Curtis P-40 E Kittyhawk

The Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia is part of the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. You could spend weeks just walking around and looking at all the airplanes, rockets, satellites and other exhibits. This is a Curtis P 40 E KittyHawk. There are many variations of this particular airplane. Here is a short description from Wikipedia: List of Curtiss P-40 Warhawk variants:

The P-40E played a major role in the defense of Philippines, Java (NEI), Australia and New Guinea in 1942, and with the Desert Air Force (DAF) in intense fighting against the Luftwaffe and Regia Aeronautica also in 1942. The P-40E was also an important type for the Soviets, particularly in the Leningrad area but also in the siege of Moscow and at Stalingrad. 

In the Desert War the arrival of the heavily armed, fast and maneuverable Kittyhawk led to the accelerated retirement of the Bf 109E and its replacement by the faster and more maneuverable Bf 109F. The top scoring DAF squadrons, including No. 3 Squadron RAAF and No. 112 Squadron RAF, transferred from the Tomahawk to the Kittyhawk, scoring many kills against Luftwaffe and Regia Aeronautica types, helping the DAF to hold on through this tough period. Many RAF and SAAF P-40 units also took heavy casualties - especially as Me 109F variants began to arrive in Theater in late 1941.

Naval Academy Chapel

Here is the description of the Naval Academy Chapel in Annapolis, Maryland.

The historic Main Chapel at the center of the Yard – and its landmark dome – are symbolic of the vital role that moral and spiritual guidance plays in the development of Midshipmen into naval officers. The Commodore Levy Center and Jewish Chapel combines the aesthetics of Ancient Israel, the nobility of sea service, and the sacred experience of faith in the fabric of its architecture. Together with 7 other smaller chapels and prayer spaces, the Naval Academy Chaplain Center provides and facilitates for the religious needs of the 4500-strong Brigade of Midshipmen and its faculty and staff.

Naval Academy Museum Ship Models

The Naval Academy Museum in Annapolis, Maryland has the second largest collection of ship models in the world. These are amazingly detailed quite large models some of which are hundreds of years old. This one is an unidentified British Second Rate 90-Gun Ship from about 1720. This is a 1/4 scale model. I simply can't imagine the time and skill needed to build one of these models.

Spouting Flames

This is the back end of an old cannon with an embellishment of a figure spouting flames. After I looked at the photo, I also noticed a small graffiti. This is also called tagging and is just about everywhere you look nowadays. This cannon is on the Naval Academy grounds in Annapolis, Maryland.

Door Knocker

Sometimes the world seems full of details. This ornate door knocker is one of those details that you might miss unless you look carefully and with interest at the world around you. Open your eyes ane really look, you might be surprised at what you see.

Annapolis Stop Sign

If you look ahead, you can see that this street ends right here for traffic going straight. So what are you supposed to do? Stop? But the only thing you can do is make a right turn. Think about it. This is driving in Annapolis and all of the area around Washington, D.C. We find things like this all the time. This photo was taken by my wife Ann at a corner near us.

The Smithsonian

The Smithsonian Castle in Washington, D.C. is emblematic of the entire Smithsonian organization. Here is a very short explanation of its function today from the Smithsonian Website.

Completed in 1855, the Castle is our signature building and home to the Smithsonian Visitor Center. As such, it makes a great starting point for your journey—here you can get a grasp of the scope and scale of the Smithsonian, see collections highlights from each of our museums, tour the Castle’s 19th-century architecture, see what’s going on today at all the museums, and consult with our in-house experts about what to see and do.