Kapitan
08-28-17, 06:34 AM
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4436/36029068094_cef61ffc90_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/WTLoHd)Speyer & Sinsheim (https://flic.kr/p/WTLoHd) by Blair Shaw (https://www.flickr.com/photos/131313936@N03/), on Flickr
And so it began, my local pub one evening with a friend who suggested a road trip we placed our thinking caps on and finally i suggested Germany not only because i wanted to go and see a couple of museums but also because i have another car and would like to see how she fares on a long journey.
We agreed on a place called Manenhiem which is near where i want to go, now i wont go by train so the only option was ferry and so i booked the ferry up from Dover to Dunkirk very apt as the week before i had just seen the film.
The morning came we got a bit of a head start and thus ended up on Dover port early which was nice as we didn't have to worry about rushing, on the ship it was very relaxed atmosphere we were in good spirits and very excited to be on potentially the last trip of the year and indeed one of the last trips i may make in Europe for the foreseeable future.
After departing we were annihilated on the Brussels ring road 2 hour delays and to be fair i should have known better as i had spent nearly 10 years traversing the continent by road, but coming into Germany we more than made up for it.
We are on a German road trip in a very German car the Mercedes E class but this one is a bit more than most her 5.0 liter V8 has some serious punch leaving most cars behind topping speeds over 160 mph we made up some of the lost time on the autobahn that for sure.
from Dunkirk the place we are staying is 515 miles away in a nice town thats close by where i want to go, i spent a long time figuring it out and a long time working a plan up in order to get what i wanted done.
The Saturday morning up and out early off to Speyr Technik what i hadn't realized is that this museum is in two parts the other part being 20 miles down the road, challenge accepted !
The museums both open at 0900 with Speyer closing at 1800 and Sensheim closing at 1900 the plan of attack was ready to be executed, Speyer with a buget of just 3 and a half hours !
It has to be said it is hard to miss a museum that has a Boeing 747 on a 100ft display stand the Lufthansa jet is something of awe once cruising at 35000 feet now its on a stand 100 feet up but the spectacle is amazing to see and feel !
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4439/36549469802_2b0a0d5435_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/XFKA1s)Speyer & Sinsheim (https://flic.kr/p/XFKA1s) by Blair Shaw (https://www.flickr.com/photos/131313936@N03/), on Flickr
I set about attacking the museum dividing it up in to areas of importance i have one day to get both done and if you think the Speyer is big Sinsheim is bigger still.
i made a point to photograph every thing this has to be some of the hardest i have done these museums fill up fast and at 0900 even though im one of the first the car park is filling rapidly.
Im darting around first heading to the 737-200 series then to the AN26 there are elevated walk ways to these aircraft which are mounted if you do not like heights i do not recommend and later you will see why.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4344/35909896413_8697cc4f3e_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/WHeB84)Speyer & Sinsheim (https://flic.kr/p/WHeB84) by Blair Shaw (https://www.flickr.com/photos/131313936@N03/), on Flickr
the Museum is based around technology and it included everything Trains, Aircraft, Machines of all types i have just three key goals Submarine U9, the Boeing 747 and Buran the Soviet space shuttle in this museum if nothing else that the three most important machines i want to see and i have allocated time too.
i have to say the 747 was a little disappointing to start with however the fact that your well up in the air and able to walk out on the wing well that in itself is a belly churning feat for some, and if there is a stiff breeze you can really feel the plane shake.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4395/35909826753_95e540cf90_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/WHefq2)Speyer & Sinsheim (https://flic.kr/p/WHefq2) by Blair Shaw (https://www.flickr.com/photos/131313936@N03/), on Flickr
i left the space shuttle until last as this was one of my key ambitions, i have seen the American space shuttle in New York and to complete the journey i now will have seen the Soviet one, but first time to go onboard the U9.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4402/35883400204_e01e283e4a_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/WETNHS)Speyer & Sinsheim (https://flic.kr/p/WETNHS) by Blair Shaw (https://www.flickr.com/photos/131313936@N03/), on Flickr
U9 is identical to her sisters U10 and U11 i have been on both and also her near sisters the Saleen in Denmark and Ulstien in Norway so she isnt anything new, the same confined spaces are there and the same equipment however your free to roam around at leisure and i spent a while absorbing the atmosphere, it still smells of Diesel no amount of domestos will cure that and certainly no amount of head protection will stop you gaining concussion if you decided not to watch where your going, Monkey was fine il add seeing as he is only 13 inches tall.
upon leaving the U9 i had to go and see the AN22 Anteus the largest turbo prop aircraft in the world and yeah she is really huge you really get a sense of the size of the museum when that a 747 and Space shuttle is parked with ample room to spare.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4365/36579498811_4159d5dc9c_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/XJpuzZ)Speyer & Sinsheim (https://flic.kr/p/XJpuzZ) by Blair Shaw (https://www.flickr.com/photos/131313936@N03/), on Flickr
After anteus comes the finale the Buran, now this isnt a normal Buran infact this is the prototype or OK-GLI unlike the American test bed this shuttle can indeed take off and fly independantly and does not require a piggy back, she is one of just 3 built and the only one in the western world and the only one on public display.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4422/35909797273_99c10b7c38_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/WHe6DK)Speyer & Sinsheim (https://flic.kr/p/WHe6DK) by Blair Shaw (https://www.flickr.com/photos/131313936@N03/), on Flickr
Built as a test bed the Buran OK-GLI conducted 25 test flights never once entering into space she would also be the only Buran that had 4 jet engines to power her to altitude, once at altitude the engines were cut and she glided back to earth.
Conceived to rival the NASA shuttles the Buran was the Soviet answer and indeed a good one in fact it passed most of its tests without any major hiccups, two more vehicles were in production OK-1K1 would be the only one of the trio to even make a space flight and unfortunately in 2002 while being housed in a hanger near Baikanour a storm caused the hanger to collapse and destroyed the launch vehicle and Buran.
Today the Buran is on public display and you can go on board and see for yourself just how cramped and technical this vehicle is, the last of the Trio is shut away from the public and is housed in Baikanour it is unlikely it will ever be used, in 1993 the Buran program was finally terminated putting an end to any dream of Russian space shuttles.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4338/36549492512_e8cd53428d_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/XFKGL1)Speyer & Sinsheim (https://flic.kr/p/XFKGL1) by Blair Shaw (https://www.flickr.com/photos/131313936@N03/), on Flickr
Heading out of the museum i have to route myself to Sinsheim which isnt far 21 miles and with the car im driving i could probably get there faster than some of the aircraft i just seen, when you do finally get near the museum your looking for a building its only when you look up do you spot the evidence.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4385/36467022950_4ae5cd1499_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/Xyt2r1)Speyer & Sinsheim (https://flic.kr/p/Xyt2r1) by Blair Shaw (https://www.flickr.com/photos/131313936@N03/), on Flickr
On the roof of the Senshiem museum are the only two supersonic transport aircraft ever made Concord of Air France and TU144 concordski, i have been on concord before (museum only never flown on her) and i have seen a TU144 before at moninio but never mounted on the roof of a building!
In senshiem there are alot of cars like Speyer this is a technical museum one where just about everything goes and i did think it would be the smaller of the two oh how wrong i was it is just as big.
I walk in to find rows of cars old ones big ones some as little as your head (see what i did there) now im not a car person i am here for realistically planes and military but its worth a photograph.
Above are aircraft attacking you from the ceiling plus an entire section dedicated to military machines tanks armored personnel carriers and bicycles ? have to admit i did give that bit a miss im not one for riding a bicycle as you can probably tell in some pictures im not exactly built for it although i could do with the exercise.
the feeling you get outside is one of relief and awe especialy on a hot day (like an oven in there) you do get a good sense of how much is on display from missiles to Mercedes Concorde to Campers its a hodge podge of things but something i have paid to come and see.
(38Euro for a platinum card gets you access to two IMAX films and also both museums)
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4343/36549206392_c47206ac4d_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/XFJeGU)Speyer & Sinsheim (https://flic.kr/p/XFJeGU) by Blair Shaw (https://www.flickr.com/photos/131313936@N03/), on Flickr
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4341/35883979884_9bd986c9bb_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/WEWM3m)Speyer & Sinsheim (https://flic.kr/p/WEWM3m) by Blair Shaw (https://www.flickr.com/photos/131313936@N03/), on Flickr
Now i though mounting a 747 on a plynth was a spectacle but no they took it further didn't they if its not a candair water bomber dive bombing you from the roof its the fact they mounted both SST's on the dam roof!
i have to say there are quite a few aircraft here i love the JU52 is certainly one of them and Concordski well first time i have ever entered inside one of these, i will say that you can see a similarity but alos when inside the differences are very stark it is a proper soviet built plane and one that just says put together with a hacksaw and hand-file, concord always has had beauty the Concordski has had the practicality, despite the failure of the TU144 it still made passenger flights it also made cargo flights too but more over it was leased to NASA for supersonic research notably absent is an american SST as the Boeing 2707 had long been cancelled.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4341/35883635964_0daa3d600f_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/WEV1NG)Speyer & Sinsheim (https://flic.kr/p/WEV1NG) by Blair Shaw (https://www.flickr.com/photos/131313936@N03/), on Flickr
if you don't mind height and a steep walk then these machines are worth the visit but be prepared they do get busy ! they are the star attraction !
after completing the museum in record time i must admit the whole thing sank in, everything on display had been used they stand as a testament to man's progress be their location East or West you do get a sense of just how desperate in some cases the Russian were to keep pace with the west and the TU144 and concord just show this, it again reminds us what happens when corners are cut and expenditure is vast, TU144 would suffer a few accidents in its career one being the Paris airshow but the Concord only 1 this shows no matter how good we think we are something some where will come together to prove us wrong.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4334/36579730271_72fdf9b1dc_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/XJqFoF)Speyer & Sinsheim (https://flic.kr/p/XJqFoF) by Blair Shaw (https://www.flickr.com/photos/131313936@N03/), on Flickr
I have only one more museum to do before my time in Europe is over i intend to move to Canada as soon as possible and thus my exploration life will likely come to a close.
as for this museum definatly 9.5 out of 10 more than worth the visit !
And so it began, my local pub one evening with a friend who suggested a road trip we placed our thinking caps on and finally i suggested Germany not only because i wanted to go and see a couple of museums but also because i have another car and would like to see how she fares on a long journey.
We agreed on a place called Manenhiem which is near where i want to go, now i wont go by train so the only option was ferry and so i booked the ferry up from Dover to Dunkirk very apt as the week before i had just seen the film.
The morning came we got a bit of a head start and thus ended up on Dover port early which was nice as we didn't have to worry about rushing, on the ship it was very relaxed atmosphere we were in good spirits and very excited to be on potentially the last trip of the year and indeed one of the last trips i may make in Europe for the foreseeable future.
After departing we were annihilated on the Brussels ring road 2 hour delays and to be fair i should have known better as i had spent nearly 10 years traversing the continent by road, but coming into Germany we more than made up for it.
We are on a German road trip in a very German car the Mercedes E class but this one is a bit more than most her 5.0 liter V8 has some serious punch leaving most cars behind topping speeds over 160 mph we made up some of the lost time on the autobahn that for sure.
from Dunkirk the place we are staying is 515 miles away in a nice town thats close by where i want to go, i spent a long time figuring it out and a long time working a plan up in order to get what i wanted done.
The Saturday morning up and out early off to Speyr Technik what i hadn't realized is that this museum is in two parts the other part being 20 miles down the road, challenge accepted !
The museums both open at 0900 with Speyer closing at 1800 and Sensheim closing at 1900 the plan of attack was ready to be executed, Speyer with a buget of just 3 and a half hours !
It has to be said it is hard to miss a museum that has a Boeing 747 on a 100ft display stand the Lufthansa jet is something of awe once cruising at 35000 feet now its on a stand 100 feet up but the spectacle is amazing to see and feel !
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4439/36549469802_2b0a0d5435_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/XFKA1s)Speyer & Sinsheim (https://flic.kr/p/XFKA1s) by Blair Shaw (https://www.flickr.com/photos/131313936@N03/), on Flickr
I set about attacking the museum dividing it up in to areas of importance i have one day to get both done and if you think the Speyer is big Sinsheim is bigger still.
i made a point to photograph every thing this has to be some of the hardest i have done these museums fill up fast and at 0900 even though im one of the first the car park is filling rapidly.
Im darting around first heading to the 737-200 series then to the AN26 there are elevated walk ways to these aircraft which are mounted if you do not like heights i do not recommend and later you will see why.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4344/35909896413_8697cc4f3e_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/WHeB84)Speyer & Sinsheim (https://flic.kr/p/WHeB84) by Blair Shaw (https://www.flickr.com/photos/131313936@N03/), on Flickr
the Museum is based around technology and it included everything Trains, Aircraft, Machines of all types i have just three key goals Submarine U9, the Boeing 747 and Buran the Soviet space shuttle in this museum if nothing else that the three most important machines i want to see and i have allocated time too.
i have to say the 747 was a little disappointing to start with however the fact that your well up in the air and able to walk out on the wing well that in itself is a belly churning feat for some, and if there is a stiff breeze you can really feel the plane shake.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4395/35909826753_95e540cf90_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/WHefq2)Speyer & Sinsheim (https://flic.kr/p/WHefq2) by Blair Shaw (https://www.flickr.com/photos/131313936@N03/), on Flickr
i left the space shuttle until last as this was one of my key ambitions, i have seen the American space shuttle in New York and to complete the journey i now will have seen the Soviet one, but first time to go onboard the U9.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4402/35883400204_e01e283e4a_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/WETNHS)Speyer & Sinsheim (https://flic.kr/p/WETNHS) by Blair Shaw (https://www.flickr.com/photos/131313936@N03/), on Flickr
U9 is identical to her sisters U10 and U11 i have been on both and also her near sisters the Saleen in Denmark and Ulstien in Norway so she isnt anything new, the same confined spaces are there and the same equipment however your free to roam around at leisure and i spent a while absorbing the atmosphere, it still smells of Diesel no amount of domestos will cure that and certainly no amount of head protection will stop you gaining concussion if you decided not to watch where your going, Monkey was fine il add seeing as he is only 13 inches tall.
upon leaving the U9 i had to go and see the AN22 Anteus the largest turbo prop aircraft in the world and yeah she is really huge you really get a sense of the size of the museum when that a 747 and Space shuttle is parked with ample room to spare.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4365/36579498811_4159d5dc9c_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/XJpuzZ)Speyer & Sinsheim (https://flic.kr/p/XJpuzZ) by Blair Shaw (https://www.flickr.com/photos/131313936@N03/), on Flickr
After anteus comes the finale the Buran, now this isnt a normal Buran infact this is the prototype or OK-GLI unlike the American test bed this shuttle can indeed take off and fly independantly and does not require a piggy back, she is one of just 3 built and the only one in the western world and the only one on public display.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4422/35909797273_99c10b7c38_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/WHe6DK)Speyer & Sinsheim (https://flic.kr/p/WHe6DK) by Blair Shaw (https://www.flickr.com/photos/131313936@N03/), on Flickr
Built as a test bed the Buran OK-GLI conducted 25 test flights never once entering into space she would also be the only Buran that had 4 jet engines to power her to altitude, once at altitude the engines were cut and she glided back to earth.
Conceived to rival the NASA shuttles the Buran was the Soviet answer and indeed a good one in fact it passed most of its tests without any major hiccups, two more vehicles were in production OK-1K1 would be the only one of the trio to even make a space flight and unfortunately in 2002 while being housed in a hanger near Baikanour a storm caused the hanger to collapse and destroyed the launch vehicle and Buran.
Today the Buran is on public display and you can go on board and see for yourself just how cramped and technical this vehicle is, the last of the Trio is shut away from the public and is housed in Baikanour it is unlikely it will ever be used, in 1993 the Buran program was finally terminated putting an end to any dream of Russian space shuttles.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4338/36549492512_e8cd53428d_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/XFKGL1)Speyer & Sinsheim (https://flic.kr/p/XFKGL1) by Blair Shaw (https://www.flickr.com/photos/131313936@N03/), on Flickr
Heading out of the museum i have to route myself to Sinsheim which isnt far 21 miles and with the car im driving i could probably get there faster than some of the aircraft i just seen, when you do finally get near the museum your looking for a building its only when you look up do you spot the evidence.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4385/36467022950_4ae5cd1499_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/Xyt2r1)Speyer & Sinsheim (https://flic.kr/p/Xyt2r1) by Blair Shaw (https://www.flickr.com/photos/131313936@N03/), on Flickr
On the roof of the Senshiem museum are the only two supersonic transport aircraft ever made Concord of Air France and TU144 concordski, i have been on concord before (museum only never flown on her) and i have seen a TU144 before at moninio but never mounted on the roof of a building!
In senshiem there are alot of cars like Speyer this is a technical museum one where just about everything goes and i did think it would be the smaller of the two oh how wrong i was it is just as big.
I walk in to find rows of cars old ones big ones some as little as your head (see what i did there) now im not a car person i am here for realistically planes and military but its worth a photograph.
Above are aircraft attacking you from the ceiling plus an entire section dedicated to military machines tanks armored personnel carriers and bicycles ? have to admit i did give that bit a miss im not one for riding a bicycle as you can probably tell in some pictures im not exactly built for it although i could do with the exercise.
the feeling you get outside is one of relief and awe especialy on a hot day (like an oven in there) you do get a good sense of how much is on display from missiles to Mercedes Concorde to Campers its a hodge podge of things but something i have paid to come and see.
(38Euro for a platinum card gets you access to two IMAX films and also both museums)
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4343/36549206392_c47206ac4d_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/XFJeGU)Speyer & Sinsheim (https://flic.kr/p/XFJeGU) by Blair Shaw (https://www.flickr.com/photos/131313936@N03/), on Flickr
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4341/35883979884_9bd986c9bb_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/WEWM3m)Speyer & Sinsheim (https://flic.kr/p/WEWM3m) by Blair Shaw (https://www.flickr.com/photos/131313936@N03/), on Flickr
Now i though mounting a 747 on a plynth was a spectacle but no they took it further didn't they if its not a candair water bomber dive bombing you from the roof its the fact they mounted both SST's on the dam roof!
i have to say there are quite a few aircraft here i love the JU52 is certainly one of them and Concordski well first time i have ever entered inside one of these, i will say that you can see a similarity but alos when inside the differences are very stark it is a proper soviet built plane and one that just says put together with a hacksaw and hand-file, concord always has had beauty the Concordski has had the practicality, despite the failure of the TU144 it still made passenger flights it also made cargo flights too but more over it was leased to NASA for supersonic research notably absent is an american SST as the Boeing 2707 had long been cancelled.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4341/35883635964_0daa3d600f_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/WEV1NG)Speyer & Sinsheim (https://flic.kr/p/WEV1NG) by Blair Shaw (https://www.flickr.com/photos/131313936@N03/), on Flickr
if you don't mind height and a steep walk then these machines are worth the visit but be prepared they do get busy ! they are the star attraction !
after completing the museum in record time i must admit the whole thing sank in, everything on display had been used they stand as a testament to man's progress be their location East or West you do get a sense of just how desperate in some cases the Russian were to keep pace with the west and the TU144 and concord just show this, it again reminds us what happens when corners are cut and expenditure is vast, TU144 would suffer a few accidents in its career one being the Paris airshow but the Concord only 1 this shows no matter how good we think we are something some where will come together to prove us wrong.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4334/36579730271_72fdf9b1dc_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/XJqFoF)Speyer & Sinsheim (https://flic.kr/p/XJqFoF) by Blair Shaw (https://www.flickr.com/photos/131313936@N03/), on Flickr
I have only one more museum to do before my time in Europe is over i intend to move to Canada as soon as possible and thus my exploration life will likely come to a close.
as for this museum definatly 9.5 out of 10 more than worth the visit !