National Air and Space Museum. Archives Division. Search this
Type:
Archival materials
Collection Restrictions:
The majority of the Archives Department's public reference requests can be answered using material in these files, which may be accessed through the Reading Room at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia. More specific information can be requested by contacting the Archives Research Request.
National Air and Space Museum. Archives Division. Search this
Type:
Archival materials
Collection Restrictions:
The majority of the Archives Department's public reference requests can be answered using material in these files, which may be accessed through the Reading Room at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia. More specific information can be requested by contacting the Archives Research Request.
National Air and Space Museum. Archives Division. Search this
Type:
Archival materials
Collection Restrictions:
The majority of the Archives Department's public reference requests can be answered using material in these files, which may be accessed through the Reading Room at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia. More specific information can be requested by contacting the Archives Research Request.
National Air and Space Museum. Archives Division. Search this
Type:
Archival materials
Collection Restrictions:
The majority of the Archives Department's public reference requests can be answered using material in these files, which may be accessed through the Reading Room at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia. More specific information can be requested by contacting the Archives Research Request.
National Air and Space Museum. Archives Division. Search this
Type:
Archival materials
Collection Restrictions:
The majority of the Archives Department's public reference requests can be answered using material in these files, which may be accessed through the Reading Room at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia. More specific information can be requested by contacting the Archives Research Request.
National Air and Space Museum. Archives Division. Search this
Type:
Archival materials
Collection Restrictions:
The majority of the Archives Department's public reference requests can be answered using material in these files, which may be accessed through the Reading Room at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia. More specific information can be requested by contacting the Archives Research Request.
National Air and Space Museum. Archives Division. Search this
Type:
Archival materials
Scope and Contents:
Newspaper articles, from several different newspapers from 1919 about Navy NC-Boats.
Collection Restrictions:
The majority of the Archives Department's public reference requests can be answered using material in these files, which may be accessed through the Reading Room at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia. More specific information can be requested by contacting the Archives Research Request.
This collection consists of eleven gelatin-silver photographs printed by the International Film Service as commercial post cards of the US Navy NC Transatlantic expedition of 1919, showing various stages of the flight, from the departure from NAS Rockaway (New York, USA) to shots of the Curtiss NC-4 at anchor in Lisbon, Portugal, and its crew being congratulated on arrival in Plymouth, England (UK).
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of eleven gelatin-silver photographs printed by the International Film Service as commercial post cards of the US Navy NC Transatlantic expedition of 1919, showing various stages of the flight, from the departure from NAS Rockaway (New York, USA) to shots of the Curtiss NC-4 at anchor in Lisbon, Portugal, and its crew being congratulated on arrival in Plymouth, England (UK).
Arrangement:
Post cards have been arranged in chronological order based on the card titles and assigned NASM Archives image reference numbers NASM-9A19917 through NASM-9A19927.
Biographical / Historical:
On May 8, 1919, the Curtiss-built flying boat NC-4, in company with the NC-1 and NC-3, departed from the Naval Air Station Rockaway (New York) on the first leg of a transatlantic flight. Intermediate legs were planned for Naval Air Station Chatham (Massachusetts); Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Trepassey, Newfoundland. On May 16, the three aircraft began the longest leg of their mission -- from Newfoundland to the Azores. Naval vessels were stationed along the route to indicate the route to the aviators. NC-1 became disabled, and its crew was rescued by the Greek freighter SS Iona. NC-3 was forced down but was able to taxi in to harbor in the Azores. NC-4 arrived safely in Horta (Ilha do Faial), in the Azores on May 17. After delays for repairs, NC-4 took off on May 27 and landed at Lisbon, Portugal, 9 hours later, becoming the first aircraft to make a crossing of the Atlantic Ocean. The NC-4 continued via Ferrol, Spain, to Plymouth, England, arriving on May 31, 1919.
After service during World War I with the US Navy, commercial photographer Norbert George Moser partnered for a short time with the International Film Service (IFS) to publish photo post cards of Navy-related subjects. This group of US Navy "Transatlantic Flight May 14th 1919" post cards likely reproduces scenes captured by several different photographers. Note that the last card in the collection (NASM-9A19927), despite being titled as "Congratulating crew of the N.C.4 on arrival in England" is a US Navy photograph of officers of the seaplane tender USS Shawmut congratulating the crew of the Curtiss NC-4 at Lisbon, Portugal, on May 28, 1919.
Provenance:
Paul E. Garber, gift, 1982, NASM.XXXX.1102
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 reports on the design, construction, and testing of the NC series flying boats and photographs of NC-4's construction and transatlantic flight.
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of reports on the design, construction, and testing of the NC series flying boats and photographs and 3 negatives of the NC-4's construction and transatlantic flight. The collection is set up in a series of books with two copies of each book, except books 11 and 13. There is some water damage to book 10. Due to the fact that book 5 contained oversize materials, both copies of this book are filed out of sequence in box 4.
Arrangement:
The collection is set up in a series of books with two copies of each book, except books 11 and 13. There is some water damage to book 10. Due to the fact that book 5 contained oversize materials, both copies of this book are filed out of sequence in box 4.
Biographical/Historical note:
In 1917, during World War I, the United States Navy sent out specification for a flying boat of sufficient range to cross the Atlantic Ocean by air to Great Britain, where it would serve as an anti-submarine patrol aircraft. The Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company, in conjunction with the United States Navy, developed a three-engine aircraft to meet these specifications. The first of the new aircraft was the NC-1 that flew for the first time on October 4, 1918. This was followed by the NC-2 whose maiden flight took place on April 12, 1919 with four engines in tandem pairs. The engine arrangement of the NC-2 had been declared unsatisfactory for the mission and the wings were removed and installed on the NC-1 to replace the originals that had been damaged in a storm. By this time, World War I had ended, but the Navy decided to continue the program in an effort to make the first transatlantic flight crossing by air. The new NC-3 and NC-4 models reverted to the three-engine format, although the NC-4 had a fourth engine mounted as a pusher behind the center engine. On May 16, 1919 the NC-1, NC-3 and NC-4 assembled at Trepassy Bay, Newfoundland, under the command of Commander John H. Towers, to begin the 1400-mile flight to the Azores. The NC-1 was forced down short of the island and sank. Naval vessels stationed along the flight path rescued the crew of the NC-1. The NC-3 landed two hundred miles short and taxied the remaining distance to the island. Only 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 Curtiss NC-4 was given over to the Smithsonian Institution and is now part of the National Air and Space Museum collection.
Provenance:
Lee Pearson, XXXX-0422, 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.
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.
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:
Curtiss-Wright Corporation Records, Acc. XXXX-0067, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Admiral Albert C. Read, USN (Curtiss NC-4) Collection
Creator:
Read, A. C. (Albert Cushing), 1887-1967 Search this
Names:
Read, A. C. (Albert Cushing), 1887-1967 Search this
Extent:
1.74 Cubic feet (1 legal document box, three oversized boxes)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Biographies
Clippings
Reports
Scrapbooks
Logs (records)
Correspondence
Photographs
Date:
1919-1946
bulk May 1919 to June 1919
Summary:
Rear Admiral Albert C. Read (1887-1967) graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1907 and became Naval Aviator #24 in July 1915. In 1919, Read was the commander of the Curtiss NC-4, the first aircraft to fly across the Atlantic. The NC-4 covered 2150 nautical miles, from Nova Scotia to the Azores. The NC-4 was joined in the flight by the Curtiss NC-1 and Curtiss NC-3, but both the NC-1 and NC-3 were forced to land in the open sea.
This collection consists of the following: black scrapbook containing photographs with US Navy numbers; newspaper front pages; reports; cable grams; signals and dispatches; the NC-4 log; biography of Read; and correspondence.
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of the following: black scrapbook containing photographs with US Navy numbers; newspaper front pages; reports; cable grams; signals and dispatches; the NC-4 log; biography of Read; and correspondence in both Portuguese (with English translations) and English.
Arrangement:
This collection is arranged chronologically.
Biographical/Historical note:
Rear Admiral Albert C. Read (1887-1967) graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1907 and became Naval Aviator #24 in July 1915. In 1919, Read was the commander of the Curtiss NC-4, the first aircraft to fly across the Atlantic. The NC-4 covered 2150 nautical miles, from Nova Scotia to the Azores. The NC-4 was joined in the flight by the Curtiss NC-1 and Curtiss NC-3, but both the NC-1 and NC-3 were forced to land in the open sea.
Provenance:
Rear Admiral Albert C. Read, gift, 1962, XXXX.0391, 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.
