The Swoose: Odyssey of a B-17 Collection consists of materials collected during research by Herbert Brownstein, the author.
Scope and Content:
This collection consists of materials collected by author Herbert Brownstein during his research for the book The Swoose: Odyssey of a B-17. Fifty-four of the images collected were used in the book. These images feature the aircraft, its crew, its insignia, air fields where it was stationed and maps of the flights of The Swoose. Mr. Brownstein collected approximately six hundred additional photographs from former crew members and other sources which were not used in the book. Included among these are images of air bases including Milne Bay, New Guinea; Marreba, Australia; Clark Field, Philippine Islands; Port Moresby, New Guinea; Del Monte, Philippine Islands; Randolph, Texas; Wheeler, Hawaii; Brooks, Texas; and Kelly, Texas. Aircraft featured include the Bell P-39, Douglas C-47, Boeing B-17B, Boeing B-17G, North American B-25B, Curtiss P-40, North American N4J Pensacola Trainer, and Boeing B-17 Suzy-Q. Aviation field maps include those for Northeast Australia, Malaya, Sumatra, Java, Borneo, and the Philippine Islands. Individuals represented include Henry Godman, Weldon S. Smith, Lyndon B. Johnson, Frank Kurtz, Sir Charles Burnett, Brigadier General George Acheson and several group shots of crew. There are also histories of the 14th and 19th Bombardment Groups, operations, battle honor lists, damage reports, debriefing reports, and crew lists as well as periodical articles about the aircraft and its crew.
Arrangement:
The collection has been organized into three series:
SERIES 1: Photographs Used in The Swoose: Odyssey of a B-17
SERIES 2: Photographs Collected but not Used in The Swoose: Odyssey of a B-17
SERIES 3: Official Government Documents, Periodical Articles, Miscellaneous Material
Biographical/Historical note:
The Swoose was the name given to Boeing B-17D Flying Fortress serial number 40-3097 by Weldon H. Smith, one of its crew members. The aircraft flew four historic trans-Pacific flights: California to Hawaii, May 13-14, 1941; Sydney, Australia to Hawaii and back, May 17-30, 1942; and Brisbane to Washington, DC, August 4-12, 1942. It was stationed in the Pacific theater during the first two years of World War II (1941-1943) and was assigned to both the 14th and 19th Bombardment Groups. In the Pacific, The Swoose carried out bombing and transport operations in the Philippines, Java, and Australia. In 1943, the aircraft was stationed in Panama. The aircraft remained in service until 1953, when it was transferred to the National Air and Space Museum. In 2008, The Swoose was transferred to the National Museum of the United States Air Force.
Provenance:
Herb Brownstein, gift, 1994, 1996, 2000, 1994-0024
Early aviation catalogs, photographs, periodicals, class notes, and scrapbooks as well as other materials collected by Javier Arnago detailing the evolution of early aircrafts built before and during World World I.
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of early aviation materials, collected by Javier Arango, pertaining to the development of early 20th century aircrafts. The bulk of the material consists of air meet programs and memorabilia, engine and aeroplane catalogs, articles and periodicals, maps and charts, postcards and correspondence, class notes and technical manuals, scrapbooks and journals, and a variety of photographs. Materials in English, French, German, and Dutch. Aviators pioneers include: the Wright Brothers, Henry Farman, Louis Bleriot, Hubert Latham, Glenn Curtiss, Louis Paulhan, and other French and American pilots. Aircraft manufacturers represented include: Wright Brothers, Curtiss-Wright, Blériot (France), Antoinette (Société Anonyme Antoinette) (France), Deperdussin (France), Farman, Voisin (France), and other American, French, German, and British inventors prior to World War I.
Arrangement:
Collection organized into eight sections by material type. The first three sections 'Aeroplane Catalogs,' 'Engine Catalongs,' and 'Air meet Programs' are in original order, which is alphabetically arranged by company, aircraft, or engine name and thereunder chronologically by year. The 'Periodicals' section is also alphabetically arranged by title and thereunder chronologically by year. 'Additional Text Materials,' 'Scrapbooks and albums,' and 'Class notes and journals' alphabetically arranged by creator's surname or title. The 'Photographs' section is organized by subjects or event, orginially grouped by Arango, and thereunder alphabetically arranged.
Biographical / Historical:
Javier Arango (1962-2017) was an investment consultant, aircraft collector, avid pilot, and board member of the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum. Graduating at Harvard University, he studied the history of science and became an authority of World War I aviation focusing on the progression of warplanes. Establishing his Aeroplane Collection with the construction of a triplane in 1980, he began collecting original materials from the 1900s and 1910s. With a passion for understanding and preserving the history of flight, Arango amassed an exemplary study of the evolution of early aviation.
Provenance:
Javier Arango Living Trust, Gift, 2022, NASM.2022.0033
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access
Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests.
Barnaby, Ralph S. (Ralph Stanton), 1893-1986 Search this
Extent:
3.15 Cubic feet ((7 legal document boxes))
2.94 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Correspondence
Diaries
Manuscripts
Photographs
Publications
Maps
Date:
1915-1986
Summary:
Ralph Stanton Barnaby (1893-1986) was an aviation pioneer. Barnaby was the first licensed glider pilot in the United States and the first to successfully launch a glider from an airship. He organized and directed the Navy's first school for glider pilots. Barnaby also served as president of the Early Birds and helped organize the Soaring Society of America, as well as authoring a number of books on gliders and paper airplanes.
Scope and Contents:
The Ralph Stanton Barnaby collection consists of approximately two cubic feet of materials relating to Barnaby's personal life and his relationship with the Early Birds of Aviation, Inc. This collection contains approximately one-fourth of Barnaby's personal papers, the remainder being held by the National Soaring Museum and the Franklin Institute. Before being accessioned into the Archives, documents from the Museum's biographical files were added to the collection. These documents are indistinguishable from the donated material and so remain part of this collection.
This collection consists almost entirely of correspondence, newsletters, news clippings, and publications relating to early aviation. A problem arises initially from the fact that all of the material in this collection is supposed to relate to Barnaby's relations with the Early Birds. As the majority is correspondence, it would be logical to arrange by individuals and/or offices first, but the fact that offices in the Early Birds organization were rotated yearly and that much of the correspondence is of a personal nature makes this difficult.
Materials in this collection date between 1911 and 1986 and the bulk dates ranging between 1930 and 1980, when Ralph Barnaby was most active in the Early Birds of Aviation, Inc. The materials were broken down into four series.
The National Air and Space Museum (NASM) Archives received from the estate only those materials relating to his Early Birds affiliation, with his other materials going to the National Soaring Museum and the Franklin Institute. Any researcher interested in information relating to Barnaby's soaring experiences or personal life which NASM does not have should contact these organizations.
Biographical / Historical:
Ralph Stanton Barnaby was born 21 January 1893 in Meadville, PA, but moved to New York City in 1900, Barnaby has his first taste of aviation in 1905, when Roy Knabenshue flew his dirigible over the city. In 1908 Barnaby went to Belleville, New Jersey to see Thomas Baldwin fly what became the Signal Corps Dirigible No. 1. With his inspiration, Barnaby designed, built and flew his first glider in Roxbury Connecticut on 18 August 1909. After improved designs and additional flights, Barnaby was awarded the Fèdèration Aèronautique Internationale Soaring Certificate #1 for the United States, signed by Orville Wright. Now thoroughly bitten by the aviation bug, Barnaby forsook his chosen career as an artist and attended Columbia University, graduating in 1915 with a Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical engineering. From Columbia, Barnaby went to the Elco Boat Company, where he worked with Alexander Graham Bell on the design and production of high-speed subchasers for the U.S. Navy. In 1916, he took the position of Assistant Chief Engineer and head of the Engineering Department at the Standard Aero Corporation, under Charles Healy Day.
When America entered World War I, Barnaby resigned from Standard Aero and accepted a commission in the Navy, serving overseas until the spring of 1919. Barnaby then came home and attended the Navy Flight School at Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola, Florida and the Aviation Ground School at M.I.T., after which he was awarded his wings. Barnaby served as the First U.S. Navy representative on the Army-Navy Standards Committee and, in 1920, he was made Project Engineer for the Naval Aircraft Factory, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
On 31 January 1930 Barnaby performed the first successful glider release from USS Los Angeles during tests at NAS Lakehurst, New Jersey. These tests led to the later operation of powered aircraft from USS Macon and USS Akron. During 1930 he also authored Gliders and Gliding, established the U.S. Navy's Glider School, NAS Pensacola, Florida and served as Chief Engineer and Assistant Manager of the Naval Aircraft Factory, Philadelphia. Following the conclusion of the glider/dirigible tests, Barnaby was promoted to the rank of Lt Commander. In 1930 Barnaby joined the recently founded organization known as the Early Birds of Aviation, Inc.
From 1933 to 1939 Barnaby was assigned to a variety of bases in as many roles ranging from aircraft inspector at the Baltimore Naval Aircraft Factory (1933-1934) to repairs officer, NAS Pensacola (1934-1939). In 1938 Barnaby was promoted to the rank of Commander and a year later became Assistant Chief Engineer at the Naval Aircraft Factory, Philadelphia, where he remained until America's entrance into World War II. During the war, Barnaby was assigned to the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard handling the design and procurement of troop and cargo-carrying gliders. In 1944 Barnaby was responsible for establishing and directing the Naval Aircraft Modification Unit, Johnsville, Pennsylvania, later known as the Naval Development Center and from 1945 to 1947 Barnaby served as Commanding Officer. In 1947 he retired from the U.S. Navy at the rank of Captain.
Following his retirement, Barnaby took a position at the Franklin Institute, Philadelphia Pennsylvania. where he worked in a variety of capacities including Aeronautics Consultant to the Director of the Science Museum and Chief of the Aeronautics Section He was responsible for planning and directing air traffic control research and aeronautical engineering and for the acquisition of many of the Institute's early flight artifacts, most notable their Wright Model B Flyer, the type Barnaby was taught to fly by George W. Beatty in 1912. When he passed away, Barnaby held the title of "Keeper Emeritus, Hall of Aviation."
Aside from his Navy and professional career, Barnaby had a multitude of other interests. Prior to witnessing the Knabenshue and Baldwin dirigible flights, Barnaby wanted to be an artist and studied at the Art Students League in New York City. He was a skilled craftsman, working in several mediums, but is best known for his sculptures. Examples of his work include bronze busts of famous naval leaders at the U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland, pieces at the Mariner's Museum at Newport News Virginia, the bronze of the Wright Brothers at the Wright Memorial in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina and the bas relief of Thomas E. Selfridge, first man to die in an air crash at Fort Myer, Virginia. In addition, most of the medallions and pins cast and presented by the Early Birds of Aviation were designed by Barnaby. Numerous examples of self-designed greeting cards designed by Barnaby reflect his artistic talents.
Another of Barnaby's hobbies was paper airplanes. Barnaby used a design he perfected while acting as liaison officer at Wright Field, Dayton, Ohio in 1927 to win Scientific America's First International Paper Airplane Competition in 1967. In 1968, he authored How to Make and Fly Paper Airplanes which sold widely and discussed holding a program with the Smithsonian on paper airplane construction.
In addition to being a Past President of the Early Birds of Aviation, Barnaby was a member and/or officer of many other aeronautical organizations. In 1960 he was named an "Elder Statesman of Aviation" by the National Aeronautics Association. He was also Fellow of the Institute of the Aeronautical Sciences, Founder of the Soaring Society of America, member of the Aircraft Owners and Pilot's Association, Past President of Aero Club of Pennsylvania, member of the Gliding Committee of the Fèdèration Aèronautique Internationale, member of the Twirly Birds, the Philadelphia Glider Council, the Golden Eagles, the Army/Navy Club, the Society of Automotive Engineers, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, founder of the New York Model Aero Club and member of the Scientific Research Society of America.
Barnaby's awards are diverse and include the Legion of Merit for Naval Services, U.S. Navy Air Medal and the Medal of Merit from Columbia University. He was the 1955 recipient of the Paul Tissandier Diploma from the Fèdèration Aèronautique Internationale and was named to the Helms Athletic Hall of Fame for his contributions to the sport of soaring and gliding in America.
Ralph Stanton Barnaby Timeline
1893 -- Ralph Stanton Barnaby born, 21 January, Meadville, Pennsylvania.
1900 -- Family moved to New York City.
1904-1908 -- Grace Church Choisters School, New York City; Trinity School.
1909 -- Designed, built and flew his own glider, 18 August, Roxbury Falls, Connecticut.
1911 -- Co-founded New York Model Aero Club.
1912 -- Took flying lesson with George Beatty, Long Island, New York.
1915 -- Graduated with a degree in Mechanical Engineering, Columbia University.
1915-1916 -- Worked with Alexander Graham Bell on designing high-speed boats for the Navy with the Elco Company, Bayonne, New Jersey.
1915-1916 -- In charge of sub-chaser assembly and testing at Montreal, Quebec.
1917 -- Joined Standard Aero Corporation with Charles Healy Day, was made Assistant Chief Engineer and head of Engineering Department.
1917 -- Accepted a commission in the United States Navy at rank of ensign; First Navy representative on the Army-Navy Standards Committee.
1944 -- Established the Naval Air Development Center, Johnsville, Pennsylvania.
1945-1947 -- Commanding Officer of the Naval Air Development Center, Johnsville, Pennsylvania.
1947 -- Retired from U.S. Navy at rank of Captain.
1947 -- Accepted position at Franklin Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
1950 -- Served as Captain of the first American soaring team to participate in an international gliding event, Sweden.
1967-1968 -- Winner of the First International Paper Airplane Competition and authored How to Make and Fly Paper Airplanes.
1986 -- Passed away, 15 May, Center City, Pennsylvania.
General:
Additional Materials: The following materials were transferred to the National Air and Space Museum Aeronautics Division -- one Early Bird cap, one trophy, two plaques, medals, pins, and official Early Bird envelopes.
Provenance:
Ralph Stanton Barnaby, gift, 1987, 1987-0048, Not NASM
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access
Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests
Henri-Marie Coanda (1885-1972) was born and died in Bucharest, Romania. He spent his early childhood in Paris (1886-1891), before being educated in a Romanian military school (graduated 1903). Coanda continued his studies in Berlin and Paris -- at Auguste Rodin's atelier, with Gustaf Eiffel, and as a member of the first class of L'Ecole Superieure d'Aeronautique. He made his aeronautical debut in 1910, in the world's first jet aircraft. This was followed in 1932 with the discovery of the Coanda effect in which jet streams are used to create vacuums by following curves. His other projects included prefabricated housing developments, water conversion and conservation, energy conservation and agricultural equipment. In his lifetime he contributed some 250 inventions to these diverse fields.
Scope and Contents:
The Henri Coanda Collection (acc. #XXXX-0170), located at the National Air and Space Museum Archives, consists of approximately one cubic foot of materials relating to Henri Coanda's experimental work. The inclusive dates are 1908-1961 with the bulk of the material covering the years 1953- 1961. The collection should prove valuable to researchers interested in Coanda's non- aviation, accomplishments, especially his hydrogenerator project. Topics included in the collection are the aforementioned water conversion project, his soil improvement project, the Société Multicellulaires pre-fabricated housing company, his work with concrete holding tanks, and unidentified experiments. The collection consists mostly of correspondence, technical reports, and photos, many of which are uncaptioned. There are also expense records, newspaper and magazine articles, books, glass plate negatives, and a watercolor painting. Those in search of information regarding Coanda's aviation achievements might find more information in Coanda's biographical file at the National Air and Space Museum Archives located on the Mall.
Biographical / Historical:
Henri-Marie Coanda (1886-1972), a Rumanian scientist and inventor, broke ground in a wide range of areas. He produced significant innovations in early aircraft design and claimed to have flown the first jet. He also identified the fluidics principle called the Coanda Effect and subsequently applied it in many of his inventions. Further, he pioneered concepts in such diverse areas as fuel storage, pre-fabricated housing, soil regeneration, and saline water purification.
Henri Coanda was born June 7, 1886, in Bucharest, Romania. His family soon moved to France after his father, Constantin Coanda, a professor and president of the Council of Romania, became attache to the Rumanian embassy in Paris. Coanda returned to Romania in 1896 to attend military school (1896-1903). He continued his education at Technische Hochsehule in Charlottenburg-Berlin (1903-1907), the University of Liége (1907-1908), and the Electrotechnical Institute of Montefiore in Turin (1908-1909). At L'Ecole Supirieure d'Aeronautique in Paris he completed his engineering degree, graduating first in his class (1910).
During his school days Coanda became interested in aviation. While studying in Berlin he followed Otto Lilienthal's glider experiments in nearby Spandau and also built a miniature airplane powered by two rocket engines (1903). In 1906 he even went as far as Nice to meet Captain Ferdinand Ferber, who also flew a glider. When Coanda proposed the idea of a jet engine, Ferber recommended that he present the idea to Ernest Archdeacon, Gustav Eiffel, and Paul Painleve in Paris. They in turn directed him to Louis Bleriot, who helped him build model of a pyrotechnic rocket Powered airplane which he displayed in Short Hall, 8erlin in 1907. At Liege one year later Coanda constructed a Joachim glider with his roommate, Giannini Caproni, who later established Aeroplani Caproni.
Still, Coanda wished to produce a jet-powered airplane and by 1910 had perfected his craft. The plane featured a single turbine engine, fully cantilevered wings with thick airfoil sections, an integral fuel tank, retractable landing gear, a cruciform tail, and molded plywood construction. Although highly innovative, the strange-looking model made only a small stir at the Second International Salon of Aeronautics in Paris in November 1910.
One month later the plane left the ground for its first and only time. On December 10, 1910, Coanda had planned to run basic engine tests for his plane at Issy les Moulineaux near Paris, but as events progressed, Coanda found himself and his plane barreling towards the walls of Paris. He had no choice but to launch the plane up and over the barrier. Unfortunately, Coanda did not know how to fly the plane and so immediately crashed on the other side. Luckily, he was thrown clear of the wreck, for the gas exhaust had ignited the plywood plane, and it went up in flames instantly. The unfortunate loss bankrupted Coanda, and he was forced to terminate the project. Though the years scholars have disputed over Coanda's claims to the first jet flight. Those who argue against him site that he did not step forward immediately, the press did not record the event, the flight only a short distance, and the engine design differed from that of other jets.
After the tragedy at Issy, Coanda turned his creativity towards more traditional yet still inventive aircraft. In 1911 he designed and flew the first twin engine plane at Riems, France, and in 1912 he conceived the first delta wing airplane. From 1911 to 1914 he worked for Bristol Aeroplane Company in Great Britain and became their chief technical engineer. There he designed the successful Bristol-Coanda airplane. With the onset of World War I Coanda returned to France to fight in the 22nd Artillery Regiment, but the French recognized his talent in aircraft design and consequently sent him to the Delaunay-Belleville Factory at St. Denis to build airplanes. At Delaunay Coanda designed a bomber with a range of 1100 miles and also created a small, fast observation plane.
Even as late as the l930s Coanda intermittently designed aircraft. In 1933 he conceived a vertical take-off craft popularly known as the "flying saucer." Coanda saw it as the wave of the future because of its speed and its use of jet stream dynamics. Two years later Coanda tried his hand at designing a jet for a second time, but the twin-boomed model was never built.
Although Coanda never constructed a workable jet, his experiences with jet properties did
help him to identify the Coanda Effect in 1932. Basically, the principle states that a fluid stream will tend to follow a curved surface' because of the vacuum it creates with that surface. Coanda first encountered the effect when the exhaust traveled down the fuselage of his 1910 plane and ignited it. Coanda later applied the principle to inventions such as his flying saucer, an automobile emissions reducer, mining safety features, and a jet sprayer.
Over the years Coanda's interests pulled him into many careers. As previously mentioned, he designed airplanes both in Great Britain and France. In 1929 he and Louis Blériot entered on a venture to build pre-fabricated houses. After World War II he tried his hand running businesses in Romania, and in the 1950s he formed SFERI-COANDA to market his inventions and experiments which included a solar-powered hydrogenerator and ideas for soil improvements. For the last thirty years of his life Coanda consulted for companies in both Europe and the United States. Through advising the Huyck Corporation, which was working on a hydrogenerator and water Propulsion during the 1960's, Coanda became acquainted with G. Harry Stine, the donor of this collection.
Even into the last years of his life Coanda remained active. In 1970 he returned to Romania where the government named him president of the National Institute for Scientific and Technical Creation. The following year the Academy of Aeronautics of London awarded him with an honorary membership. On November 25, 1972, Henri-Marie Coanda passed away in Bucharest, Romania.
1908 -- Photographed bullet in flight, first to do so
1908-1909 -- Attended Institute of Montefiore, Turin
1909-1910 -- Attended L'Ecole Supérieure d'Aeronautique, Paris
1910 -- Published "Wings Regarded as Jet Engines" in La Technique Aeronautique, July
1910 -- Displayed jet airplane at the Second International Salon of Aeronautics, Paris, November
1910 -- Claimed to have flown jet airplane, Issy les Moulineaux, 10 December
1911 -- Built first turbine-powered automobile
1911 -- Designed and flew first twin-engined airplane, Riems, France
1912-1914 -- Designed airplanes for Bristol Aeroplane Company, Filton
1912 -- Conceived first delta wing airplane
1914-1918 -- Designed French military airplanes at the Delaunay-Belleville Factory
1914 -- Studied electric charge on aircraft
1914 -- Discovered electric charge of plants
1914 -- Joined the French 22nd Artillery Regiment
1916 -- Designed strategic bomber with range of 1100 miles
1918 -- Constructed first airborne rocket cannon, Le Havre, France
1918 -- Manufactured first concrete petroleum storage tanks
1923 -- Originated the idea of prefabricated concrete buildings, Paris
1929 -- Established Societe Multicellulaires with Louis Blériot, Paris
Provenance:
G. Harry Stine, gift, XXXX-0170, Unknown
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access
Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests
This collection consists of approximately 1.46 cubic feet of historical maps and photographs collected by Dieter Gröschel.
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of approximately 1.46 cubic feet of historical maps and photographs collected by Dieter Gröschel. The maps, which are various sizes, date from approximately 1884 to 1941 and were produced in Germany, France, and England. They show parts of Russia; Germany; France; Belgium; Holland; Bavaria; and Africa; and many have hand-drawn notations including battle lines, locations of troops, etc. Some of the maps are linen-backed and designed for use in an aircraft. The collection also contains numerous black and white historical photographs including aerial photographs of Germany and France taken in 1917 and 1918; photographs of personnel, facilities, and operations relating to Feldflieger-Abteilung Nr. 5 which date from 1915 to 1918; aerial photographs taken in 1918 of Flanders and Zeebrugge by Karl Keppler and Max Greiner of Fliegerabteilung 291 (A); a French set of 32 black and white aerial photographs on ten pages, with interpretation, used for training observers in World War I; an unbound German World War I album containing black and white photographs and post cards; and a photo album belonging to a paymaster of the Jagdstaffelschule I during World War I. The album, which measures approximately 14 x 10 inches, is linen-covered and contains photographs of the front-lines in France and Italy; personnel, including members of the Lothringisches Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 144; aircraft, including crashes; and personal family photographs relating to the album's creator. Aircraft depicted in these photographs include an Albatros D Series Fighter and a captured Nieuport fighter. There is also a 3.5 x 5.5 inch color post card dating to 1915 with an illustration of French pre-World War I era infantry looking up at an Etrich Taube (Dove) type aircraft included in the collection. Finally, this collection contains a selection of manuals which includes the following titles: Instructions Concerning Battle Maps, US Army War College, 1917 (Translated from French edition of 1916); List of Conventional Signs and Abbreviations in Use on French and German Maps, compiled by Second Section, General Staff (Topography), American Expeditionary Forces, 1918; Catalogue of Maps, General Staff, American Expeditionary Forces, 1918; List of Places in Argonne-Verdun District with their Locations, Supplement A, General Headquarters, American Expeditionary Forces, November 7, 1918;
Notes on Map Reading for Use in Army Schools, His Majesty's Stationery Office, London, 1918; Basic Field Manual, Vol. 1, Chapter 5 - Map and Aerial Photograph Reading, US War Department, 1938; Basic Field Manual, Conventional Signs, Military Symbols, and Abbreviations, US War Department, 1939; Basic Field Manual, Military Intelligence, Military Maps, US War Department, January 6, 1941; Basic Field Manual, Elementary Map and Aerial Photograph Reading, US War Department, April 12, 1941; and Basic Field Manual, Advanced Map and Aerial Photograph Reading, US War Department, September 17, 1941.
Arrangement:
Collection is arranged by type of material. Some of the large maps are arranged by size.
Provenance:
Dieter H. M. Gröschel., Gift, 2015, NASM.2015.0046
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access.
Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests
This collection consists of 11.9 cubic feet of material chronicling Lee Ya-Ching's role as a pilot trying to raise funds for China during World War II. The collection contains the following types of material: correspondence, both official and personal; maps; publications; newspapers; invitation; programs from events; lecture notes; scripts from radio shows; photographs, both official and snapshots; trip schedules and agendas; address books; scrapbooks; and official paperwork and licenses.
Scope and Content note:
This collection consists of 11.9 cubic feet of material chronicling Lee Ya-Ching's role as a pilot trying to raise funds for China during World War II. The collection contains the following types of material: correspondence, both official and personal; maps; publications; newspapers; invitations; programs from events; lecture notes; scripts from radio shows; photographs, both official and snapshots; trip schedules and agendas; address books; scrapbooks; and official paperwork and licenses.
Note: The digital images shown for this collection were repurposed from scans made by an outside contractor for a commercial product which did not reproduce all materials found in this collection; some items have not been scanned. In addition, some materials have been excluded from display due to copyright, trademark, or patent restrictions.
Arrangement:
This collection of materials listed in the finding aid is arranged into two series, Ms Lee's personal papers and her professional papers. Within each series, items are arranged by material type then chronologically. No attempt was made to translate foreign language material in the collection.
Biographical/Historical note:
Lee Ya-Ching was born in Canton, China in 1912. As an only child who lost her mother at a young age, Ya-Ching was raised by her father and grandmother. Under her father's guidance she
learned many skills, including martial arts, some previously restricted to male children. Ya-Ching attended English schools in Hong Kong and Shanghai and at the age of 16 was sent to London to attend finishing school.
In 1929 at the age of 17, Ya-Ching went to Geneva, Switzerland. It is there that she took her first ride in an airplane and vowed to learn how to fly. She enrolled in Ecole Aero Club de Suisse and, in 1934, became the first woman to receive a pilot's license from the school. Determined to continue her education, Ya-Ching went to the United States and attended the Boeing School of Aeronautics in Oakland, California in 1935. In November of that year she became the first
woman licensed through the Boeing School. Upon completion of her training at the Boeing school Ya-Ching returned to China and began campaigning for a Chinese pilot's license, eventually obtaining the license in 1936. Seeing a need to train new pilots, Ya-Ching and some fellow pilots opened a civilian flying school in Shanghai in 1936.
When Japan invaded China in 1937, Ya-Ching volunteered to fly for her country, but was refused. Undeterred, she served her country by establishing hospitals. Leaving Shanghai for Hong Kong just before the city fell, she was finally given the opportunity to fly for China by piloting Red Cross planes ferrying supplies from Hong Kong to Canton. Realizing that China needed aid and supplies, Ya-Ching embarked on a Goodwill Tour of the United States and Canada in 1938. When the war prevented her return to China, Ya-Ching continued the tour expanding her appearances into South America.
Not much is known of Ya-Ching's life after the war. She returned to Hong Kong for a number of years. In the 1960's she returned to California, where she died in 1998 at the age of 86.
Time Line of Lee Ya-Ching
xxxx -- The following timeline covers key events in Ya-Ching's life, as well world events. Events involving Ya-Ching are shown in normal type world events are shown in italics.
1909 -- M. Vallon flies first plane in China
1911 -- China ousts the 2000 year old Imperial System for a Republic
April 16, 1912 -- Lee Ya-Ching is born in Canton, China
1916 -- Ya-Ching's mother dies of tuberculosis
1917 -- China enters World War 1 on the side of the Allies
1926 -- Begins career as a movie actress
1928 -- Leaves the film industry and goes to school in England
1929 -- The CCP (Chinese Communist Party) is ousted from China Goes to Switzerland
September 1931 -- Japan seizes control of Manchuria
November 1931 -- CCP resurfaces in China and forms the Chinese Soviet Republic in Jiangxi Province
May 1932 -- Amelia Earhart becomes first woman to solo across the Atlantic
1933 -- Begins flying lessons at Geneva's Cointrin-Ecole d'Aviation
1934 -- Receives her pilot's license from Ecole Aéro Club de Suisse
1935 -- Attends and receives license from the Boeing School of Aeronautics in Oakland, California
1935 -- Falls out of an aerobatic plane, earning her membership in the Caterpillar Club
1936 -- Receives her pilot's license from the Chinese Government First domestic airline established in China Opens a civilian flying school in Shanghai
1937 -- Flies for the Red Cross ferrying supplies from Hong Kong to Canton Japan invades China Earns Hong Kong commercial pilot's license Helps establish hospitals in Shanghai
1938 -- Begins goodwill tour of United States and Canada
1939 -- Appears in US film Disputed Passage with Dorothy Lamour
1940 -- Flies "Estrella China" to Caribbean, Central and South America Aids Ruth Nichols in raising money for Relief Wings
1941 -- Begins working for United China Relief
December 7, 1941 -- Bombing of Pearl Harbor forces American entry into World War II
1944 -- Begins Goodwill and Fund Raising tour of South America and Caribbean
August 1945 -- Atom bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, followed by Japanese surrender and end of World War II
1946 -- Returns to China and retires
1946 -- Fighting between CCP and KMT (Nationalist party) resumes
October 1949 -- KMT retreats to Taiwan Mao Zedong establishes the People's Republic of China
1950 -- Receives Hong Kong private pilot's license
1963 -- Receives Hong Kong Special Purpose Pilot's license
1971 -- Permanently moves to the United States
1997 -- British rule ends in Hong Kong
January 28, 1998 -- Dies at the age of 86
Provenance:
Pax Cheng and Mary Wolfson, Gift, 2007, NASM.2008.0009.
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access.
Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests.
Topic:
World War, 1939-1945 -- Civilian relief Search this
The 50th Anniversary of the NC-4 Transatlantic Flight Collection [Smith] Collection contains photocopies of correspondence, published materials, maps, and photographs. The collection also includes photocopies of aircraft logs, naval ship logs, weather reports, progress reports, biographies of the participants, information on the construction of the NC Aircraft and the general planning for the flight, and original material on the thirtieth and fiftieth anniversaries of the flight.
Scope and Content Note:
This collection was gathered by Dr. Richard K. Smith of the National Air and Space Museum, in preparation for the fiftieth anniversary of the NC-4's transatlantic flight. It contains photocopies from microfilm of documents found in the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) Record Group 24, Records of the Bureau of Naval Personnel, and Record Group 72, Records of the Bureau of Aeronautics. The researcher will find photocopies of correspondence, published materials, maps, and photographs. The collection also includes photocopies of aircraft logs, naval ship logs, weather reports, progress reports, biographies of the participants, information on the construction of the NC Aircraft and general planning for the flight, and original material on the thirtieth and fiftieth anniversaries of the flight.
The final box of the collection (Box 5) contains 6 reels of microfilm from the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) Record Groups 24 and 72 relating to the Trans Atlantic flight of the NC-4. As the processing archivist reviewed the microfilm, it appeared that many of the documents in boxes 1-4 were copied from the microfilm. These reels of microfilm are available for review upon request.
Arrangement:
Materials are arranged by subject and then chronologically.
Historical Note:
In 1917, the United States Navy developed specifications for a flying boat of sufficient range to cross the Atlantic to England. The Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company, in conjunction with the Navy, developed a three-engine aircraft. The Navy intended that the flying boat would serve as an anti-submarine patrol aircraft. The first of the new aircraft, the NC-1, flew on October 4, 1918, followed by the NC-2 on April 12, 1919. Even though World War I had ended, the Navy decided to continue the program in an effort to make the first transatlantic crossing by air. As the program progressed, the NC-2 was dismantled for parts for the other NC aircraft. On May 16, 1919, the NC-1, the NC-3, and the NC-4 assembled at Trepassey Bay, Newfoundland, to begin the 1200 nautical-mile flight to the Azores. The NC-1 was forced down short of the islands and sank, but the Greek vessel, Ionia, rescued the crew. The NC-3 landed two hundred miles short and taxied the remaining distance to the islands. The NC-4 completed the flight successfully, reaching Plymouth, England via Lisbon, Portugal, on May 31, 1919. Following publicity tours of the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States, the NC-4 was given to the Smithsonian Institution and is a part of the National Air and Space Museum collection.
Reels of microfilm are available for review upon request.
Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to ue NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests.
This collection consisted of miscellaneous material, including annual reports, for companies that were later acquired by Republic Airlines.
Scope and Contents:
The collection consisted of miscellaneous material, including annual reports for all companies that eventually came under Republic Airlines: route maps, photographs of various aircraft used, and publicity stickers, stamps, and notices. Press releases and newsletters are held for some of the companies. Much of the collection of press releases, progress reports, and information packets centers on the Boeing 727 series, the Boeing 747SP series, and the McDonnell Douglas DC-9 series. This collection also includes Bonanza Air Lines negatives.
Note: The digital images in this finding aid were repurposed from scans made by an outside contractor for a commercial product and may show irregular cropping and orientation in addition to color variations resulting from damage to and deterioration of the original objects.
Biographical / Historical:
This collection consist of various materials belonging to a group of airlines that eventually came under Republic Airlines. The product of mergers, this airline found its start in the small, postwar feeder airlines of the Mid- and Southwest. The nine small companies that became Republic include: West Coast Airlines, Wisconsin Central Airlines, North Central Airlines, Southwest Airways, Southern Airways, Bonanza Air Lines, Pacific Air Lines, Air West, and finally, Hughes Air West.
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests
This collection consists of Kallmann-Bijl's professional files, The material consists of correspondence, photographs, and newspaper and magazine articles, as well as research files covering her professional career (1949-68). The collection also includes copies of a number of Kallmann-Bijl's publications.
Scope and Content Note:
The collection contains copies of published and unpublished technical papers written by Dr. Kallmann-Bijl and other scientists dealing with the atmosphere and space exploration. There are also correspondence, awards, handwritten notes, calculations, newspaper articles, photographs, negatives and two slides. In addition, there is some material regarding Dr. Kallmann-Bijl's involvement with various professional organizations such as the Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). This material includes copies of technical papers, programs and proceedings from these organizations.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as follows:
Series 1
Dr. Kallman-Bijl's personal papers
Biographical information
Series 2
Technical papers written by other scholars
Technical papers by unknown authors
Series 3
Organizations
Series 4
Miscellaneous materials
Biographical Note:
Dr. Hildegard Gertrud Helen Korf Kallmann-Bijl (1908-1968) was one of the most active pioneers in her examination of the physics of high atmosphere for the flight calculations of satellites. Before the first satellite reached its orbit, she had calculated a theoretical extrapolation of a model of the atmosphere which gave physicists a whole year's lead. The lifespan of the satellite could be predicted with the "Kallmann Atmosphere." Dr. Kallmann then made satellite measurements in relation to this atmospheric model, again to perfection. In 1961, she published a paper on the International Reference Atmosphere. With this foundation, she was able to forecast the landing spot with accurate precision for the astronauts and cosmonauts.
Hildegard Korf was born on September 18, 1908 in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. She was raised in the Catholic faith and educated in Catholic boarding schools. By 1929, Ms. Korf had earned the equivalent of her bachelor's degree at the University of Berlin, in Philosophy. She then enrolled in classes at the Technische Hoch Schule and majored in Metallurgy. While attending school, Ms. Korf volunteered her free time to work for the Journalism Institute at the University of Berlin where she gained experience in the editorial business. She later worked three years as an editor for the Deutscher Press Publishers.
While at the university, Hildegard Korf became friends with Julie Braun. It was she who developed in Ms. Korf a sensitivity for Goethe and the worlds of science and art. However, Julie Braun was forced to leave Germany because of her Jewish faith. The Korfs were not persecuted because they were considered three quarters "Aryan" and one quarter "non-Aryan," but by the 1930's the Korfs were not allowed full political freedom. Julie Braun left her estate in Zehlendorf in the care of Ms. Korf and her attorney, Curt Kallmann. There was little Curt Kallmann could do to protect Julie's property because he too was Jewish. One evening in 1939, Kallmann called Hildegard Korf and told her that the Gestapo was on their way to arrest him. With the help of Dr. Benno Hahn, Ms. Korf was able to get herself and Curt Kallmann out of Germany and on their way to Sweden. The Dresden Zeiss Works, where Ms. Korf had worked since 1936, asked her to return and "guaranteed" that no action would be taken against her, but Hildegard Korf felt that she had burned her bridge behind her and never went back to Germany. Kallman suffered a nervous breakdown while in Sweden, and since he was unable to travel alone to the United States, the American Council suggested to Ms. Korf that she travel as his wife. Because of laws existing then, it took an intervention of a Catholic Bishop in Sweden to bring about their marriage. They made the journey to America and their marriage lasted until 1958. Dr. Hildegard Kallmann divorced Curt Kallman but continued to support him until her death.
Dr. Hildegard Kallmann later married Jan Bijl, a Dutchman who had spent several years in a German concentration camp for acting as a Dutch courier while in exile in London. At the time of their marriage, Bijl was the Vice-President of Fokker Aviation at Shiphol near Amsterdam. Unfortunately, Jan Bijl died on December 9, 1963. Dr. Hildegard Kallmann-Bijl died suddenly of a heart attack on November 7, 1968.
Between the years of 1949-1963, Dr. Kallmann-Bijl published approximately 35 papers on ionospheric research, meteor research, high altitude research, solid propellant research, national space research and international space research. Dr. Kallmann-Bijl will always be remembered for her contributions in early astrophysical studies at national and international laboratories.
This collection consists of photographs, news clippings, and correspondence documenting Thaden's aviation career.
Scope and Contents:
The Louise McPhetridge Thaden Collection contains numerous newspaper and journal articles, personal letters and business correspondence, writings, photographs, and scrapbooks, all relating to her aviation career.
The National Air and Space Museum (NASM), Archives Division also holds additional materials about Louise Thaden. Biographical information can be found in the biographical fiche collection at the NASM Archives/Garber Facility. In the NASM Archives downtown facility, we recommend the Biographical Files which contain additional newspaper and journal articles, letters, memorabilia, and photographs. Please note that these files also contain microfiche.
For additional photographs please see the NASM videodisc files located at the NASM Archives Udvar-Hazy facility. The images can be seen on NASM videodisc 7B-6445 --6491 (Accession # 1989- 0132). Also check NASM videodisc 2B-46705 --46805. In most cases, there are original videodisc prints available in the NASM Archives facility downtown and copy negatives at the Smithsonian Institution, Office of Printing and Photographic Services (OPPS). Please consult a staff member for more details and about ordering procedures
Arrangement:
This collection had little original arrangement, and accordingly, has been divided into six general series according to material types.
Series 1: GENERAL. This series contains mostly journal and newspaper articles, but also includes telegrams, letters, applications, invitations, examples of commercial endorsements, membership certificates, and original race information and itineraries. It is arranged in chronological order. Significant events are highlighted. In some cases, newspaper clippings with handwritten messages have been kept for their inherent value.
Series 2: WRITINGS. This series contains samples of her various writings. It is arranged in chronological order.
Series 3: PHOTOGRAPHS. This series contains photographs. The subject matter ranges from childhood activities to award ceremonies. It is divided by two large subject groupings: first—people (arranged by general categories), second—events (arranged by date). All paperwork directly related to a particular photograph has been kept with that photograph. Please note that Smithsonian Institution negative numbers are written on the back of each photograph when applicable. Sub-topics listed in the finding aid are meant to highlight particular topics in each folder and are not intended to indicate exclusive content. Please review each folder thoroughly.
Series 4: SCRAPBOOKS. This series contains seven scrapbooks of various sizes and content and two Civil Air Patrol award certificates. The inclusive dates are listed next to the individual scrapbook. The content of the scrapbooks date mostly from 1919-1940 and contain photographs, newspaper articles, membership certificates, licenses, contestant ribbons, invitations, business cards, and cartoons about Thaden. Handling notes are listed next to individual scrapbooks in the finding aid. Please follow these notes so that the physical integrity of the object can be preserved.
Series 5: THADEN AIRCRAFT CO. AND RELATED MATERIAL. This series contains information about Thaden Aircraft Company and Herbert von Thaden. Items in this series include: newspaper and journal article, resumes, letters, photographs, and information about the All-Metal aircraft created by Herbert Thaden. This series is the only portion of the collection with any obvious arrangement and was separated into its own series for this reason.
Series 6: MISCELLANEOUS. This series contains all of the materials that do not appear to fit easily into any of the above series. The items here include undated or general journal and newspaper articles, newspapers from University of Arkansas, maps, Who's Who application, musical score, souvenir stamps, travel souvenirs, and resumes.
Biographical/Historical note:
Louise McPhetridge Thaden (1905-1979) was one of the United States foremost female aviators during the late 1920s and 1930s. She received instruction in 1927, soloing and receiving her pilot's license in 1928. In December 1928, Thaden achieved a new altitude record of 20,260 ft. In March 1929, she made a new solo duration record, 22+ hours. A month later she set a new speed record of 156 mph. Thaden was the only woman to hold all three records simultaneously. In August 1929, Thaden won the First Women's National Air Derby, commonly called the Powder Puff Derby. Three years later (August 1932), she, along with Francis Marsalis, set the new refueling duration record of 196 hours. In July 1936, Thaden set the new light plane speed record at 109.58 mph. In the same year, she also won the National Air Race, and was awarded the Bendix Transcontinental Air Race Trophy, becoming the first woman ever to receive this trophy. She set an East-West speed record in 1936, and an inter-city distance speed record and another 109.56 mph speed record in 1937.
Ms. Thaden also distinguished herself in her efforts to promote aviation safety through campaigns to mark airports more effectively. She actively sought ways to promote women in aviation through her work with the U.S. Department of Defense, Advisory Committee on Women in the Services (DACOWITS) 1959-1961 and in her work with the Civil Air Patrol, 1949-1979. She also co-founded the Ninety-Nines, and organization of women pilots. She received numerous awards and honors throughout her life including: Harmon Trophy, Famous Aviators Wall—Mission Inn (Riverside, CA), Arkansas Aviators Hall of Fame, First Flight Society Hall of Fame, Virginia Aviation Hall of Fame, International Aerospace Hall of Fame of the San Diego Aerospace Museum, National Aviation Hall of Fame, Women in Aviation International Pioneer Hall of Fame, and Civil Air Patrol Distinguished Service Award and Meritorious Service Award. She was also an active writer who published an autobiography entitled High, Wide and Frightened and several journal and newspaper articles. In 1928, she married Herbert von Thaden, an aeronautical engineer and designer of several all-metal aircraft. They had two children, William and Patricia, who donated the materials found in the collection.
Personal
1905-11-10 -- Born, Iris Louise McPhetridge, Bentonville Arkansas: Roy Fry and EdnaHobbs McPhetridge
1953-1954 -- Research & Development, Reinforced plastics, Roanoke, Virginia,
1955-1961 -- Thaden Molding Corporation: Vice President, Director, High Point North Carolina,
1961-1969 -- Thaden Engineering Company: Partner
1969-1979 -- Sole Owner, High Point, North Carolina,
Aviation Records and Races
1928-12-07 -- Altitude, First official altitude record for women in the US; 20,260 feet, Hisso180 hp Travel Air
1929-03-16 - 1929-03-17 -- Solo Duration; 22 hrs 3 minutes 28 seconds, Hisso 180 hp Travel Air
1929-04-18 -- Speed 156 mph, Wright J-5 Travel Air
undated -- Only woman ever to hold all 3 records simultaneously (Altitude, Solo Duration, & Speed)
1929-08-18 - 1929-08-18 -- Winner, first National Woman's Air-Derby; 20:02:02, average speed 135.97 mph, Wright J-5 Travel Air; Santa Monica, CA to Cleveland, OH
1932-08-14 - 1932-08-22 -- Refueling Duration, (with Francis Marsalis); 196 hrs, Wright J-6 220 hpCurtiss Thrush, "The Flying Boudoir"
1936-09-04 -- Winner, Bendix Transcontinental Air Race; First woman to win Bendix, Wright 420 hp Beech Staggerwing CI7R; New York to Los Angeles, 14 hrs 55 minutes
1936-09-04 -- East-West Speed; New York to Los Angeles; 165.346 mph, Wright 420 hp Beech Staggerwing CI7R
1937-01-21 -- Inter-City Distance Speed; Wright 420 hp Beech Staggerwing; Detroit to Akron, 40 minutes 43 seconds
1937-05-29 -- 100 km Speed; 197.9 mph, Wright 420 hp Beech Staggerwing D17
Aviation History
1927 -- Instruction
1928-02-08 -- Solo
1928-02-28 -- Federation Aeronautique Internationale Aviators Certificate No. 6850 after approximately 5 hrs 15 minutes solo time, signed by Orville Wright
1929 -- Transport pilot License number 1943; 4th woman to earn this rating
Organizations
Delta Delta Delta (Delta Iota Chapter)
Ninety-Nines (International Organization of Women Pilots): -- Founding & Charter Member 1929-1930: First de facto President 1930-1936: National Secretary 1934-1936: Vice President 1960-1961: Amelia Earhart Scholarship Committee
1937-1938: National Aeronautic Association; National Secretary
Veteran Air Pilots
1945-1952: American Red Cross Motor Corps
OX5 Pioneers Club of America
Silver Wings
Aircraft Owners & Pilots Association (AOPA)
1959-1961: US Department of Defense, Advisory Committee on Women in the Services (DACOWITS)
1960-1961: Executive Committee
1960-1961: Information Sub-committee Chairman
Civil Air Patrol 1949-1970
Lieutenant Colonel Command Pilot Search & Rescue Mission Pilot Cadet Squadron Commander Director of Cadets, Virginia Wing Director of Cadets Squadron, Cadets Middle East Region Coordinator for Women, Middle East Region National Commanders Cadet Committee 1959-1963: National Commanders Training Committee Chairman National Scholarships Committee 1970: Retired Status
League of American Pen Women, Honorary Member (Pittsburgh, PA)
Business & Professional Women, 381st (Vincinnes, IN)
Strategic Missile Wing, United States Air Force (Wichita, KS)
Honors and Awards
1936: Harmon Trophy (Aviatrix) Federation Aeronautique Internationale, Champion Aviatrix of the United States
Civil Air Patrol: Distinguished Service Award; Exceptional Service Award; Meritorious ServiceAward with Cluster
OX5 Club of America, Broadwick Award --Outstanding Aviatrix
Citation: The Society of Experimental Test Pilots
Airport: Louise M. Thaden Field, Bentonville, AR
1974: The Louise M. Thaden Office & Library, Staggerwing Museum, Tullahoma, TN
OX5 Pioneer Aviators Hall of Fame
1973: OX5 Silver Wings Achievement Award
1980: Arkansas Aviation Hall of Fame
1988: First Flight Society Aviation Hall of Fame, Kitty Hawk, NC
1989: Virginia Aviation Hall of Fame
1989: Recreation flight, 1929 First Women's Air Derby, 60th Anniversary, Susan Dusenbury, pilot
1991-04-05: Flying helmet taken aboard Atlantis Space Shuttle by Mission Specialist Linda Goodwin, Ph.D., NASA Flight #STS-37
1996-08: Staggerwing Beech Commemorative Tour honoring Louise Thaden, winner of 1936 Bendix Transcontinental Air Race; 60th Anniversary
1997-07: Award of Achievement, The Ninety-Nines, Inc.
1999-04: The International Aerospace Hall of Fame of the San Diego Aerospace Museum
1999-07: National Aviation Hall of Fame, Dayton OH
2003-03: Women in Aviation, International --named as one of the "100 Women Who Made a Difference" in the history of aviation, 14th annual conference
Louise Thaden Woman of the Year Award --Annual presentation by Bentonville/Bella Vista Chamber of Commerce at the NW AR Business Women's Conference, began 2000
2000-03: Women in Aviation, International Pioneer Hall of Fame
Provenance:
William Thaden, gift, 1983, XXXX-0006, NASM
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access
Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests.
The George Henry Mills Collection was donated to the National Air and Space Museum in 1994 by Mills' daughter, Mrs. Georgia Mills Head.
Scope and Contents:
The George Henry Mills Collection consists of 14.59 cubic feet (14.47 linear feet) of material collected from his naval career, 1918-1948. A large part of the collection is made up of records of Mills' service during World War II as the commander of the Atlantic Fleet's airship formations. The collection also includes records of his service as an official Navy observer aboard the German rigid airships Graf Zeppelin and Hindenburg. Of particular interest are records of the period before and immediately after the entry of the United States into World War II: the pre-war build-up of the Navy's LTA program, the "Neutrality Patrols" as the Navy fought an undeclared war against Germany, and of the harrowing early days of the Battle of the North Atlantic as German U-boats roamed the eastern coast of the United States. Mills maintained an extensive correspondence with many of the leading figures of LTA: Charles E. Rosendahl, Garland Fulton, and Scott E. Peck --their letters provide a unique picture of the Navy LTA program during its most active and successful period.
The collection also includes numerous technical reports on aspects of LTA flight, training material, photographs, clippings and articles on LTA.
Note: The digital images in this finding aid were repurposed from scans made by an outside contractor for a commercial product and may show irregular cropping and orientation in addition to color variations resulting from damage to and deterioration of the original objects.
Arrangement note:
The George H. Mills Collection is arranged in the following series:
Series I: Naval career of George H. Mills
Series II: Correspondence
Series III: General LTA Papers
Series IV: General Naval Papers
Series V: Publications, Articles, Clippings
Series VI: Lectures, Speeches, Papers
Series VII: Miscellaneous Papers
Series VIII: Photographs
Series IX: Scrapbooks; Oversized Material
Biographical/Historical note:
George Henry Mills (1895-1975), Naval officer and airship aviator, was a member of the U.S. Navy's inner circle of advocates of lighter than air (LTA) flight. Mills was born on August 5, 1895 in Rutherfordton, North Carolina, the son of John Craton Mills and Nora Poole Mills. He attended Bingham Military School in Asheville, North Carolina, and entered the U.S. Naval Academy in 1914. Mills graduated from the Academy in June, 1918 and served in various fleet and shore assignments (a chronology of Mills' naval service will be found in the notes to Series I on page 2). He married Leonore Wickersham of Corning, NY in 1923; their daughter, Georgia Lee Mills, was born in 1928.
Mills was assigned to LTA training at Naval Air Station Lakehurst, New Jersey in 1931. He completed his training in 1932 and served in the Navy's LTA fleet through the 1930's. Mills flew as an observer on board the Graf Zeppelin in 1934 and on the Hindenburg in 1936. In 1935, Mills survived the crash of the USS Macon off the California coast. Mills returned to Lakehurst, serving there in various assignments; he was made commanding officer of NAS Lakehurst in January, 1940.
At Lakehurst, Mills organized blimp patrols as part of the Navy's Neutrality Patrol and helped coordinate the Navy's rapid buildup of the LTA program. When Airship Patrol Group One was formed in January 1942, Mills was named commanding officer; in December 1942 he commanded Airship Wing Thirty. In July 1943, Mills was assigned as the commander of Fleet Airships, Atlantic - the chief of the Navy's LTA forces in the Atlantic Theater. George Mills was promoted to the rank of Commodore in November 1943.
In 1945, Mills returned to sea as the captain of the troopship USS Hermitage. Before retirement from the Navy in 1949, Mills served as the chief of the Naval Airship Training and Experimentation Command (CNATE) at NAS Lakehurst.
After leaving the Navy, Mills settled in North Carolina and worked for the Equitable Life Insurance Company, and later for the National Securities and Research Corporation. Mills served one term in the North Carolina State Legislature from 1950 to 1952. George H. Mills died on October 24, 1975, the same day as his longtime LTA colleague and friend, Garland Fulton, whose papers are also part of the collections of the National Air and Space Archives. They were buried on the same day in Arlington National Cemetery.
Chronology:
Chronology of George H. Mills' Naval Service
1914 -- June 14 - Entered U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland
1918 -- June 6 - Graduated from the Academy, Class of 1919; commissioned Ensign, USN September 21 - Service aboard USS New Mexico. Promoted to Lieutenant (JG)(Temporary)
1920 -- June 1 - Promotion to Lieutenant (JG)
1922 -- First LTA flight as gunnery spotter on captive balloon on USS New Mexico June 3 - Promotion to Lieutenant
1923 -- September 25 - Assigned as personal aide to RADM George W. Williams, Commandant, Sixth Naval District, Charleston, SC June 20 - Assigned as divisions communication officer on staff of VADM Henry A. Wiley, Battleship Division, Battle Fleet
1929 -- June 5 -Assistant gunnery officer and senior watch officer, USS Pensacola
1924 -- August 5 - Served as aide and flag secretary to RADM Williams as Commander Destroyer Squadrons, Scouting Fleet. Served on USS Concord, USS Dobbin, USS Whitney
1925 -- September - Continued as aide when RADM Williams was relieved by RADM Noble E. Irwin
1931 -- June 1 - Ordered to NAS Lakehurst for LTA instruction. Training flights on free and captive balloons and on airships Los Angeles (ZR-3), Akron (ZRS-4), J-3, J-4, K-1 and ZMC-2
1927 -- June 30 - Officer-in-charge, naval recruiting for North and South Carolina, Raleigh, North Carolina
1933 -- September 1 - Promotion to Lieutenant Commander
1934 -- May 14 - Ordered on temporary duty as naval observer on the Graf Zeppelin. Made three round trips aboard the Graf Zeppelin between Friedrichshafen and cities in South America August 9 - Ordered to NAS Lakehurst as Operations Officer October 14 - Ordered to NAS Sunnyvale (later NAS Moffett Field) as tactical officer, pilot and navigational watch on USS Macon (ZRS-4)
1935 -- February 12 - USS Macon crashes off Point Sur, California. Mills is rescued after three hours in the water April 15 - Ordered to NAS Lakehurst as operations and mooring officer
1936 -- November 4 - Ordered to Newport News for fitting out USS Yorktown August - Naval observer aboard Hindenburg on round trip flights between Lakehurst and Frankfort, Germany
1937 -- September 30 – Assigned as gunnery officer, USS Yorktown September 12 – October 2 - Training in chemical warfare at Gas Warfare School, Edgewood Arsenal, MD
1939 -- July 1 - Promotion to Commander June – Assigned as executive officer, NAS Lakehurst
1940 -- January 15 - Appointed commanding officer, NAS Lakehurst
1941 -- July - Temporary duty, Airship Board, Washington
1942 -- December 1 - Appointed Commander, Fleet Airship Wing Thirty June 17 - Promotion to Captain January 2 - Appointed Commander, Airship Patrol Group One
1943 -- November 5 - Promotion to Commodore July 1 - Appointed Commander, Fleet Airships, Atlantic
1945 -- July 23 - Awarded Legion of Merit July 10 - Appointed captain, USS Hermitage (AP-54). Reverts to rank of captain
1946 -- August 5 - Appointed commander, NAS Moffett Field
1947 -- September 26 - Appointed chief, Naval Airship Training and Experimentation Command (CNATE)
1949 -- June 30 - Retirement from U.S. Navy
Abbreviations
ADM -- Admiral
ASW -- Anti-submarine warfare
ATC -- Air Transport Command
BuAer -- Bureau of Aeronautics (US Navy)
CDR -- Commander
CNATE -- Naval Airship Training and Experimentation Command
Cong -- Congress
GHM -- George Henry Mills
LTA -- Lighter than air flight
MAD -- Magnetic anomaly detector (often found as magnetic airborne detector)
NACA -- National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics
NAS -- Naval Air Station
NATS -- Naval Air Transport Service
ND -- No date
RADM -- Rear admiral
RN -- Royal Navy
Sess -- Session
VADM -- Vice Admiral
WPA -- Works Project Authority
ZNP -- Patrol airship
ZP -- Airship squadron
Provenance:
Georgia M. Head, Gift, 1994, 1994-0022, NASM
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access.
Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at http://airandspace.si.edu/permissions
28.15 Cubic feet (25 records center boxes; 2 legal document boxes; 1 flatbox)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Clippings
Maps
Publications
Photographs
Drawings
Manuscripts
Diaries
Correspondence
Date:
1915-1983
Scope and Contents:
This collection spans A.B. McMullen's aviation career and interests, from his involvement in WWI until his death. This collection includes correspondence, both personal and business, reports/material from his aviation corporations/distributorships and stint as Director of Florida Aviation and career in the NASAO. Also included are photographs, articles and newspaper clippings of his career as a barnstormer and of his military career.
Biographical / Historical:
Colonel Alexis B. McMullen participated in American aviation activities at the local, state and national level over a period of some 50 years, as well as international activities during two world wars. A.B. McMullen learned to fly during WWI, and he became an Aerobatic Flight Instructor and Base Engineering Officer. After the war, he barnstormed with Mabel Cody and owned/operated flying schools, aviation corporations and distributorships. In 1933 he became Florida's first State Director of Aviation. Under his leadership in this position, 84 new airports and flight strips were constructed and the first comprehensive state aviation map was published. From 1936-1942 McMullen served as Chief, Airports Section Bureau of Air Division. During WWII he actively served as Deputy Commander North African Division of Air Transport Command (ATC), stationed in Morocco. After the war he established the Washington, D.C. Headquarters of the National Association of State Aviation Officials (NASAO) which he continued to serve with until his retirement.
General:
NASMrev
Provenance:
Sarah Ann Lindsey, gift, 1990, 1990-0060, NASM
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access
Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests.
Collection Citation:
A. Francis Arcier Collection, NASM.XXXX.0072, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
This collection consists of biographical information, business records, information on the aviation organizations with which Diehl was involved, aviation material collected by Diehl, and information on flight, events, and aviation accidents.
Biographical / Historical:
William Carl Diehl (1891-1974) was an aviation pioneer and a member of the Early Birds organization. In 1914 he built and flew a monoplane and in 1915 he helped establish two flying schools, an unsuccessful school in Chicago and a school on Long Island. During the time he was working at Long Island, he helped to organize the United Eastern Airplane Company which manufactured airplanes. During World War I, Diehl was a civilian instructor for the Army Air Corps. In the late 1910s and early 1920s, Diehl established a commercial flying taxi service, performed stunts for movie production and for Pathe News, and barnstormed around the nation. He began work in 1926 on patents for aircraft mufflers and values. Diehl worked during 1927-1930 at the Wright Aeronautical Corporation at Paterson, New Jersey as an engine flight test pilot. Diehl returned to his original occupation of plumbing but continued flying until 1945, and continued his patent work until the early 1970s.
General:
NASMrev
Provenance:
No donor information, gift, XXXX-0469, Unknown
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access
Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests
This collection contains numerous drawings by Isidor B. Laskowitz; patents obtained by Laskowitz; photographs relating to Laskowitz's design and testing work; and many articles and publications by Laskowitz. There is also correspondence relating to a lawsuit between Laskowitz and the United States. Also in this collection are three maps. One is a route map showing the way from Cheyenne, Wyoming to Salt Lake City, Utah, including a listing of landmarks. The second is a U.S. Navy Aviation Chart showing the route from Hampton, Virginia to Morehead City, North Carolina. The third route map details the way between York County, Pennsylvania and Niagara County, New York. This map includes handwritten notations.
Biographical / Historical:
Isidor B. Laskowitz was an engineer and designer who was a pioneer in the field of helicopters and vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft. In 1925, he founded the Laskowitz Helicopter Company, Inc. Laskowitz held numerous patents for helicopter and VTOL components and wrote numerous articles and other publications in this area. Laskowitz was a member and fellow of the New York Academy of Sciences and, in 1962, established the I. B. Laskowitz Gold Medal Award for Research in Aerospace Engineering Sciences.
Provenance:
Isidor B. Laskowitz, Gift, 1982
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access.
Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests
This collection includes a large map, 55 by 29 1/2 inches, detailing the route taken by the B-29 Superfortress Enola Gay after its return from Hiroshima, from Tinian to Hawaii via Kwajalein. Entitled "US Army Air Forces Special Air Navigation Chart, (S-144) Oahu-Saipan," with a printing date of 1944, the map bears penciled navigational notations by Captain Theodore J. "Dutch" Van Kirk. Also included is a 1945 edition of The American Air Almanac; a Second Air Force B-29 Standard Procedures for Navigators manual, dated April 10, 1945; and a Wonder Bread promotional Aircraft Spotter Dial volvelle (wheel chart).
Biographical / Historical:
Captain Theodore J. "Dutch" Van Kirk served as navigator on the atomic mission of the Boeing B-29 Enola Gay over Hiroshima on August 6, 1945.
Provenance:
Mike Ward, Gift, 2005
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access.
Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests
Captain Theodore J. "Dutch" Van Kirk Boeing B-29 Enola Gay Route Map, Tinian to Hawaii via Kwajalein , Accession number 2005-0018, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Map, aeronautical chart "Oahu-Saipan (S-144)" issued by the US Army Air Forces Aeronautical Chart Service, December 1944. Chart has been annotated by Captain Theodore J. "Dutch" Van Kirk, navigator of the Boeing B-29 Superfortress "Enola Gay", with the course of that aircraft's return flight from Isley Field, Saipan, Mariana Islands, via Kwajelein Atoll, Marshall Islands, to Hickam Field, Oahu, Hawaii; 1945.
Collection Restrictions:
No restrictions on access.
Collection Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests
Captain Theodore J. "Dutch" Van Kirk Boeing B-29 Enola Gay Route Map, Tinian to Hawaii via Kwajalein , Accession number 2005-0018, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
The Bowman Family Papers contain 1.28 cubic feet of material related to the aviation careers of Leslie (Les), Marguerite (Martie), and Larnie Bowman.
Scope and Contents:
The Bowman Family Papers contain: log books, licenses, and membership cards for Marguerite, Larnie, and Leslie Bowman; loose materials including maps, newspaper clippings from the 1930s, 1972 and 1985; and miscellaneous photographs, including two of Charles Lindbergh. Three scrapbooks at the end of the collection (1923-1931, 1932-1935, 1936-1987) include photographs (some autographed), personal and business correspondence, and newspaper clippings.
Arrangement:
The Bowman Family Papers are arranged by content type.
Biographical / Historical:
Leslie (Les) and Marguerite (Martie) Bowman were married in October 1919 and had both learned to fly by 1925. Les, a mechanic, worked as an engineer and salesman for the Kinner Engine and Aircraft Company and was involved in both the production and testing of airplanes. Martie was a charter member of both the Ninety-Nines, a women pilots' association, and the National Air Race Association. She set women's speed records and swept three women's racing events on one day in 1938. Les and Martie both tried wing walking, as did their daughter, Larnie, at the age of eight. Larnie learned to fly by the time she was twelve. During World War II, the Bowmans ran one of five civilian schools for the training of Navy fighter pilots. Les and Martie retired from aviation after the conclusion of the war.
Provenance:
Mrs. M. Lorraine Allen, gift, 1991, NASM.1991.0042
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access
Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests.
The Alva R. DeGarmo Collection consists of DeGarmo's army records; logbooks; Boeing Air Transport/United Air Lines correspondence; material documenting his World War II activities; newspaper articles; photographs; and Western Air Lines anniversary items.
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of the following: Army records; logbooks; Boeing Air Transport/United Air Lines correspondence; material documenting his World War II activities; newspaper articles; photographs; and Western Air Lines anniversary items.
Note: The digital images in this finding aid were repurposed from scans made by an outside contractor for a commercial product and may show irregular cropping and orientation in addition to color variations resulting from damage to and deterioration of the original objects.
Arrangement:
The Alva R. DeGarmo Collection is arranged by content type.
Biographical / Historical:
Alva R. DeGarmo (1899-1988) enlisted in the Army Air Service, soloing in 1920 in a Curtiss JN-4 at March Field, Riverside, CA. He was in the Air Service for three years before joining the Air Reserve Corps. During his service he patrolled the Mexican boarder and spotted forest fires in Oregon. After resigning from the Air Service and a brief stint in barnstorming, he worked for two years with Western Air Lines, being one of their first four pilots, the "Four Horseman." After two years he changed to Boeing Air Transport/United Air Lines, flying with them until 1939. During World War II DeGarmo helped ferry bombers and transport planes across the Atlantic under the Pan American subsidiary, Atlantic Airways, and later during the War he took over a Pan American Miami to Rio De Janeiro passenger route. Towards the end of the war he worked for Curtiss Wright on C-46 fuel problems. He ended his aviation career with a short stint as a Lockheed test pilot after the war.
General:
Other materials: Logbooks. Most of Alva DeGarmo's material was placed in the Delta Air Lines Museum.
NASMrev
Provenance:
Richard and Bernice DeGarmo, gift, 1991, 1992-0049, NASM
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access
Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests
The Transcontinental Air Transport (TAT) was the first US airline associated with railroads (Pennsylvania and Santa Fe) in providing a rapid form of coast to coast transportation service. This collection includes material that Daniel M. Sheaffer collected about Transcontinental Air Transport (TAT).
Scope and Contents:
This collection includes material that Daniel M. Sheaffer collected about Transcontinental Air Transport (TAT), including: tickets, advertisements, brochures, route maps, schedules, TAT business documents, TAT Air Mail and Postal Telegraph documents, photographs, postcards (showing "TAT plane over" various geographical landmarks), correspondence, and scrapbooks.There is also some material pertaining to Curtiss-Wright Corporation. The photographs show TAT terminals and aircraft, and famous personalities including Amelia Earhart and Will Rogers.
Note: The digital images in this finding aid were repurposed from scans made by an outside contractor for a commercial product and may show irregular cropping and orientation in addition to color variations resulting from damage to and deterioration of the original objects. In addition, images of some material in the collection have been excluded from online display due to possible copyright restrictions.
Arrangement:
Collection is arranged by type of material.
Biographical / Historical:
The Transcontinental Air Transport (TAT) was the first US airline associated with railroads (Pennsylvania and Santa Fe) in providing a rapid form of coast to coast transportation service. Daniel M. Sheaffer, as the chairman of the executive committee of TAT, was a pioneer in the development of commercial aviation for mail express and passengers. He assisted in the actual development of the TAT line and with the inauguration of the service.
Provenance:
Mrs. Daniel M. Sheaffer, Gift, unknown, NASM.XXXX.0267
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access
Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests
