The Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum has a project underway to record Quicktime VR panoramas of the cockpits of historic aircraft and spacecraft in its collection. There are some very interesting ones currently online via the link at NASM interactive homepage. Some of the spacecraft include Mercury Freedom 7 II (never flew), Gemini VII, SpaceShip One, the Apollo Mobile Quarantine Lab, and aircraft such as the SR-71, X-35, and Concorde.

Enjoy!

Surviving the breakup of an SR-71 at Mach 3.81 and 78,000 feet.

The story from the man who was in the middle of it all in 1966:

http://www.contrailsmagazine.com/1.3/1.3PD...ails2(SR71).pdf

[size=2]


I wasn't sure where to post this, but this location seemed logical enough.
My question is connected to a Soviet spacecraft that is on display at the Air
and Space Museum, namely the MERKUR space craft designed for a crew of three.
Does anyone have any information on this, mostly unknown, manned capsule?

I think that it is amazing that the Soviets designed and built this craft, but
only flew it once, and unmanned at that.

Have a look at Mark Wade's www.astronautix.com where there's a full history of this vehicle, described by Alexei Leonov as 'our Apollo'.

Bob Shaw