency to leverage coins, etc from the balcony level onto our artifacts resting below on the first floor. Measures will need to be taken to provide this protection. Below is a representative list of some the items that require maintenance and redesign objectives: • Replace damaged laminate on pylon of exhibit introduction panel • Replace damaged text label on exhibit introduction panel • Replace carpet and set a new floor tile layout • Redo all flip panels in Wild Bill section with better hinge mechanism and custom high pressure laminate • Refurbish hut and areas around the hut • Liberty V-12 engine leaking on stand and floor of hut • Recreate working knee board map interactive to be more durable • Redo Travel Agent desktop so people cannot slide things under plex, seal edges of glass or create graphic tabletop • Redo flip damaged flip book “Airports of Tomorrow”, custom high pressure laminate • Interior and exterior of DC-7 needs thorough clean-up maintenance • Replace turn style on exiting DC-7 • Refurbish luggage pile • Refurbish exterior of airbus cockpit • Replace all speakers throughout gallery • Seal light attic in cases to eliminate dust • Add environmental monitoring and/or security to cases • Replace lighting in all cases, check lighting levels on all cases that face outside light • Upgrade family label materials to solid surface such as Corian Below is a representative list of some of the graphic items that require a redesign or touch up: • Delete "You Are Here" on graphic image collage of Exhibit Introduction Panel • Add audio description label under button of exhibit introduction panel • Use existing supports (on tops of unit 100 pylons to place J-1 where Jenny was supported, may need some modification and shifting of pylons • Add clear glass to 2nd floor balcony to protect J-1 airplane artifact • Create new labels for J-1 to replace Jenny labels • Redo hut mural with correct sepia tone color • Recreate working knee board map interactive to be more durable • Angle top of knee wall so it's not used as a bar during special events • Add new case wedge graphic to large model case on back side (airplane labels, photos) • Redo damaged graphic panel Visionary Reforms • Redo damaged graphic panel Airmail Scandal • Redo Travel Agent desktop so people cannot slide things under plex, seal edges of glass or create graphic tabletop • Redo flip damaged flip book “Airports of Tomorrow”, custom high pressure laminate • Redesign and replace damaged “Who’s Flying” flip panel with addition of Mickey Mouse on answer panel • Move Lucille Ball name down on “Flying Stars” wall mural so not as obvious • Add photo of Juan Trippe in case with globe (new wedge at bottom of case) • Replace match books (on loan) in "At Your Service" case, redesign graphic label • Add interior plex barrier to DC-7 seating area • Re-design mural in the back of "At Your Service" case to prevent reflection and dust buildup between case and mural • Add engine label to fill in empty space, right of 747 • Move railing out farther away from Rolls Royce engine, left of 747 to prevent people from touching it, will need to modify design of powder coated railing • Redo damaged graphic rail "Aviation Technology" • Change gold plating on piston engine interactive to aluminum • Update graphics for Price Master interactive • Add light shining into 747 lower door • Create new mural, both braille and text labels for 3D tactile models wall Below is a representative list of some of the updates required for the interactives: • All computer interactives will need to be digitized with updated software • Remake tea cup and saucer shake table so it shakes properly (2nd motor has failed), vitrine