Wilbur Wright was born April 16, 1867, his brother Orville Wright on August 19, 1871. They, along with sister Katharine and brothers Reuchlin and Lorin, were raised near Millville, Indiana and in Dayton, Ohio by their mother, Susan Wright, and father, Milton Wright, bishop of the United Brethren Church. As young men, Wilbur and Orville launched a printing business and a bicycle shop. An interest in aeronautics, spurred by the accounts of the experiments of Otto Lilienthal, prompted Wilbur to request information on the subject from the Smithsonian Institution in 1899. In August of 1900, Wilbur built his first glider and that year and the next the brothers tested gliders at Kitty Hawk. The Wrights constructed a wind tunnel to gather accurate aeronautical data and, benefiting from this new information, another glider was built in 1902. In 1903, the brothers were ready to began construction of a powered craft. With the assistance of mechanic Charles Taylor, they added a 4-cylinder, 12-horsepower engine and propellers to the 1903 Flyer and it was sent to Kitty Hawk for testing. At 10:35 am, December 17, on Kill Devil Hill, Orville achieved a flight of 12 seconds--traveling a distance of 120 feet. By 1908 the Wrights were demonstrating their machines in Europe. The U.S. Army Signal Corps advertised for bids for a two-seat observation aircraft and in 1908 and 1909, the Wrights flew at official Army trials at Fort Myer, Virginia. (It was here that powered flight's first fatality occurred: the tragic death of Lieutenant Thomas Selfridge.) The Army was to purchase the Military Flyer (Signal Corps No. 1) for $30,000 in 1909. In that same year, The Wright Company was established to manufacture Wright aircraft. Wilbur died in Dayton, Ohio on May 30,1912. Orville Wright would live until January 30, 1948
Summary:
This collection consists mostly of correspondence between the Wright brothers and the following people: J.W. See; Ralph H. Upson; Henry Ford; Ernest Jones; Frank Coffyn; O.G. Simmons; C.R. Peterkin; Otto Mallery; Maynard; and Lester Gardner. Also included are sketches, an NAA letter signed by witnesses: Etheridge, Dough and Moore attesting to the 1903 flight, and the Wright Brothers' original bid for the military contract
United States Navy Engineering Drawings on Microfilm, [no dates]
Creator:
United States Navy Dept Bureau of Aeronautics
Subject:
United States Navy Dept Bureau of Aeronautics
Physical description:
69.84 cubic feet (776 microfilm cartons)
Type:
Drawings
Collection descriptions
Microfilms
Manuals
Date:
no dates
Topic:
Grumman Aircraft Family
Douglas Aircraft Family
Goodyear Aircraft Family
McDonnell Aircraft Family
General Motors (Eastern) Aircraft Family
North American Aircraft Family
Vought Aircraft Family
Curtiss, General, Aircraft
Lockheed Aircraft Family
Consolidated Aircraft Family
Martin Aircraft Family
Naval Aircraft Factory Aircraft Family
Bell Aircraft Family
Beech Aircraft Family
Naval aviation
Aeronautics, Military
Aeronautics
Airplanes, Military
Airplanes--Design and construction
Airplanes
Local number:
1994-0058
Notes:
The United States Navy Bureau of Aeronautics (BuAer) maintained record copies of engineering drawings for aviation equipment operated by the Navy and microfilm copies of these drawings were created by the Drawings and Microfilm Section of BuAer's Maintenance Division for the use of the Navy. In the mid 1980s, a portion of this drawing collection was loaned to the National Air and Space Museum (NASM) for processing by NASM personnel. In 1991, positive reference copies of microfilm, comprising some 3000 rolls, were loaned to NASM to assist in the processing of the hardcopy drawings and with the understanding that, should funding be available, NASM would duplicate the microfilm for its own collection as a "second security copy." The completion of the Archives II complex in College Park, MD in the 1990s allotted sufficient storage space to NARA's Cartographic and Architectural Branch for the RG72 drawing collection to be housed directly under NARA custody. As a result, NARA recalled its loan of the material, including the microfilm collection. The drawings were returned in 1994, but NARA granted an extension of the microfilm loan to allow NASM to duplicate portions of the collection which were relevant to NASM's artifact collection. The resulting 776 rolls of diazo 35mm film duplicates portions of microfilm contained in NARA RG72 and includes some records of the Drawings and Microfilm Section and Publications Section of BuAer's Maintenance Division
Summary:
Included in this collection are drawings for the following aircraft: Douglas AD series, BTD-1 and F3D, Grumman F4F-3, F4F-4, F4F-7, F6F-3, F8F-1, Goodyear F2G-1, McDonnell FH-1, North American FJ-1, General Motors FM-1, FM-2, Chance-Vought F4U-1, F4U-4, F4U-5, F8U-1, OS2U, Beech GB-2, UC-43, Bell HSL-1, HTL-5, HTL-6, HUL-1, Grumman J2F, JRF, Naval Aircraft Factory N3N, Martin PBM, Consolidated PB2Y, PB4Y, Lockheed R7V-1, Curtiss SB2C, North American SNJ, General Motors TBM-3, Goodyear ZPG-3W and K type airship, as well as drawings of miscellaneous equipment, several incomplete microfilm sets, manufacturer specifications and technical documentation and manuals
George Allison Linebacker II Photograph Collection, 1972-1973 (December 1972)
Creator:
Allison, George B. Lt. Col
Subject:
Allison, George B. Lt. Col
Physical description:
0.25 cubic feet (8 folders)
Type:
Photographs
Collection descriptions
Date:
1972
1972-1973
December 1972
Topic:
Vietnamese Conflict, 1961-1975--Aerial operations, American
Vietnamese Conflict, 1961-1975--Aerial operations
Boeing B-52 Stratofortress Family (Model 464)
McDonnell F-4 (F4H) Phantom II Family
Boeing KC-135A Stratotanker
Republic F-105 Thunderchief Family
Aeronautics, Military
Aeronautics
Vietnamese Conflict, 1961-1975
Vietnamese Conflict, 1961-1975--Operation Linebacker II
Local number:
XXXX-0568
Notes:
Operation Linebacker II, the first strategic bombing attack by the U.S. after World War II, was the heaviest bombing campaign in history. Also known as the "Eleven-Day War," the attack set forth a continuous barrage of air raids that targeted various strategic points around Hanoi and Haiphong between December 18 and 29, 1972. Sites bombed included power plants, warehouses, and rail and ship yards. Surrounded by a defense of SAM-2 missile sites, the Hanoi and Haiphong areas were among the most heavily defended regions in the entire world at that time. The U.S. aircraft bomber employed during this attack was the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, a long-range heavy bomber. Departing from both Andersen Air Force Base in Guam and U-Tapao Air Base in Thailand, the bombers succeeded in destroying eighty percent of North Vietnam's electrical power production. Following the attacks, reconnaissance aircraft were dispatched to gather information on damage that had resulted from the mission. Lt. Col. George B. Allison is a master navigator with more than 4,200 hours flying time, some 2,100 of which were in the B-52. He has nine years crew experience in bombardment aircraft and seven years staff experience in planning and instructing SAC bombing and navigation operations. He flew 76 B-52D combat missions in Southeast Asia from both U-Tapao Royal Thai Navy Airfield, Thailand, and Andersen Air Force Base, Guam. More than one-half of these were as a crew radar navigator during the last three months of 1972. They included 20 missions against targets in North Vietnam, two of which were LINEBACKER II missions from Guam against Hanoi
Summary:
This collection contains 183 photographs gathered by Lt. Col. George B. Allison for his book Linebacker II: A View from the Rock. These photos (8x10," B&W) document the arrival, preparation (maintenance, refueling, bomb loading), takeoff and landing of Boeing B-52 Stratofortress aircraft at Andersen AFB. A small number of photographs also show the U-Tapao AB in Thailand. Other aircraft pictured in the collection are: the McDonnell Douglas F4 and Phantom II, the Boeing KC-135A Stratotanker, and the Republic F-105. Also included are photos of ground, maintenance, and flight crew members. Aerial photographs in the collection give views of the area around Hanoi, before and after bombing (including the "Hanoi Hilton" prison). In addition, there are photographs of maps of S.E. Asia showing targeted areas, South Vietnamese propaganda leaflets, and two "gag" photos of B-52s. Finally, there are seven photographs taken through an aircraft radarscope of an attack on a pair of B-52 bombers by a SAM
Frederick J. Poats Color Photography Collection, 1944-1945
Creator:
Poats, Frederick J
Subject:
Poats, Frederick J
United States Army Air Forces 118th Tactical Reconnaissance
Physical description:
0.05 cubic feet (1 folder)
Type:
Photographs
Collection descriptions
Date:
1944
1944-1945
Topic:
Lockheed P-38 Lightning Family
North American P-51D (F-51D) Mustang
Consolidated F-7A Liberator
Lockheed F-5E Lightning
Douglas C-54 Skymaster Family
Curtiss C-46 Commando Family
Republic P-47 (F-47) Thunderbolt Family
Tachikawa Ki-36 Ida
Tachikawa Ki-55 Ida
Aeronautics, Military
Aeronautics
World War, 1939-1945--Campaigns--India
World War, 1939-1945--Campaigns--Burma
World War, 1939-1945--Aerial operations
World War, 1939-1945
Local number:
XXXX-0595
Notes:
1 XXXX-0595 Frederick J. Poats Color Photography Collection November 1944 - December 1945 Frederick J. Poats joined the 118th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron (118 TRS), 23rd Fighter Group (23 FG), in November 1944. He was stationed in Luliang, China and assigned to temporary duty assignments with the 26th Fighter Squadron (26 FS) based in Chengkung until the 118 TRS had established themselves at a base in Suichwan, China. Poats was stationed with the 118 TRS from that point on. From World War II's end through mid-December 1945 Poats was involved with ferrying aircraft and materiel for the Chinese government as part of the "Diffenbaugh Project."This group of 26 color photographs were taken by Frederick J. Poats. Aircraft and a few personnel (Poats, Lt. Leroy Price, and some Chinese) are seen in India at Panagar Air Base, and in China at Chengkung, Hangchow, Laohwangping, Luichow, Shanghai, and Suichwan. Two photos show Lockheed P-38 Lightnings of the 449th Fighter Squadron (449 FS). Two photos show Poats' North American P-51D Mustang Lady Marion (named for his girlfriend, who became his wife after the war). One photo shows Consolidated F-7A (s/n 42-64102) of the 24th Combat Mapping Squadron. Other aircraft types depicted include: Lockheed F-5E Lightning, Douglas C-54, captured Japanese "Ida" (Tachikawa Ki-36 or Ki-55) in Nationalist China markings, Curtiss C-46, Douglas C-54, and Republic P-47. Mark None Partial captions available in FMP Images database
Summary:
This group of 26 color photographs were taken by Frederick J. Poats. Aircraft and a few personnel (Poats, Lt. Leroy Price, and some Chinese) are seen in India at Panagar Air Base, and in China at Chengkung, Hangchow, Laohwangping, Luichow, Shanghai, and Suichwan. Two photos show Lockheed P-38 Lightnings of the 449th Fighter Squadron (449 FS). Two photos show Poats' North American P-51D Mustang Lady Marion (named for his girlfriend, who became his wife after the war). One photo shows Consolidated F-7A (s/n 42-64102) of the 24th Combat Mapping Squadron. Other aircraft types depicted include: Lockheed F-5E Lightning, Douglas C-54, captured Japanese "Ida" (Tachikawa Ki-36 or Ki-55) in Nationalist China markings, Curtiss C-46, Douglas C-54, and Republic P-47
William E. G. Taylor (1905-1991) was an aviator for the United States Navy, the United States Marine Corps, the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. Taylor enrolled at the Guggenheim College of Aeronautical Engineering at New York University, but left to join the Naval Reserves in 1925. He received his Naval pilot's license in 1927 and was assigned to Fighting Squadron Five, Scouting Fleet. He resigned in 1928 when his squadron was ordered to inactive status and he then joined the US Marine Corps Reserve, where he was an aviator from 1928-1933. In 1933, he was again ordered to inactive status. At this point Taylor left the Armed Services and became a pilot for United Airlines. In 1939, however, he joined the Fleet Air Arm, Royal Navy, where he was in combat operations aboard the HMS Furious and HMS Glorious. Taylor then joined the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve and became the first Squadron leader for the Eagle Squadron (71 Squadron, RAF), January - June 1941. In June, Taylor left the Eagle Squadron and rejoined the United States Naval Reserve, 1941-1951 where he served on the following vessels: Lexington, Yorktown, Wasp, Enterprise, Saratoga, and Ranger. After the war, Taylor was, among other posts, the commanding officer of Project Afirm and the commanding officer for the Night Attack and Training Unit, Atlantic (NACTU). In 1951 Taylor resigned from the Navy Reserves and worked first for Braniff Airlines in Panama, and then as a Vice President for Scandinavian Airlines System
Summary:
This collection consists of the following types of material documenting Taylor's remarkable aviation career: two scrapbooks, photographs, invitations, correspondence, identification cards, newspaper articles, Eagle Squadron Association material, Armed Forces memoranda, and biographical information. The scrapbooks contain material mostly highlighting Taylor's aviation career and the countries where he served; however, there are also photographs of Russia before the 1917 Revolution
Jean Warren (J. W.) Seele Aircraft Photography Collection, [ca. 1950s-1970s]
Creator:
Seele, Jean W (Jean Warren) 1924-1993
Subject:
Seele, Jean W (Jean Warren) 1924-1993
Hughes Aircraft Co
National Antique Airplane Association
Experimental Aircraft Association
Aero Commander (Aircraft manufacturer)
Arrow Aircraft & Motors Corp
Callair (Call Aircraft Co)
Cessna
Aeronca (Aeronautical Corp of America)
Beech Aircraft Corp
Bell Aircraft Corp
Bellanca
Boeing Company
Bucker (Bucker Flugzeugbau GmbH)
Consolidated Aircraft Corp
Convair (Consolidated Vultee Aircraft Corp)
Dassault (Aircraft manufacturer)
Goodyear Aircraft Corp
Great Lakes Aircraft Corp
Grumman Aerospace Corporation
de Havilland Aircraft Company, Ltd
Douglas Aircraft Corp
Erco (Engineering and Research Corporation)
Fairchild Aircraft Corp
Fleet Aircraft Ltd
Ford Motor Company Airplane Division
Hawker Siddeley (Aircraft manufacturer)
Heinkel (Aircraft manufacturer)
Jodel (Societe des Avions Jodel)
Junkers (Junkers Flugzeug Werke AG)
Lockheed Aircraft Corp
Vought (Aircraft manufacturer)
Lawson Airplane Co
Lawson Aircraft Corp
Pitts Aviation Enterprises, Inc
Pitcairn (Pitcairn-Cierva)
Piper Aircraft Corp
Pazmany Aircraft Corp (Ladislao Pazmany)
Piaggio (Industrie Aeronautiche e Meccaniche Rinaldo Piaggio SpA)
Porterfield Aircraft Corp
Republic
Saab (Svenska Aeroplan Aktiebolaget AB)
Sikorsky (Aircraft manufacturer)
Stearman Aircraft Co
Stinson (Aircraft manufacturer)
Swearingen Aircraft
Vickers (Aircraft manufacturer)
Waco Aircraft Company
Physical description:
12.11 cubic feet (1 shoebox) (7 slide and card cabinets)
Type:
Color slides
Collection descriptions
Color negatives
Black-and-white negatives
Photographs
Place:
United States
Date:
1950
1950-1979
ca 1950s-1970s
Topic:
Aeronautics, Commercial
Airplanes
Aeronautics
Balloons
Photography
Local number:
2000-0057
Notes:
Additional materials: photographs taken by Seele of the Kansas countryside, including many of threshing demonstrations, were transferred to the Archives Center at the National Museum of American History
Jean Warren (J. W.) Seele (1924-1993) was born in Topeka, Kansas, and spent almost his entire life there. After his graduation from Topeka High School he was enrolled for about one and a half years at the Spartan School of Aeronautics, Tulsa, Oklahoma. Although he worked for a few years at Bendix Aviation Corp, Kansas City Division during the 1950s, most of his professional career was spent as an engineering technician for the Kansas Department of Transportation. While he was not directly employed in the aviation field, Seele's hobby was photographing aircraft. Over a twenty year period, Seele photographed aircraft and at various times he was the official photographer for the National Antique Airplane Association, and for the annual fly-in sponsored by the Experimental Aircraft Association at Rockford, Illinois. Seele's photographs often appeared in the publications of both organizations, and several of this photographs also appeared in Jane's All the World's Aircraft during the 1970s
Summary:
This collection consists of approximately 6000 color slides and over 2000 negatives/prints (a mixture of color and black and white) of civil and military aircraft taken by Seele, circa 1950s-1970s. The shots were taken in the United States, specifically in the Midwest. Aircraft from the following manufacturers are represented: Aero Commander, Arrow, Aeronca, Beechcraft, Bell, Bellanca, Boeing, Bristol, Bucker, Callair, Cessna, Consolidated, Convair, Curtiss, Dassault, de Havilland, Davis, Dart, Douglas, ERCO, Fairchild, Fleet, Ford, Goodyear, Great Lakes, Grumman, Howard, Hawker Siddeley, Hughes, Heinkel, Jodel, Junkers, Lockheed, Ling-Temco-Vought, Lawson, Parsons, Pitts, Pitcarin, Piper, Pazmany, Piaggo, Porterfield, Republic, SAAB, Sikorsky, Stampe, Stearman, Stinson, Swearingen, Taylor, Vickers, and Waco. In June of 2001 the Smitihsonian's Museum of American History transferred an additional shoebox of Seele photography that had been sent directly to them from the widow. This color images included balloon events as well as aircraft shots. The ballooning images are color prints taken mostly around Topeka, Kansas, while the aircraft images are color transparencies of aircraft taken, again, mostly around Topeka
25.28 cubic feet (4 flatboxes) (20 records center boxes)
Type:
Memoranda
Collection descriptions
Scrapbooks
Clippings
Reports
Speeches
Place:
United States
Date:
1917
1917-1968
Topic:
Airlines
Aeronautics, Commercial
Air travel
Aeronautics
Aeronautics, Commercial--Passenger traffic
Local number:
XXXX-0179
Notes:
Juan Terry Trippe (1899-1981) was the cofounder and guiding influence of Pan American Airways (PAA) for over fifty years. Trippe entered Yale in 1917, but left to join the Navy, where he qualified for night flying and received an ensign's commission. The war ended before was sent overseas, so he returned to Yale (degree 1922) where he founded the Yale Flying Club. After graduation he worked briefly as a bond salesman, but left when, with former members of the Yale Flying Club, he purchased seven surplus naval aircraft to form Long Island Airways (1923). In 1924 he formed Colonial Air Transport, which served the New York to Boston route on the first United States Air Mail contract. He left Colonial in 1926, after a dispute over extending service to Miami and Havana, and joined with Cornelius Whitney and John Hambleton to form a new service which won the first US International Air Mail contract (1927) for service between Florida and Cuba. This company merged with Pan American Airways (PAA) under a holding company called Pan American Airways Corp (1927). Trippe served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the company for 41 years (1927-1968), during which time Pan Am established an air service network spanning half the globe. Pan Am inaugurated the first transpacific passenger service (1935) and a similar transatlantic service (1939) using large flying boats. Following World War II, during which PAA provided airlift service to the United States under contract, Trippe pushed for low-cost air travel, introducing low-fare service on PAA's North Atlantic routes and the two-class seating arrangement. In 1949 the holdings and operating companies of PAA Corp merged as Pan American World Airways (PAWA). PAWA helped the spread of jet passenger service with the introduction of jet liners (1955), and the first Boeing 747 service (1966). Trippe remained in control of PAWA until he resigned in 1968, when he became an honorary chairman and an active member of the board until 1975. He continued to work a full schedule and attend board meetings until he suffered a stroke in 1980
Summary:
This collection is mostly a public relations file on Trippe and Pan Am and includes the following material: Trippe's speeches and speech extracts (1925-1967); files relating to his awards and honors; contacts; memos; reports; newsclippings; and scrapbooks, including travel scrapbooks compiled by his wife Betty S. Trippe
United States Air Force Military Air Transport Service
Federal Express Corporation
Flying Tiger Line
Seaboard & Western Airlines
John F. Kennedy International Airport
International Air Transport Association
Canadair
Physical description:
1.09 cubic feet (1 record center box)
Type:
Manuals
Collection descriptions
Memoranda
Annual reports
Newsletters
Date:
1947
1947-1979
20th century
Topic:
Aeronautics
Airlines
Cargo
Aeronautics, Commercial
Airlift, Military
Korean War, 1950-1953--Aerial operations
Berlin (Germany)--History--Blockade, 1948-1949
Inertial navigation
Lockheed Model 1049D Super Constellation
Douglas DC-8-55
Douglas DC-8-63 (Super DC-8)
Canadair CL-44 (CC-106 Yukon)
Boeing 747 Family
Local number:
2002-0041
Notes:
Seaboard & Western Airlines was founded by Arthur and Raymond Norden. These brothers were both World War II veterans of the Army's Air Transport Command. Over a 33 year period the airline these men helped create established itself as the preeminent carrier of cargo on the world's richest trade routes. This airline was the first to fly an all-cargo flight across the Atlantic, the first to land and takeoff at Idlewild (now John F. Kennedy) Airport, the first to fly support for the Berlin Airlift, the first to fly a Military Air Transport Service (MATS) charter, the first to support Pacific Airlift for the Korean Conflict (with a planeload of Air Force fighter pilots), the first to order and operate the Lockheed 1049D Super Constellation, the first to order and operate the Douglas DC-8-55, the first to order and operate the DC-8-63 CF, the first to order and operate the Boeing 747F (first 747 built as a freighter from the beginning of its production), the first all-cargo airline to join the International Air Transport Association (IATA), and the first airline in the world to equip its entire fleet with Inertial Navigation Systems. On April 4th, 1961 the company's name changed to Seaboard World Airlines after Richard M. Jackson was brought in as the new Chairman and President. On October 1, 1980 Seaboard World Airlines was absorbed by The Flying Tiger Line, Inc., and on December 16, 1988 The Flying Tiger Line, Inc., was absorbed by the Federal Express Corporation
Summary:
This collection consists of the complete set of Seaboard & Western Airlines annual reports, from 1947-1979, as well as the following two Seaboard & Western technical manuals: Canadair CL-44 Operating Manual and a Lockheed Model 1049 Super Constellation Flight Manual. In the Lockheed 1049 manual, there is also a Lockheed 1049 exam (completed by Lawrence Nelson), a memo, and two issues of Canadair Service News, one from October 1960 and one from September/October 1961
Cite as:
Seaboard & Western Airlines Collection [Hill], Accession 2002-0041, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution
Walter Wellman (1858-1934) was an American journalist and explorer who attempted unsuccessfully both to reach the North Pole and to cross the Atlantic Ocean by powered airship. Born in Ohio, Wellman founded a weekly newspaper in Sutton, Nebraska, when he was 14, and later founded The Cincinnati Evening Post in 1879. For many years, he was the Washington correspondent for the Chicago Herald. He wrote of his many aerial and exploring adventures for the newspapers, including his 1891 claim that he had identified the exact spot where Christopher Columbus landed in San Salvador. Walter Wellman made his first attempt to reach the North Pole by land in 1894, leaving from base camp at Virgo Harbor, Danes Island. In 1898, Wellman headed north to Franz Joseph Land to search for the missing Swedish balloonist Salomon August Andrée and crew who had disappeared the year before in an attempt on the pole. In the spring of 1899, Wellman tried again to sled to the pole; again he failed. After these two sledding expeditions, Wellman decided that the best approach to the North Pole was by air. By 1906, he had raised the necessary funds to construct an airship, airship hangar, and base camp at Virgo Harbor. Unfortunately, his airship expeditions in search of the geographic North Pole were also unsuccessful; his first airship flight in 1907 only covered twenty miles, while his second attempt in 1909 covered only forty miles. During this latter (and final) attempt, Walter's brother Arthur Wellman managed the expedition's base camp on Dane's Island. After learning that Robert Peary and Frederick Cook both claimed to have reached the North Pole in 1909, Walter Wellman abandoned his own efforts. In 1910, Wellman tried for his last aviation milestone, attempting a transatlantic crossing in his airship America. He was not successful
Summary:
This donation consists of material relating to Walter Wellman's polar explorations (1894-1909) and the role his brother, Arthur Wellman, played in managing the base camp on Dane's Island during the 1909 attempt to reach the North Pole by air. The following material is included: correspondence between Walter and Arthur Wellman and their respective immediate families, as well as correspondence between the Wellmans and Andrew Aagaard; an 1889 financial ledger sheet kept by Aagaard; newspaper articles about the Wellmans' adventures; airship fabric; black and white photographs of Wellman, the airship, crew members, and the base camp, including quarters and the airship hangar; glass plate photographs of the same scenes, which were evidently used by Arthur Wellman for his lectures, most having been housed in a black metal medicine chest, labeled: "The Wellman Polar Expedition 1906 - trademark 'Tabloid' Brand Medicine Chest;" two copies of a poster announcing Arthur Wellman's lecture entitled, "Spitzbergen;" seven promotional postcards; and Arthur Wellman's notebook, which contains a Last Will and Testament, notes on the condition of the ship, and diary entries from the 1909 polar attempt. There are also seven black and while photographs of Walter Wellman's transatlantic attempt in the airship America. The last item in the collection is a set of five CDs produced by Jean and Steve Cooper, which contain scans of the entire collection
Cite as:
Walter and Arthur Wellman Collection, Acc. 2004-0007, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution
Rocket pioneer James Hart Wyld was born in 1913 and received a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Princeton University in 1935. He joined the American Interplanetary Society (later the American Rocket Society) in 1931. In the late nineteen thirties, Wyld developed and tested the first modern liquid-propellant rocket motors. In 1941 he, along with John Shesta, Lovell Lawrence, Jr., and Hugh Franklin Pierce, formed Reaction Motors, Inc. (RMI), the first US rocket propulsion company
Summary:
TThis collection consists of approximately 140 black-and-white negatives (28 35mm strips of 8 frames each, seven 35mm strips of 2 frames each, and six 3.5 x 6 inch sheets), predominantly taken by James H. Wyld, of American Rocket Society meets and rocket tests and an Elmira, New York, glider meet, and images taken by Wyld on various trips around the New York City area and elsewhere. Buildings, engineering projects, and landscapes pictured include the Lincoln Tunnel and the Triborough Bridge (under construction), the Empire State Building, Central Park, Gilgo Beach and Long Beach (Long Island), Port Washington, Fire Island, the 1939 World's Fair in Flushing Meadows, the Vanderbilt Cup races in Mineola, New Rochelle, Cornwall, and the Catskills, all in New York. Also included are images taken in Princeton, New Jersey; Connecticut; Mount Washington, New Hampshire; and Massillon, Ohio. Individuals pictured include Frank Harrison, Albert Rice, and Bill Baum. The collection also consists of Wyld's personal papers including a diary covering the period of February 1931 to May 1936; a 1932 scientific notebook; two photographs of rocket test activities; a post card addressed to Wyld from "John" (possibly John Shesta) referencing a postponement; a portraint of James Wyld; handwritten report, "An Automatic Thrust and Mixture Control for Rocket Motors," 1946.an envelope full of information relating to a court case involving the American Society of Mechanical Engineers; a Princeton University Alumni Lectures pamphlet entitled America's Problem of National Defense by Professor Harold Sprout; five newspaper clippings related to rockets; an undated letter, missing the first page, to Wyld from Bernard E. "Ben" Smith regarding rocket testing; two letters, dating from 1938-1939, from Wyld to "John" (possibly John Shesta) regarding rocket testing; a report entitled Long Range Rocket, Section II (Propellant Systems) by Dr. Paul F. Winternitz, Director of Laboratories, Reaction Motors, Inc.; "Proposal for Unguided Liquid-Propellant Rocket Projectile" by an unknown author, possibly Wyld; two drawings of rockets; three pages of notes handwritten by Wyld, and a letter from Albert M. Paquin to the American Rocket Society, with handwritten comment attached, regarding financial assistance from the Society for rocket research. In addition, the collection contains a memo to Wyld regarding Reaction Motors, Inc. stock prices; and Wyld's handwritten notes and drawings entitled, "The Design of Streamline Hulls and Fins for Rockets," "The Nature of Rocket Flight" (noted as draft of Chapter IV of Introduction to Rocketry), "Pumping Mechanism" (appears to be missing pages), "Superchargine Airplane with Oxygen," and six additional pages of miscellaneous notes and drawings. Some pages of the notes have been initialled and noted by Shesta and Lawrence
Cite as:
James Hart Wyld Collection, Accession 2005-0051, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution
Colonel William B. Hawkins Scrapbook Collection 1940-1949
Creator:
Hawkins, Williams B
Subject:
Royal Air Force
Physical description:
.63 cubic feet (2 boxes)
Type:
Scrapbooks
Collection descriptions
Photographs
Maps
Articles
short snorter
Place:
Burma
China
Date:
1940
1940-1949
Topic:
World War, 1939-1945
World War, 1939-1945--Aerial operations
2nd Air Commandos Group
Local number:
2006-0023
Notes:
Colonel William B. Hawkins, Jr., (1920 - ) joined the US Army in 1935, at the age of 15. After finishing high school and junior college he went to flying school, and he was commissioned in the US Army Air Corps on December 7, 1941. Hawkins trained at Maybre Field in Florida and was assigned to the China-Burma-India Theater with the 74th Fighter Squadron, 23rd Fighter Group. Following his tour, Hawkins returned to America and was asked to join the 2nd Air Commandos with a return to the China-Burma-India Theater. After the war, Hawkins attended UCLA and received a BA in psychology. He was then sent to England to serve with the Royal Air Force as an exchange duty. He also had a tour of duty during the Korean War serving in Japan with the 508th Fighter Wing, and went on to tours in France with the 48th Tactical Fighter Command and to Germany, where he was Chief of Safety for the USAF. He was in the United States serving at Norton AFB when the Vietnam War began, and he volunteered for service. Hawkins sent to first to Clark AFB (Philippines), then to Taklee (Thailand) and finally to Tonsan Nuht (Vietnam), where he was again an operations officer and also flew a few bombing missions. After completing two tours of duty in Vietnam, Hawkins retired in 1966; at his retirement he had over 600 hours of flying time, mostly in jets
Summary:
Colonel William B. Hawkins, Jr., (1920 - ) joined the US Army in 1935, at the age of 15. After finishing high school and junior college he went to flying school, and he was commissioned in the US Army Air Corps on December 7, 1941. Hawkins trained at Maybre Field in Florida and was assigned to the China-Burma-India Theater with the 74th Fighter Squadron, 23rd Fighter Group. Following his tour, Hawkins returned to America and was asked to join the 2nd Air Commandos with a return to the China-Burma-India Theater. After the war, Hawkins attended UCLA and received a BA in psychology. He was then sent to England to serve with the Royal Air Force as an exchange duty. He also had a tour of duty during the Korean War serving in Japan with the 508th Fighter Wing, and went on to tours in France with the 48th Tactical Fighter Command and to Germany, where he was Chief of Safety for the USAF. He was in the United States serving at Norton AFB when the Vietnam War began, and he volunteered for service. Hawkins sent to first to Clark AFB (Philippines), then to Taklee (Thailand) and finally to Tonsan Nuht (Vietnam), where he was again an operations officer and also flew a few bombing missions. After completing two tours of duty in Vietnam, Hawkins retired in 1966; at his retirement he had over 600 hours of flying time, mostly in jets
Cite as:
Colonel William B. Hawkins Scrapbook Collection, Accession number 2006-0023, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution
Robert Hutchings Goddard (1882-1945), rocket propulsion pioneer, graduated from Worcester Polytechnic Institute in 1908 and received his doctorate while a professor of physics at Clark University. He served a research fellowship with Princeton University from 1912 to 1914 and there began to develop his theories of rocket action. Returning to Clark, he conducted experiments that culminated in a 1916 report to the Smithsonian Institution, published as A Method of Reaching Extreme Altitudes. With the advent of World War I, Goddard began work at the Mount Wilson Observatory of the Carnegie Institution of Washington, developing various innovations such as reloading mechanisms for artillery and a forerunner of the bazooka. By 1920, Goddard had turned his attention to liquid fueled rockets and by 1926 had accomplished the world's first flight of a liquid fuel rocket. In 1930, Goddard moved to Mescalero Ranch near Roswell, New Mexico, continuing with his rocket experiments until 1932. After a return to Clark and laboratory testing, Goddard came back to Roswell and in 1936 published Liquid Propellant Rocket Development. In 1940 he was made Chief of Navy Research on jet-propelled planes
Summary:
Dr. Harold F. Stimson, described as a long-time friend of Goddard's, corresponded with Esther Goddard and collected a number of press clippings and other mentions of Dr. Goddard in various publications. This collection consists of the materials he gathered including a copy of the article "The Early History of Rocket Research" by Joseph W. Siry (reprinted from the November/December 1950 issue of The Scientific Monthly) signed by Esther Goddard; a program from the dedication of the Goddard Power Plant in Indian Head, Maryland dated June 25, 1957; eight issues of Report from Clark University (ranging in date from October 1965 to May 1969) with articles about the Robert Hutchings Goddard Library or the University's collection of Goddard's papers; correspondence relating to the establishment of a memorial to Goddard on Clark University's campus; a program for the groundbreaking ceremony for the Robert Hutchings Goddard Library dated June 4, 1966; a brochure for the library and a bookslip from one of their publications; three issues of the library's newsletters (ranging in date from March 1966 to spring 1971); Clark University's Report of the President 1964-1965 which includes an update on the Goddard Library program; the program from Clark University's Robert Hutchings Goddard Commemorative Convocation on October 12, 1966; a Clark University fundraising report from 1971-1972 listing Mrs. Robert H. Goddard as a donor; a typewritten report on the Goddard Rocket Research Exhibit at Clark's Department of Physics; the winter 1971 issue of Clark Now: The Magazine of Clark University which contains mentions of the Goddard Library; five typewritten pages of biographical data on Dr. Goddard; a Christmas card and signed photo of Esther Goddard inscribed to the Stimsons; and 17 clippings from various newspapers that mention either Robert or Esther Goddard (ranging in date from 1959-1982)
Cite as:
Robert H. Goddard Collection [Stimson], Accession XXXX-0855, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution
William Bertus Voortmeyer (1891-1952) was a master maritime navigator who developed many early aerial navigation systems, including a numerical signal code by which ships at sea were able to advise pilots of their position by hoisting numerical flags to indicate the distance to a destination. Voortmeyer was born in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, and at age 13 went to sea as a cabin boy on the sailing ship of which his father was captain. Voortmeyer spent the next twenty years at sea, earning a Master Mariners License. During World War I, he was a navigating officer in the transport service. When he left the sea, he held several Civil Aeronautics and Administration (CAA) and California State teaching credentials and was a certified instructor of hulls, an aviation cadet instructor, a pilot, and a Tug Master. He taught classes in marine navigation, writing books on navigation including Guide to Air Pilotage and Meteorology, and Air Navigation. During the late 1920s, he was a navigation adviser on several pioneering flights, including the first successful flight across the Pacific ocean by Ernie Smith, the Dole Flight and the pioneering flight of Charles Kingsford-Smith in 1928. Voortmeyer was also a navigation consultant for Amelia Earhart and for pioneering flights to the Arctic. From 1930 to 1935 he was with the Port of Oakland as a nautical consultant. In 1928, Voortmeyer developed an internationally adopted Numerical Flag Code, a numeral signal code which made it unnecessary for air navigators to master the international semaphore signaling code, by designing pennants with the number from one to ten that ships would hoist when aircraft were flying over head so that the aircraft could confirm their position. During WWII, Captain Voortmeyer was an aviation ground instructor in Navigation at the Pensacola Naval Training Station, Florida. He returned to the sea in command of various transport ships, including the Liberty ship, the Henry Hoyt. In 1946 he was captain of the Benjamin Warner and in 1947 was appointed as a pilot of one of Oakland's fireboats
Summary:
This collection consists of the following items documenting the career of Captain William B. Voortmeyer: newspaper clippings; photocopies of four photographs; a CD copy of Voortmeyer's unpublished manuscript, "The Rise of Air Power Over the Pacific," 1941; Air Navigation, textbook for the Air Training Center by Voortmeyer; manuscript of "The Modern Air of Pilotage;" manuscript of a Navy Address, by Lt. W. B. Voortmeyer, 1936; manuscript of talk given on Oakland radio station KYA by Voortmeyer to Junior Birdmen, 1935; promotional flyer for "A Practical Course of 12 Lessons in Aerial Navigation and Meteorology" by Captain W. B. Voortmeyer, 1933; a card of the flag signaling system developed by Voortmeyer, signed July 1, 1927; and Oakland City Resolution No. 2337 in honor of Voortmeyer
Cite as:
Captain William B. Voortmeyer Papers, Accession 2010-0006, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution
Donald A. Hall was an engineer who is best known as the designer of the Ryan NYP Spirit of St. Louis. Hall was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1898. In 1917, Hall graduated from the Pratt Institute with a certificate in mechanical engineering. Hall worked for Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company beginning in 1919 before going to Douglas Aircraft in 1924. Hall later accepted the job of chief, and only full-time, engineer at Ryan Airlines where he started on January 31, 1927. A telegram arrived four days later asking if Ryan could build an airplane capable of flying nonstop from New York to Paris, France. Hall reviewed the request and replied affirmatively and on February 21, 1927, Charles Augustus Lindbergh arrived at Ryan to discuss the aircraft. After reviewing Hall's preliminary design work, a contract was finalized between Ryan and Lindbergh on February 25, 1927. The aircraft Hall designed, the Ryan NYP Spirit of St. Louis was built and ready for flight testing on April 28, 1927, a process that took place in under two weeks. On May 21, 1927, Lindbergh completed the first solo nonstop transatlantic flight in history flying in the Spirit of St. Louis. Later, Hall designed the Ryan X-1 Doodle Bug (Mahoney-Ryan Special). After Ryan relocated to St. Louis, Missouri, Hall stayed in San Diego, California and founded his own company, Hall Aeronautical Development Company. After the Great Depression hit, Hall was forced to close his company due to financial concerns and went to work for Consolidated in 1936. During his time with the company, Hall worked as a consultant to I. M. Laddon on the design of the Consolidated B-24 Liberator. In 1949, Hall went to work for the U.S. Navy at Naval Air Station North Island where he was an engineer before being promoted to head of the helicopter branch and later head of the structures branch before retiring in 1963. Donald A. Hall died in 1968
Summary:
This collection consists of audio recordings and a transcript of an interview conducted by telephone with Donald A. Hall in 1967. The interviewer is Tom Leech who was working on behalf of the San Diego Section of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). During the interview, Hall discusses his career; working with Charles Augustus Lindbergh; the design of the Ryan NYP Spirit of St. Louis; reaction to Lindbergh's New York to Paris flight; Hall's involvement with AIAA; and his family. There is one copy of the recording on an audio cassette tape and one copy on a CD along with a transcript prepared by Tom Leech in 2003. The reverse side of the cassette tape is a recording of a speech by C. Northcote Parkinson to the General Dynamics Convair Management Club, circa 1968. The collection also contains a photocopy of the May 1967 issue of The AIAA Tabloid, the newsletter of the San Diego Section of AIAA, which features an article on Donald A. Hall
Cite as:
Donald A. Hall Interview, Accession 2010-0039, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution
Thaddeus S. C. Lowe Family Photographs Collectione 1862-1895
Creator:
Lowe, Thaddeus S. C
Subject:
Lower, Leontine
Physical description:
.48 cubic feet (2 boxes)
Type:
Correspondence
Collection descriptions
Photographs
Stereoscopic photographs
Cartes-de-visite
Date:
1862
1862-1895
Topic:
Railroads
Balloons
Civil war
Mt. Lowe Railway
Aeronautics
Travel
Local number:
2011-0025
Notes:
Thaddeus Sobieski Constantine Lowe (1832-1913), was a balloonist, the Chief Aeronaut of the Union Army's Balloon Corps, a self-trained scientist and engineer, and an inventor and entrepreneur. He was born in Jefferson Mills, New Hampshire on August 20, 1832. After leaving his local grammar school, Lowe educated himself in chemistry and meteorology. Lowe built a portable laboratory and traveled on the lecture circuit, lecturing on scientific subjects and giving public demonstrations. In 1855, Lowe married Leontine Augustine Gachon, a French actress; they eventually had ten children. Lowe acquired his first balloon in 1856, and first achieved public notice with a series of ascents in Ottawa in 1858. In 1859, Lowe developed plans for a transatlantic flight with his giant "City of New York" (later renamed "Great Western") balloon, though the attempt was never made. With the coming of the Civil War, Lowe offered his services as a balloonist to the Union Army. His reconnaissance operations were appreciated, but disputes over pay caused him to resign in 1863. Lowe developed and patented the water gas process for the production of hydrogen gas, and invented a series of ice-making machines. Lowe moved to California in 1887 and eventually settled in Pasadena, where he built ice plants and founded a bank. With David J. Macpherson, Lowe began the construction of the Pasadena and Mt. Wilson Railway. By 1899, Lowe had suffered financial setbacks and his fortune was lost. Thaddeus S. C. Lowe died at the age of 80 in Pasadena on January 16, 1913
Summary:
This collection consists of Lowe family photographs, including portraits and mounted stereographs of Lowe, his wife Leontine Augustine Gachon Lowe, and their children. The collection also includes a folding leather wallet album of carte de visite portraits of Lowe, Leontine Lowe, and their children. There are two albums of photographs from a world cruise made by Leontine Lowe, circa 1889, including photographs of India, Ceylon (Sri Lanka), China, Japan, Egypt, Palestine, and Greece. The images are round Kodak No. 2 photographs. The album pages have been dismounted. Besides family photographs, there are also photographs from the Civil War, including a Matthew Brady studio image of Lowe's Balloon Camp at Gaines' Hill during the battle of Fair Oaks, June 1, 1862, showing Lowe in the basket of a balloon held by Union soldiers; a portrait of Lowe with his father, Clovis Lowe; and a stereograph of one of Lowe's portable hydrogen generators. Photographs of Lowe's other business ventures include photographs of Lowe's Pasadena and Mt. Wilson Railway, later known as the Mt. Lowe Railway, and of a visit by Charles William Eliot, President of Harvard, to Pasadena and Mt. Wilson, April 1892, and a mounted photograph of a Lowe designed coke furnace in operation at the San Francisco Coke & Gas Company. Besides the photographs there is a letter from General Andrew A. Humphreys (Lowe's commanding officer) to Lowe, dated July 23, 1862
Cite as:
Thaddeus S. C. Lowe Family Photographs Collection, Accession 2011-0025, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution
Orville and Wilbur Wright Memorabilia Collection, 1906-1948 (bulk 1907-1928)
Subject:
Wright, Wilbur 1867-1912
Wright, Orville 1871-1948
Peterkin, C. R
Hammer, William Joseph 1858-1934
Physical description:
0.50 cubic feet (1 box)
Type:
Works of art
Collection descriptions
Records
Ephemera
Photographs
Brochures
Correspondence
Date:
1906
1906-1948
bulk 1907-1928
1903-1916
Topic:
Aeronautics
Aeronautics--Awards
Local number:
XXXX-0079
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access
Notes:
Wilbur Wright was born April 16, 1867, his brother Orville Wright on August 19, 1871. They, along with sister Katharine and brothers Reuchlin and Lorin, were raised near Millville, Indiana and in Dayton, Ohio by their mother, Susan Wright, and father, Milton Wright, bishop of the United Brethren Church. As young men, Wilbur and Orville launched a printing business and a bicycle shop. An interest in aeronautics, spurred by the accounts of the experiments of Otto Lilienthal, prompted Wilbur to request information on the subject from the Smithsonian Institution in 1899. In August of 1900, Wilbur built his first glider and that year and the next the brothers tested gliders at Kitty Hawk. The Wrights constructed a wind tunnel to gather accurate aeronautical data and, benefiting from this new information, another glider was built in 1902. In 1903, the brothers were ready to began construction of a powered craft. With the assistance of mechanic Charles Taylor, they added a 4-cylinder, 12-horsepower engine and propellers to the 1903 Flyer and it was sent to Kitty Hawk for testing. At 10:35 am, December 17, on Kill Devil Hill, Orville achieved a flight of 12 seconds--traveling a distance of 120 feet. By 1908 the Wrights were demonstrating their machines in Europe. The U.S. Army Signal Corps advertised for bids for a two-seat observation aircraft and in 1908 and 1909, the Wrights flew at official Army trials at Fort Myer, Virginia. (It was here that powered flight's first fatality occurred: the tragic death of Lieutenant Thomas Selfridge.) The Army was to purchase the Military Flyer (Signal Corps No. 1) for $30,000 in 1909. In that same year, The Wright Company was established to manufacture Wright aircraft. Wilbur died in Dayton, Ohio on May 30,1912. Orville Wright would live until January 30, 1948
Summary:
The collection contains letters, telegrams, brochures, photographs and miscellaneous ephemera pertaining to Orville and Wilbur Wright. Included with the correspondence are letters written to William J. Hammer, who was an aeronautical pioneer and associated with the Wright Brothers, as well as other individuals including C. R. Peterkin. Additional items are, brochures from the Wilbur Wright Memorial, a brochure of the 25th Anniversary celebration of the first successful airplane flight, December 17, 1928, a sketch on an envelope by Wilbur Wright of a flight around the Statue of Liberty in 1909, a sympathy acknowledgment card for the Wrights' for Wilbur's death, and a photograph signed by Orville Wright. Also enclosed with the collection is a piece of wood from the Wright Brothers hangar at Kitty Hawk, presented by Orville Wright
Miller Corp (John Matthew Miller) (Aircraft manufacturer)
Kellet Autogiro Corp
Physical description:
0.90 cubic feet (2 legal document boxes)
Type:
Financial records
Collection descriptions
Correspondence
Clippings
Pamphlets
Photographs
Scrapbooks
Logs (records)
Place:
United States
Date:
1910
1910-1973
Topic:
Burgess Aircraft Family
Autogiros
Aircraft industry
Airplanes
Aeronautics, Commercial
Aeronautics--Societies, etc
Aeronautics
Pitcairn PCA-2 Autogiro
Miller Corp MCA-1 Amphibian Biplane
Kellett Autogiro Family
Pitcairn PA-3 Orowing
Waco 10 Family (Aircraft)
Local number:
2001-0036
Notes:
John Matthew Miller, born in 1896, was the President of the Miller Corporation, New Brunswick, NJ, at the New Brunswick Airport (also known as "Miller's Field" ). Miller Corporation provided a flying school, flew passenger flights along the mid-Atlantic seaboard and offered sightseeing tours. Miller received his commission as an ensign in the Naval Aviation Corps in 1918 and afterwards worked as an air mail pilot. His company's first attempt at building and flying an amphibious aircraft was halted when it crashed during its first landing. After his company failed, Miller continued to be active in the aviation community and held a number of different positions, including being the president of the New Brunswick (NJ) Aero Club, an autogiro pilot for Pitcairn, and serving as a helicopter test pilot at the Patuxent River test station during World War II. He later worked for the Department of Agriculture until 1956
Summary:
This collection consists of: one photocopy of Miller's 1926-1943 Flight Log Book; one photocopy of Miller's 1943-1954 Flight Log Book; one photocopy of a scrapbook containing newspaper articles, contest rules for the New Brunswick, NJ, Aero Club Flying Trophy, Miller's 1917 acceptance letter to the Massachusetts School for Naval Air Service, a letter recognizing one year of service to the US Aerial Mail Service in 1919, articles pertaining to Miller's 1918 commission as an ensign in the Naval Aviation Corps, and a promotional pamphlet for the Kellett Autogiro; 33 copied photographs and photocopies of Grand Central Airport, Glendale, California, autogiros, and early Burgess flying boats; the Saga of the US Air Mail Service book; "Flying Officers of the U.S.N. (US Navy): 1917-1919"; Miller's certificate for promotion to Lieutenant in the US Navy; an article written by Miller, "Dual Spray Equipment for Airplane Spraying Tests" from March, 1951; one share of common stock, owned by Miller, of the Aero Club of New Brunswick, New Jersey, Inc.; several newspapers dated from 1924 to 1969, several covering James G. Ray's autogiro flight over Washington, DC in 1934; map (no date) showing the flight route and distance from Bellefonte, PA to Cleveland, OH; a 1922 log book for the Curtiss Seagull owned by the Chicago Tribune; an "Autogiro News" newsletter from 1933; a short biographical blurb on Miller from the "Story of Flight A: 1917-1919" (note from donor); several loose sheets of Miller's figures on the operating costs of a Pitcairn cabin autogiro, and a breakdown of the marketing needs and possibilities; correspondence between John Miller and Robert Woods Johnson (of Johnson & Johnson) concerning autogiros; photocopies of Miller's 1930 Pilot's License and his 1945 Certificate of Satisfactory Service from the US Navy; a program for the Hadley Field (South Plainfield, NJ) Commemoration in 1973; 27 scrapbook pages from The Miller Corporation, New Brunswick Airport, containing photographs of the hangar and facilities, the Pitcairn Orowing, Waco 10, and the flying boat built by the Corporation in 1929; and 22 loose original photographs, including two of the Flight A Naval Aviation detachment at M.I.T. in 1917, photographs of the model and actual flying boat (Miller Corp MCA-1 Amphibian Biplane) the Miller Corporation built, and Miller with a Pitcairn PCA-2
Hungerford Rocket Car Photograph Collection 1929-1934
Creator:
Rocket Cars, USA, Hungerford
Subject:
Hungerford, Daniel D
Hungerford, Floyd S
Physical description:
.05 cubic feet (1 folder)
Type:
Photographs
Collection descriptions
Date:
1929
1929-1934
Topic:
Rocket engines
Automobiles
Local number:
XXXX-0882
Notes:
Daniel D. Hungerford and his brother Floyd S. Hungerford shared a great interest in rockets. They began by studying lighter than air craft and built an airplane engine in 1909. By 1913, they had bought their own airplane. In addition, the Hungerford brothers worked as glider mechanics, during which time they invented a rocket-powered soldering iron to aid in their work. They had plans for a rocket lawn mover, but this was never completed. The Hungerfords designed a rocket-powered automobile that they debuted on November 2, 1929 in their hometown of Elmira, New York. The Hungerford Rocket Car, named the Shirley Lois Moon Girl after Daniel's daughter, was based on a 1921 Chevrolet 490 chassis covered with a framework made of basswood strips, isinglass windows, and plate glass covered with heavy cardboard that had been painted black. The Hungerfords then had a special fuel injection pump and the rocket motors installed at Gould Pump Works in Seneca Falls, New York. The car's design featured four exhaust pipes in the rear, although only one was actually utilized. In 1932, after operating the Shirley Lois Moon Girl on public roads for more than two years, the Hungerfords decided to register the car with the state of New York. After much debate, the New York Bureau of Motor Vehicles agreed to register the car provided "rocket" was listed on the form under type. Shirley Lois Moon Girl was given New York license plate number 4J74-78 and was registered until 1952. Over time, the car was improved including the addition of new parts and equipment, new paint, and the replacement of the original Chevrolet cooling system with a 1927 Waco airplane radiator. The Hungerford brothers exhibited Shirley Lois Moon Girl at fairs and other events throughout New York and Pennsylvania, and a letter about the car written by the Hungerfords was read on the radio program "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century" on January 15, 1934. The last exhibition of Shirley Lois Moon Girl took place at Colussy's Airport at Coudersport, Pennsylvania on July 29, 1934. The Hungerfords had initially planned on large-scale manufacturing of the Hungerford Rocket Car with the Shirley Lois Moon Girl being simply a prototype, but no other rocket cars were ever made. The Hungerfords also discussed building a rocket that could reach the moon, a project that never made it past the planning phase. Floyd S. Hungerford died in December 1963. Daniel Hungerford allowed Ralph Hodge of Cohoes, New York to take possession of the car in the mid-1960s with the understanding that, in the event of Hungerford's death, it would become Hodge's property. Hodge cleaned the vehicle and replaced the rotting cardboard with aluminum, and the Shirley Lois Moon Girl took part in a number of parades and civic events in New York. Daniel S. Hungerford died in 1968. For a time, Shirley Lois Moon Girl was on display at "Harrah's Automobile Collection" in Las Vegas, Nevada. Upon the death of Ralph Hodge, his attorney, and one time assistant district attorney of Albany county, Daniel Dwyer took ownership of Shirley Lois Moon Girl. Before his death in 1992, Dwyer donated Shirley Lois Moon Girl to the New York State Museum at Albany
Summary:
This collection consists of eight black and white photographs, of various sizes, showing the Hungerford Rocket Car, Daniel D. Hungerford, Floyd S. Hungerford, the car's rocket motor and other components, and interior views of the rocket car from the pilot's seat. Extensive caption information is written on the reverse of the photographs
Cite as:
Hungerford Rocket Car Photograph Collection , Accession XXXX-0882, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution
Pan American World Airways was active in the airline industry from 1927, when it established a regular scheduled international service, to its bankruptcy in late 1991. Pan American was the first American airline to operate a permanent international air service. From its first route between Key West and Havana, Pan Am extended its routes into the rest of the Caribbean, Central America and South America. In 1936, Pan Am inaugurated passenger service in the Pacific, and began service in the Atlantic in 1939. Pan Am started around-the-world commercial air service in 1947. Besides setting many "firsts" with routes, Pan Am also established "firsts" in the aircraft technology they chose, such as being the first to use Boeing Model 747s in regular scheduled services. Angela Shaw was the Duty Director - Operations Control
Summary:
This collection consists of materials gathered by Angela Shaw during her time at Pan Am including eleven menus from various routes; a large 1992 wall calendar featuring color illustrations of areas serviced by Pan Am; two unused Travel Card passes; two unused luggage tags; an unused luggage identification label; thirty-three unused color post cards of various sizes, some duplicates, showing various Pan Am and Altair aircraft, various locations serviced by Pan Am, and important moments in the company's history; two copies of Angela Shaw's Duty Director - Operations Control business card; the October 1989 issue of Pan Am Clipper newsletter featuring an article about Operations Control and Angela Shaw; identification badge issued to Shaw on the occasion of Ronald Reagan's trip to Ireland, Normandy and the London Economic Summit in 1984; two 1968 employee stock purchase certificates in Shaw's name; Altair Airlines cabin safety cards for the Douglas DC-9-32 and the Fokker F.28 Fellowship; a brochure promoting Altair; Pan Am's 1968 Annual Report; "The First 50 years of Pan Am" booklet; an unused iron-on transfer with an illustration of various airline crew trying to right the upside down Pan Am "world" logo and the words "Let's ALL pull together - we CAN turn it around!;" seven issues of Pan Am Flight Ops newsletter; one issue of "Crosscheck Flight Safety Dialogue" published by Pan Am; Pan Am Emergency Manual; 1988 Federal Aviation Administration Advisory Circular telling airlines how to disperse their fleet in the event of a nuclear attack on the United States; scroll of teletype message sent from the Command Post to the field during the crash of Pan Am Flight 103 that went down in Lockerbie, Scotland and the Command Post Log for this crash; April 27, 1992 issue of Time magazine and January 2 and 9, 1989 issues of Newsweek magazine with cover stories on the Pan Am Flight 103 crash (there is also a photocopy of the January 2 Newsweek article); Command Post Log dealing with the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt including air traffic regulation and possible evacuation of Embassy personnel; folder of Security Task Force Wires and Security Alert Bulletins from New York Operations Control including information on potential terrorist threats and types of behaviors that should label a traveler as suspicious; three air traffic pattern charts that could be used to assist in rerouting aircraft as necessary; Pan American System Control Center Daily Log entries for the period of December 15, 1989 through January 2, 1989 describing incidents such as bomb threats, suspicious travelers, and aircraft delays; copy of Military Airlift Command Regulation 55-8 dealing with operations of the Civil Reserve Air Fleet (CRAF); 1990 memo from United States Air Force to civil air carriers regarding chemical warfare defense for CRAF; memo containing annual refresher briefing updates to the "Industrial Security Manual" for all Pan Am employees holding CRAF Security Clearance; photocopy of a letter from Albert E. Brockob (Pan Am pilot) to Colonel Ronald N. Priddy, USAF regarding a CRAF mission during Operation Desert Storm during which the aircraft encountered Scud missile alerts with a copy of the flight crew report and copy of an Aviation Week & Space Technology article about the incident attached; Fall 1990 issue of Airlift: The Journal of the Airlift Operations School featuring information on defensive systems for airlifters; one folder of airport security memos and various security alerts issued by Pan Am and the Federal Aviation Administration including information on terrorist threats, political unrest, and other incidents; a folder of blank airline forms and charts including crew member's U.S. customs declarations, North Atlantic Plotting Chart, takeoff computations forms, aircraft allowable ramp weight computation chart, balance computer, loading planner and sheets, aircraft movement message, fuel loading instructions, and a Douglas DC-8-63 load manifest; and one folder of newspaper and magazine articles regarding terrorism and travel
Cite as:
Angela Shaw Collection, Accession 2008-0043, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution
