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Vostok Scrapbook

Names:
Gagarin, Yuri Alekseyevich, 1934-1968  Search this
Extent:
0.1 Cubic feet ((1 scrapbook))
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Photographs
Clippings
Drawings
Scrapbooks
Place:
Outer space -- Exploration -- Soviet Union
Outer space -- Exploration
Date:
1961-1964
Scope and Contents:
This collection contains a variety of documentation pertaining to the Vostok capsule. Included are: engineering drawings by Donald J. Ritchie of the capsule, the cabin instrument panel, the cabin control panel and the ejection seat; detailed pencil drawings of the capsule and the cabin instrumentation, in English and in Russian, most are signed and dated; an article from 'Aviation Week and Space Technology' May 31, 1965, magazine and newspaper clippings; and sixty-five black and white photographs of the capsule, cabin instrument panel, cabin control panel, ejection seat, and space suit.
Biographical / Historical:
The former Soviet Union began manned space flight on April 12, 1961, when they launched cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin into orbit around the Earth aboard the Vostok space capsule. The single-seat Vostok remained in use for five more flights, until 1964, when it was replaced with the multi-seater space capsule Voskhod.
General:
NASMrev
Provenance:
Frank Winter, Gift, 1996, XXXX-0583, 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
Topic:
Astronautics  Search this
Vostok (manned satellite)  Search this
Manned space flight  Search this
Astronauts  Search this
Space flight  Search this
Genre/Form:
Photographs
Clippings
Drawings
Scrapbooks
Identifier:
NASM.XXXX.0583
Archival Repository:
National Air and Space Museum Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/pg274e668d7-aaae-4566-9d4d-10f2025f0628
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nasm-xxxx-0583

Powers (W. C.) Helicopter (1862) Collection

Creator:
Powers, William C.  Search this
Names:
Powers, William C.  Search this
Extent:
0.11 Cubic feet (2 folders)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Drawings
Photographs
Place:
United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865
Date:
1862-1863
Summary:
This collection contains photographs and blueprints of the Powers (W. C.) Helicopter (1862).
Scope and Contents:
This collection contains 7 black and white photographs of Powers (W. C.) Helicopter (1862) model and blueprints, as well as the original blueprints.
Arrangement:
No arrangement.
Biographical/Historical note:
William C. Powers was an architectural engineer-mechanic in Mobile, AL during the Civil War. Between 1862 and 1863 he designed and built experimental plans and a model of a helicopter intended to provide the Confederate defenders of Mobile with a means for aerial bombing of the Federal blockading fleet. A family dispute apparently arose over the fear that the North would capture the ship and use it to destroy the South, and the plans were set aside until 1940.
Provenance:
Clara McDermott and William V. McDermott, Gift, 1940, XXXX-0562
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:
Aeronautics, Military -- pre-1903  Search this
Aeronautics  Search this
Aeronautics -- pre-1903  Search this
Aeronautics, Military  Search this
Powers (W. C.) Helicopter (1862)  Search this
Genre/Form:
Drawings
Photographs
Citation:
PowPowers (W. C.) Helicopter (1862) Collection, NASM.XXXX.0562, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
NASM.XXXX.0562
Archival Repository:
National Air and Space Museum Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/pg2fb49c157-4b28-4c5a-aabf-ad20e2bb969e
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nasm-xxxx-0562
Online Media:

Isidor B. Laskowitz Collection

Creator:
Laskowitz, Isidor B.  Search this
Extent:
0.68 Cubic feet ((2 boxes))
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Patents
Drawings
Correspondence
Maps
Photographs
Date:
bulk 1932-1982
Scope and Contents:
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
Topic:
Aeronautics  Search this
Helicopters  Search this
Vertically rising aircraft  Search this
Genre/Form:
Patents
Drawings
Correspondence
Maps
Photographs
Citation:
Isidor B. Laskowitz Collection, Accession XXXX-1118, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
NASM.XXXX.1118
Archival Repository:
National Air and Space Museum Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/pg21faf841e-2978-4f96-a278-3be6b92d5a01
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nasm-xxxx-1118

Samuel P. Langley Collection

Creator:
Langley, S. P. (Samuel Pierpont), 1834-1906  Search this
Names:
Chanute, Octave, 1832-1910  Search this
Herring, Augustus Moore, 1867-1926  Search this
Huffaker, Edward C., 1856-1937  Search this
Langley, S. P. (Samuel Pierpont), 1834-1906  Search this
Manly, Charles Matthews, 1876-1927  Search this
Watkins, J. Elfreth (John Elfreth), 1852-1903  Search this
Extent:
24.28 Cubic feet (64 boxes)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Correspondence
Drawings
Manuscripts
Photographs
Publications
Date:
1891-1914
bulk 1891-1900
Summary:
This collection includes information about Samuel P. Langley and his colleagues, as well as documentation of Langley's work. The collection includes biographies of Langley and his assistant Charles Manly, newspaper clippings, correspondence, manuscripts regarding Langley's aircraft, photographs and drawings, work requisitions for the Aerodromes, a sketchbook, specifications and measurements for Langley's experiments, the Langley Memoirs on Mechanical Flight and the Langley "Waste Books."
Scope and Contents:
This collection includes information about Langley and his colleagues, as well as documentation of Langley's work. The collection includes the Aerodrome project waste books, biographies of Langley and his assistant Charles Manly, newspaper clippings, correspondence), manuscripts regarding Langley's aircraft, photographs and drawings, work requisitions for staff labor on the project, a sketchbook, specifications and measurements for Langley's experiments, and manuscript material from the Langley Memoir on Mechanical Flight.

The National Air and Space Museum's Samuel P. Langley Collection was drawn from several sources in the Smithsonian Institution. Parts of the collection were separated at undetermined dates from the institutional records of Langley's time as Secretary (now held by the Smithsonian Institution Archives [SIA], as the Samuel P. Langley Papers, 1867-1906, Record Unit 7003) for several purposes:

Design papers and notes from Langley's aerodrome project were used for restoring the Langley Aerodromes for exhibits beginning in 1917.

Correspondence from the papers was consulted when controversies arose between the Wright brothers and the Smithsonian, and over credit for the design of the motor built by Stephen M. Balzer and extensively modified by Charles Manly, which was used on Aerodrome A.

Technical drawings of the Aerodromes were drawn from the SIA in the 1970s for conservation purposes.

Other material was added to the collection over the years:

Correspondence, memoranda, notes and label scripts from Langley exhibits from 1913 through the 1960s.

Design notes and work records from Langley's workshop were stored with the Aerodromes in the Museum's collections, and were later transferred to the Archives Division.

Biographical material on Langley, and correspondence to the Museum on Langley and the Aerodromes.

Material from the foundation of the Langley Aerodynamic Laboratory (now NASA's Langley Research Center) in 1913.

In addition to Record Unit 7003, researchers may wish to consult these Smithsonian Institution Archives' collections:

Record Unit 31, Office of the Secretary, Correspondence, 1866-1906, with related records to 1927.

Record Unit 34, Office of the Secretary, Correspondence, 1887-1907

Record Unit 7268, J. Elfreth Watkins Collection, 1869, 1881-1903, 1953, 1966 and undated.

The Archives Division of the National Air and Space Museum holds the Charles M. Manly Papers, (Acc. 1999-0004). Manly was Samuel Langley's assistant in the Aerodrome project from 1898 to 1903.

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 Samuel P. Langley Collection is arranged in the following series:

Series 1 - Waste Books: Langley and his staff used waste books - bound ledgers - to keep records of their work on the aeronautical projects, which Langley inspected frequently.

Series 2 - Scrapbooks: A collection of 18 scrapbooks containing newspaper and magazine clippings on "Aerial Navigation". Projects by Langley, Maxim, Lilienthal and many obscure aeronautical experimenters are included. Other clippings are included in Series VIII and XI.

Series 3 - Aeronautical Research and the Aerodromes: This series consists of notes, data, drawings and memoranda from Langley's aeronautical research at both the Smithsonian and the Allegheny Observatory. Subseries 2 contains material used in various Smithsonian exhibitions of the Langley Aerodromes. Some additional material is included in Series 11.

Subseries 3.1 - Design and Construction

Subseries 3.2 - Langley Aerodrome Exhibits

Series 4 - Correspondence: Letters and memoranda written by and sent to S. P. Langley and his assistants, C. M. Manly and J. E. Watkins. Additional correspondence is included in Series 11.

Subseries 4.1 - S. P. Langley Correspondence

Subseries 4.2 - S. P. Langley's Assistants' Correspondence

Subseries 3 - Miscellaneous Correspondence

Series 5 - Manuscripts, Papers, Articles: Manuscripts, published articles and papers by Langley and others. See also Series 11.

Subseries 5.1 - Works by S. P. Langley

Subseries 5.2 - Miscellaneous Manuscripts, Articles, and Notes

Series 6 - Photographs: Photographs, mainly of Langley's Aerodromes. Additional photographs are included with Series 11.

Series 7 - Trade Catalogues and Ephemera: Trade catalogues and price lists from various suppliers and dealers found stored with the "Aerodrome A" at the Museum's Paul E. Garber Facility in Suitland, Maryland.

Series 8 - Miscellaneous Files

Series 9 - Flat Boxes and Oversized Material: Ledgers, drawings, test data, publications

Series 10 - Shorthand Diaries: A collection of 37 notebooks containing notes in an unidentified shorthand system, dating from 1898 to 1902, with 8 notebooks bearing partial dates or undated.

Series 11 - Additional Material: After the publication of the Langley Collection finding aid, two additional boxes of correspondence, manuscript material, drawings and photographs were found in the Museum's rare book room, the Ramsey Room. This material has been included as a separate series.
Biographical / Historical:
Samuel Pierpont Langley (1834-1906) was an astronomer, a pioneer of aeronautical research, and Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution (1887-1906). As a young man, Langley studied civil engineering and pursued this as a career until 1864, when his interest in astronomy led him to positions at the Harvard Observatory, the Naval Academy, the Western University of Pennsylvania and the Allegheny Observatory in Pittsburgh. In 1887, Langley was named Secretary of the Smithsonian, and spent the following years in the research, construction and tests of flying machines. On May 6, 1896, his unpiloted Aerodrome No. 5, powered by a 1hp steam engine, flew nearly three quarters of a mile. This flight surpassed by more than ten times the best efforts of any predecessor. In 1898, at the request of the Army's Board of Ordnance and Fortifications, Langley started work on another design - the Great Aerodrome, also known as Aerodrome A. However, two attempts at launching the aircraft in 1903 failed. In addition to his scientific experiments, Langley's writings include Experiments in Aerodynamics and The Internal Work of the Wind, and the Langley Memoir on Mechanical Flight, published posthumously. Samuel P. Langley died in Aiken, South Carolina, on February 27, 1906.

A Timeline of Early Aeronautical Milestones and Samuel P. Langley's Life and Career

August 22, 1834 -- Samuel Pierpont Langley born to Samuel Langley and Mary Sumner Williams Langley in Roxbury Massachusetts.

1843 -- William Henson and John Stringfellow publish their design for the "Aeriel", a steam-powered "Aerial Steam Carriage".

1845 -- Langley begins to attend the Boston Latin School.

1847 -- Henson tests a model of his aircraft.

1848 -- Stringfellow and Henson build and test a steam powered model aircraft. It has a wingspan of 10 feet (3.5 meters), and it flies 131 feet (40 meters) before crashing into a wall.

1849 -- Sir George Cayley tests a towed triplane glider. In one test, it flies several yards with a local boy as a passenger.

1851 -- Langley graduates from the Boston High School; begins work as an apprentice with a Boston architect.

circa 1852-1864 -- Langley works for architectural and engineering firms in St. Louis and Chicago.

1853 -- Cayley's coachman flies a glider across Brompton Dale, Yorkshire. The coachman resigns his position after the flight. Cayley conceives the rubber band–powered model airplane. Michel Loup designs a powered twin propeller monoplane with a wheeled undercarriage.

1853-1854 -- L C. Letur tests his parachute-glider design. Letur is killed in a test flight in 1854.

1855 -- Joseph Pline coins the word "aeroplane" to describe a propeller-driven dirigible.

1857 -- Jean-Marie Le Bris, a sea captain inspired by the flight of the albatross, builds a glider he names the "Albatros Artificiel" and makes two short hops, breaking his leg in the second. Félix du Temple, a French naval officer, flies a clockwork model aircraft - the first sustained powered flights by a heavier-than-air machine.

1862 -- Gabriel de la Landelle coins the word "aviation", and later, "aviateur" - aviator.

1864 -- Langley returns to Roxbury. He begins work, with his younger brother John, on a five foot focal length telescope, which they complete over three years.

1864-1865 -- Samuel and John Langley tour Europe.

circa 1865 -- Langley is hired as observatory assistant at the Harvard University Observatory, Cambridge, Massachusetts.

January 1866 -- The Aeronautical Society of Great Britain (later named the Royal Aeronautical Society) is founded.

circa 1866 -- Langley is hired as assistant professor of mathematics at the U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland. Duties include restoring the Academy's astronomical observatory to operation.

1867 -- Langley is named professor of Astronomy and Physics at the Western University of Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh. Duties include directorship of the Allegheny Observatory. His tenure at Allegheny will begin his work at the popularization of science through lectures and writing newspaper and journal articles.

1868 -- Stringfellow builds a model triplane.

1869 -- Langley proposes a system of standard time distribution via the telegraph to railroads and cities. The Pennsylvania Railroad signs on for the service. Langley joins a U.S. Coast Survey expedition to Oakland, Kentucky, to observe the August 7th solar eclipse. He observes later eclipses in 1870, 1878, and 1900.

1870 -- The Allegheny Observatory begins twice-daily time signals to the Pennsylvania Railroad's offices. Other railroads, businesses, and government offices later subscribe to the service. The income from the system aids the operation of the Allegheny Observatory and Langley's research work. Langley travels to Jerez de la Frontera, Spain, to observe a solar eclipse.

1870 -- Alphonse Pénaud designs his rubber-powered "Hélicoptère".

August 18, 1871 -- Pénaud demonstrates his "Planophore", a rubber-powered model, at the Tuileries, Paris. It flies 40 meters (approximately 131 feet) in 11 seconds.

1871 -- Francis Wenham designs the first wind tunnel; it is built by John Browning.

1873 -- Langley makes a detailed drawing of a sun spot. Famous for its accuracy of detail, the drawing is widely reproduced for many years.

1876 -- Pénaud and Paul Gauchot patent a design for an inherently stable steam-powered full-sized airplane.

1878 -- Bishop Milton Wright presents a toy based on the Pénaud "Hélicoptère" to two of his sons – eleven year old Wilbur and seven year old Orville.

1879-1880 -- Langley designs and builds his bolometer for the measurement of the energy of incident electromagnetic radiation.

1879 -- Victor Tatin designs and flies a compressed air-powered seven foot long model.

1881 -- Langley organizes an expedition to Mount Whitney in California's Sierra Nevada Range for solar observations and other scientific studies.

1883 -- Alexandre Goupil builds a bird-shaped unpowered airplane that briefly lifts off in a tethered test while carrying two men.

1884 -- The U.S. Signal Service publishes Langley's report on the Mount Whitney expedition.

1886 -- Langley's interest in aeronautics is kindled by a paper on bird flight by a Mr. Lancaster at a meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Buffalo, New York. Lancaster also describes making small flying models which he describes as "floating planes" and "effigies".

1887 -- Langley designs and builds his large whirling table at the Allegheny Observatory for the study of aerodynamics; begins aeronautical experimental work. He coins the term Aerodromics for the art of building flying machines from the Greek aerodromoi.

January 12, 1887 -- Langley is appointed Assistant Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution.

April 1887 -- Langley begins to build small Pénaud type rubber-powered flying models.

November 18, 1887 -- Langley is named Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution on the death of Secretary Spencer F. Baird. He retains the directorship of the Allegheny Observatory, dividing his time between Washington and Allegheny until 1891 when James E. Keeler becomes director of the observatory.

1887 -- Hiram Maxim, an American living in Great Britain and inventor of the Maxim machine gun, begins work on a large powered biplane test rig.

1888 -- Langley publishes The New Astronomy.

1889 -- The National Zoological Park is founded, due to Langley's support. A site in Washington's Rock Creek Park is selected by Langley and Frederick Law Olmstead. The Zoo becomes part of the Smithsonian in 1890, and is opened in 1891.

1890 -- Langley founds the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory; its first home is in a wooden building behind the Smithsonian Castle. In 1955, SAO moves to Cambridge, Massachusetts.

1890 -- Clément Ader completes his "Éole', a full-sized airplane. It has a fifty foot wing span, and is equipped with a lightweight 20-horsepower steam engine of Ader's design and a four-bladed propeller. At Armainvilliers on October 9, the Éole lifts off the ground to an altitude of approximately one foot and skims the ground for about 50 meters (165 feet). Ader later claims a second flight of 100 meters in September, 1891; there is no evidence for the second flight.

March 28, 1891 -- First successful flight of one of Langley's rubber-powered models.

1891 -- Work begins on Langley's "Aerodrome No. 0", powered by two small steam engines. Construction is halted before the aircraft is completed.

1891 -- Otto Lilienthal, a German mechanical engineer, begins a program of flight research using piloted hang gliders of his own design. He and his brother Gustav will go on to design and build 18 gliders over the next five years, making approximately 2,000 flights. Langley's Experiments in Aerodynamics is published by the Smithsonian.

1892 -- Langley's "Aerodrome No. 1" designed and built. Not flown.

1892-1893 -- "Aerodrome No. 2" and "Aerodrome No. 3" are designed and built. "No. 3" is powered by compressed air. Neither is flown.

1893 -- A 38 foot scow is converted into a houseboat with a workshop and launch platform for Aerodrome testing. In May, it is towed down the Potomac to a point near Quantico, Virginia, off Chopawamsic Island. In November, "Aerodrome No. 4" is taken to the houseboat for testing.

November 20, 1893 -- Test flight of "Aerodrome No. 4" - it falls in the water.

December 7, 1893 -- Second flight of "Aerodrome No. 4" – it falls in the water.

July 31, 1894 -- Maxim's large test rig rises briefly from its support rails during a test run.

August 1-4, 1894 -- Octave Chanute and Albert Zahm sponsor the Conference on Aerial Navigation in Chicago, bringing together an international assembly of aeronautical researchers.

October 1894 -- Test flight of modified "Aerodrome No. 4", using improved catapult. Aircraft falls in the water. "Aerodrome No. 5", with a one horsepower gasoline burning steam engine, is also tested. It flies 35 feet for three seconds before stalling and falling into the river.

November 12, 1894 -- Lawrence Hargrave, an Australian researcher, links together four of his box kites, adds a simple seat, and flies to an altitude of 16 feet in the device.

1894 -- Chanute publishes his book Progress in Flying Machines.

1895 -- James Means publishes the first of his three >Aeronautical Annuals.

May 6, 1896 -- "Aerodrome No. 6" is launched from the houseboat's catapult; the left wing collapses and the aircraft lands in the water. Aerodrome No. 5 is launched at 3:05 PM and flies about half a mile in a minute and a half at an altitude reaching 100 feet – the first sustained flight of a heavier than air apparatus. In a second flight at 5:10, Aerodrome No. 5 makes three circles, climbs to about 60 feet, and is airborne for one minute and thirty-one seconds. The flight is witnessed and photographed by Alexander Graham Bell (box 45, folder 9).

June 1896 -- Chanute and Augustus Herring establish a camp at the Lake Michigan dunes near Miller, Indiana to conduct flight tests on a number of gliders – several of Chanute's designs, including his multiwing "Katydid", Herring's copy of a Lilienthal design, and a Chanute-Herring triplane collaboration.

August 9, 1896 -- Lilienthal's glider stalls and crashes from an altitude of about 50 feet. Lilienthal dies of his injuries the next morning. His last words are "Opfer müssen gebracht warden" - "Sacrifices must be made".

November 28, 1896 -- "Aerodrome No. 6" is flown from the houseboat – it flies 4800 feet in one minute and forty-five seconds.

July 1897 -- Ader completes his "Avion III", also known as the "Aquilon". It features two 20-horsepower steam engines and twin tractor propellers, and a wingspan of nearly 56 feet. The aircraft weighs approximately 880 pounds. Ader attempts a flight on October 14; "Avion III" is unable to rise off the ground.

March 25, 1898 -- Assistant Secretary of the Navy Theodore Roosevelt suggests the military use of the Langley "Aerodrome" to Navy Secretary John D. Long (box 40, folder 10).

April 6, 1898 -- Langley proposes a scaled-up version of the "Aerodrome" for military use to a joint Army-Navy board meeting at the Smithsonian. He requests $50,000 to build a large, piloted version of his earlier designs. The proposed aircraft is called the "Great Aerodrome", or "Aerodrome A".

June 1898 -- Charles M. Manly, a Cornell University engineering student, is hired as Langley's "assistant in charge of experiments".

October 1898 -- Major work begins on the "Great Aerodrome", also known as "Aerodrome A".

December 12, 1898 -- A contract is signed between Langley and Stephen M. Balzer of New York. Balzer is to design and build a 12 horsepower motor to power the "Aerodrome". On the same date, Langley writes to the U.S. Army Board of Ordnance and Fortifications, agreeing to design and build a flying machine. He estimates a cost of $50,000 to build his machine.

May 1899 -- A new, larger houseboat equipped with a turntable and catapult is delivered in Washington.

May 30, 1899 -- Wilbur Wright sends a letter to Langley at the Smithsonian, requesting material pertaining to aeronautical research. He says in his letter that he wishes "… to begin a systematic study of the subject in preparation for practical work." Assistant Secretary of the Smithsonian Richard Rathbun directs his staff to assemble a package of papers, including Langley's Story of Experiments in Mechanical Flight and Experiments in Aerodynamics. The Wright brothers receive the package three weeks later. They later credit the material they received from the Smithsonian with giving them a "good understanding of the nature of the problem of flying."

June 7 - August 3, 1899 -- Additional flights of "Aerodrome No. 5" and "No. 6" are made from the houseboat at Chopawamsic Island.

July 1899 -- Langley visits Ader's workshop in Paris.

July 1899 -- The Wright Brothers build a five foot biplane kite.

October 2, 1899 -- Percy Pilcher dies of his injury after his Lilienthal-type glider breaks up in flight.

May 1900 -- Langley and the staff of the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory observe the May 28 solar eclipse in Wadesboro, North Carolina.

August 1900 -- The Wrights begin to build their first glider, a biplane design with a 17 foot wingspan.

September 1900 -- The Wrights arrive at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, to test their glider on the dunes. They begin test flights in early October.

July 1901 -- The Wrights return to Kitty Hawk with a new biplane glider.

August 1901 -- Langley creates the Children's Room, with exhibits designed to inspire interest in science, technology and natural history, in the Smithsonian Castle.

Autumn 1901 -- The Wright brothers return to Dayton and begin a program to develop their own fundamental aeronautical data, building a wind tunnel and a test rig mounted on a bicycle.

September 19, 1902 -- The Wrights complete assembly of their new glider and begin flights the same afternoon. They continue the flights through the autumn. After an early crash, continual modifications improve the design. Wilbur writes to his father, "We now believe the flying problem is really nearing its solution." On their return to Dayton, the brothers file a patent on their design.

July 14, 1903 -- The houseboat is towed down the Potomac to a spot opposite Widewater, Virginia, about 40 miles from Washington.

August 8, 1903 -- Langley's "Quarter-Size Aerodrome" makes a successful flight from the houseboat.

September 3, 1903 -- Work is begun on erecting the "Great Aerodrome" on the houseboat catapult.

October 7, 1903 -- The "Great Aerodrome", piloted by Manly, is launched by the houseboat catapult at 12:20 PM. The aircraft is snagged by the catapult launch car, and drops into the river. Langley was in Washington, and does not witness the attempt. The wreckage of the "Aerodrome" is salvaged.

December 8, 1903 -- The refurbished "Great Aerodrome" is readied for flight on the houseboat, now moored below Washington at Arsenal Point at the confluence of the Potomac and Anacostia rivers. At 4:45 PM, the aircraft, with Manly at the controls, is launched. The tail assembly drags along the launch track, and the "Aerodrome's" tail begins to collapse. The "Aerodrome" drops into the river. Manly is briefly trapped by the wreckage, but cuts himself free and is rescued. In the aftermath of the crash, Langley is ridiculed in the press. Though the Army withdraws its support, Langley receives offers of financial support from businessmen to continue his aeronautical work. He politely refuses these offers and ends his aeronautical activities.

December 17, 1903 -- The Wright brothers make four flights at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. The first flight covered a distance of 120 feet and lasted 12 seconds; in the fourth flight, the "Flyer" traveled 852 feet in 59 seconds.

June 1905 -- The Smithsonian's accountant, W. W. Karr, is accused of embezzling Institutional funds. He is later convicted and imprisoned. Langley holds himself responsible for the loss, and thereafter refuses to accept his salary.

November 1905 -- Langley suffers a stroke.

February 1906 -- Langley moves to Aiken, South Carolina to convalesce.

February 27, 1906 -- After suffering another stroke, Langley dies.

March 3, 1906 -- Samuel Pierpont Langley is buried in Forest Hill Cemetery, Boston.

May-October 1914 -- The "Great Aerodrome" is refurbished and is tested on Lake Keuka, Hammondsport, New York; the tests are conducted by Glenn Curtiss. Using the Manly-Balzer motor and mounted on pontoons instead of using a catapult launch, the "Aerodrome" makes several short flights, the longest lasting about five seconds. Later a Curtiss 80-hp engine is substituted for the Manly-Balzer motor and a flight of about 3,000 feet is made on September 17. The Smithsonian Institution later displays the "Aerodrome" with an exhibit label that reads "The first man-carrying aeroplane in the history of the world capable of sustained free flight." This claim causes a rift between the Institution and Orville Wright (Wilber Wright had died in 1912) that is not fully mended until 1942. The Wright 1903 "Flyer" is presented to the Smithsonian Institution on December 17, 1948. Today, the "Flyer" is on exhibit in the Milestones of Flight Gallery of the National Air and Space Museum's Mall Building; Samuel Langley's "Great Aerodrome" is displayed at the Museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia.
The Smithsonian Aeronautical Staff:
Langley's staff engaged in his aeronautical work as listed in waste books, drawings and correspondence:

The Smithsonian Aeronautical Staff

F. C. Bache -- Laborer with the U.S. Fish Commission, then located at the Smithsonian.

Carl Barus -- Formerly of the U.S. Geological Survey and the Weather Bureau. Hired in 1893 as a physicist; acted as the liaison between Langley and the Aerodrome project staff. Part of the crew on the houseboat.

Louville Eugene Emerson -- Laborer.

George L. Fowler -- An engineer, Fowler was hired by Langley to help design an engine for the Aerodromes.

William Gaertner -- Instrument maker.

Heed, Jr. -- Name found in a shorthand diary dated 1899 - presumably, a Smithsonian secretary or assistant.

Augustus Moore Herring -- An independent aeronautical experimenter and skilled designer and pilot of gliders; hired by Octave Chanute in 1894 and by Langley as chief assistant in 1895. Herring resigned (or was dismissed) in November 1895 and resumed work with Chanute. In 1908, he competed with the Wrights for the Army Flyer contract, but did not complete a finished aircraft.

Edward Chalmers Huffaker -- An engineer and aeronautical experimenter; built gliders based on the observation of bird flight; had delivered a paper at the International Conference on Aerial Navigation in Chicago, 1893. Recommended by Chanute, Huffaker was hired by Langley in December, 1894. He resigned from the Smithsonian in 1898 and went to work for Chanute.

L. C. Maltby -- Machinist, 1891-1899; assisted in motor design and oversaw the fabrications of the metalwork for the Aerodromes. Part of the crew on the houseboat.

Charles Matthews Manly -- Graduate of Cornell University (1896). Hired by Langley and placed in charge of construction of the Great Aerodrome in 1898. Piloted the Great Aerodrome on its two launch attempts, 1903. Manly resigned from the Smithsonian in 1905. He served as a consulting aviation engineer for different government agencies and corporations, including the British War Office, 1915; the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Corporation 1915-1919 (from 1919-1920 as the assistant general manger); and as a member of the US Commission to the International Aircraft Conference, London, 1918. Manly also completed and edited Langley's Memoir on Mechanical Flight which was published by the Smithsonian in 1911.

Charles B. Nichols -- Smithsonian cabinet maker (1890-1893), in charge of construction of the small rubber powered models.

R. Luther Reed -- Smithsonian carpenter foreman (1880-1904). In charge of construction of Aerodromes No. 5 and 6 following between Herring's departure and Manly's arrival. Worked on design of the Great Aerodrome and the second houseboat. Part of the crew on the houseboat.

B.L. Rhinehart -- Smithsonian mechanic. Built a small steam motor for Aerodrome No. 0 in 1891. Performed design work on an experimental gasoline motor, c.1896.

William L. Speiden -- Draftsman or designer (1893-1899).

John Elfrith Watkins -- Assistant engineer of construction with the Pennsylvania Railroad. Joined the Smithsonian as an honorary curator in the Steam Transportation section in 1885. Named curator of Transportation in 1887. He rejoined the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1892, and later worked at the Field Columbian Museum as director of Industrial Arts. Watkins returned to the Smithsonian in 1895 as the National Museum's curator of Technological Collections. In 1898, he was named curator of the Division of Technology. Watkins also served the Smithsonian as Engineer of Property, 1888-1889, and Chief of Buildings and Superintendence, 1896-1903. Watkins carried on much of the Aerodrome project's correspondence, and was the project's expert in steam engine design.

George B. Wells -- Smithsonian messenger (1894-1903). Most of the collection's shorthand notebooks (Series X) bear his name; possibly, he acted as Langley's stenographer.

William Crawford Winlock -- Curator, Bureau of International Exchange (1889-1899).
Related Materials:
Parts of the collection were separated at undetermined dates from the institutional records of Samuel Langley's time as Secretary (now held by the Smithsonian Institution Archives [SIA], as the Samuel P. Langley Papers, 1867-1906, Record Unit 7003).

In addition to Record Unit 7003, researchers may wish to consult these Smithsonian Institution Archives' collections:

Record Unit 31, Office of the Secretary, Correspondence, 1866-1906, with related records to 1927.

Record Unit 34, Office of the Secretary, Correspondence, 1887-1907

Record Unit 7268, J. Elfreth Watkins Collection, 1869, 1881-1903, 1953, 1966 and undated.

The Archives Division of the National Air and Space Museum holds the Charles M. Manly Papers, (Acc. 1999-0004). Manly was Samuel Langley's assistant in the Aerodrome project from 1898 to 1903.

Langley Technical Files: The Archives Division's technical files are housed in the Archives-Library reading room of the Museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. Material on Langley and his Aerodromes are housed in folders in the technical files Aircraft Series and in the Biographies Series. Because material from the Samuel P. Langley Collection is thought to have been transferred into the Technical Files, these file headings are included here. In the listings, "Images Available" refers to digital image files available through the Archives Division's image database; these images may be viewed in the Museum's reading rooms.

Langley Technical Files: Aircraft Series Technical Files

Langley (Samuel P.), General -- Photos, Images Available. Folder(s): AL-198600-80

Langley (Samuel P.), General, NASM -- Photos, Photo Dupes. Folder(s): AL-198601-80, AL-198601-99

Langley (Samuel P.) Aerodrome A (Great Aerodrome, Man-Carrying Aerodrome) -- Documents, Photos, Negatives, Photo Dupes, Images Available. Folder(s): AL-198603-01, AL-198603-80, AL-198603-85, AL-198603-99

Langley (Samuel P.) Aerodrome A, Curtiss 1914 Rebuild -- Documents, Photos, Photo Dupes, Photo Dupes, Photo Dupes, Photo Dupes, Images Available. Folder(s): AL-198605-01, AL-198605-80, AL-198605-96, AL-198605-97, AL-198605-98, AL-198605-99

Langley (Samuel P.) Aerodrome A, NASM -- Documents, Photos, Photo Dupes, Images Available. Folder(s): AL-198607-01, AL-198607-80, AL-198607-99

Langley (Samuel P.) Aerodromes, Numbered, General -- Photos, Photo Dupes. Folder(s): AL-198610-80, AL-198610-99

Langley (Samuel P.) Aerodrome No 0 (1891) -- Photo Dupes, Images Available. Folder(s): AL-198612-99

Langley (Samuel P.) Aerodrome No 1 (1891) -- Images Available.

Langley (Samuel P.) Aerodrome No 2 (1892) -- Images Available.

Langley (Samuel P.) Aerodrome No 3 (1892) -- Images Available.

Langley (Samuel P.) Aerodrome No 4 (1895) -- Images Available.

Langley (Samuel P.) Aerodrome No 5 (1895-96) -- Documents, Photos, Transparencies, Photo Dupes, Photo Dupes, Images Available. Folder(s): AL-198622-01, AL-198622-80, AL-198622-90, AL-198622-98, AL-198622-99

Langley (Samuel P.) Aerodrome No 6 (1895-96) -- Documents, Photos, Photo Dupes, Images Available. Folder(s): AL-198624-01, AL-198624-80, AL-198624-99

Langley (Samuel P.) Clockwork Model -- Photos. Folder(s): AL-198628-80

Langley (Samuel P.) Gliding Model Aerodromes (1895) -- Images Available.

Langley (Samuel P.) Ladder Kite (1896) -- Photos, Photo Dupes, Images Available. Folder(s): AL-198635-80, AL-198635-99

Langley (Samuel P.) Model Aerodromes, General -- Documents, Photos, Photo Dupes, Images available. Folder(s): AL-198640-01, AL-198640-80, AL-198640-99

Langley (Samuel P.) Model Aerodrome No 4 (1895) -- Photo Dupes, Images available. Folder(s): AL-198648-99

Langley (Samuel P.) Model Aerodrome No 11 -- Images available.

Langley (Samuel P.) Model Aerodrome No 13 -- Images available.

Langley (Samuel P.) Model Aerodrome No 14 -- Images available.

Langley (Samuel P.) Model Aerodrome No 15 -- Photo Dupes, Images available. Folder(s): AL-198670-99

Langley (Samuel P.) Model Aerodrome No 19 -- Photos, Images available. Folder(s): AL-198678-80

Langley (Samuel P.) Model Aerodrome No 20 -- Images available.

Langley (Samuel P.) Model Aerodrome No 21 -- Images available.

Langley (Samuel P.) Model Aerodrome No 22 -- Photos, Images available. Folder(s): AL-198684-80

Langley (Samuel P.) Model Aerodrome No 23 -- Photos, Images available. Folder(s): AL-198686-80

Langley (Samuel P.) Model Aerodrome No 24 -- Images available.

Langley (Samuel P.) Model Aerodrome No 25 -- Images available.

Langley (Samuel P.) Model Aerodrome No 26 -- Photo Dupes, Images available. Folder(s): AL-198692-99

Langley (Samuel P.) Model Aerodrome No 27 -- Images available.

Langley (Samuel P.) Model Aerodrome No 28 -- Photos, Images available. Folder(s): AL-198696-80

Langley (Samuel P.) Model Aerodrome No 30 -- Images available.

Langley (Samuel P.) Model Aerodrome No 31 -- Images available.

Langley (Samuel P.) Proposed Man-Carrying Aerodrome (1898-99) -- Documents, Photo Dupes, Images available. Folder(s): AL-198710-01, AL-198710-99

Langley (Samuel P.) "Quarter-Size" Aerodrome (1900-01 -- Documents, Photos, Negatives, Photo Dupes, Images available. Folder(s): AL-198720-01, AL-198720-80, AL-198720-85, AL-198720-99

Langley (Samuel P.) "Rubber-Pull" Model Aerodrome (1895-96) -- Photos, Photo Dupes, Images available. Folder(s): AL-198730-80, AL-198730-99

Langley (Samuel P.) Whirling Arm (1888-90) -- Photos, Photo Dupes, Images available. Folder(s): AL-198740-80, AL-198740-99

Langley Technical Files: Biographies Series Technical Files

Langley, Samuel Pierpont, general -- Documents. Folder(s): CL-094000-01

Langley, Samuel Pierpont (articles by) -- Documents. Folder(s): CL-094000-02

Langley, Samuel Pierpont (articles by/Aero) -- Documents. Folder(s): CL-094000-03

Langley, Samuel Pierpont (articles by/Aero) -- Documents. Folder(s): CL-094000-04

Langley, Samuel Pierpont (articles by/Astro) -- Documents. Folder(s): CL-094000-05

Langley, Samuel Pierpont (articles by/Astro) -- Documents. Folder(s): CL-094000-06

Langley, Samuel Pierpont (articles by/Rocket) -- Documents. Folder(s): CL-094000-08

Langley, Samuel Pierpont (articles by/French) -- Documents. Folder(s): CL-094000-09

Langley, Samuel Pierpont (articles on) -- Documents. Folder(s): CL-094000-10

Langley, Samuel Pierpont (articles on) -- Documents. Folder(s): CL-094000-11

Langley, Samuel Pierpont (articles on) -- Documents. Folder(s): CL-094000-12

Langley, Samuel Pierpont (articles on) -- Documents. Folder(s): CL-094000-13

Langley, Samuel Pierpont (articles on) -- Documents. Folder(s): CL-094000-14

Langley, Samuel Pierpont (Awards and Honors) -- Documents. Folder(s): CL-094000-15

Langley, Samuel Pierpont (Wright Controversy) -- Documents. Folder(s): CL-094000-16

Langley, Samuel Pierpont (Obituaries) -- Documents. Folder(s): CL-094000-17

Langley, Samuel Pierpont -- Photo Dupes. Folder(s): CL-094000-40

Langley, Samuel Pierpont -- Photos. Folder(s): CL-094000-80

Langley, Samuel Pierpont -- Negatives. Folder(s): CL-094000-85

Langley, Samuel Pierpont -- Images available.
Provenance:
Smithsonian generated, transfer, 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 Permission Requests.
Topic:
Aeronautics  Search this
Aeronautics -- pre-1903  Search this
Aeronautics -- 1903-1916  Search this
Aeronautics -- Records  Search this
Langley Aerodrome Family  Search this
Langley Aerodrome No 5 (1895-96)  Search this
Periodicals  Search this
Genre/Form:
Correspondence
Drawings
Manuscripts
Photographs
Publications
Citation:
Samuel P. Langley Collection, NASM.XXXX.0494, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
NASM.XXXX.0494
See more items in:
Samuel P. Langley Collection
Archival Repository:
National Air and Space Museum Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/pg21fa211d9-0818-40b9-a8e7-60709d4400a8
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nasm-xxxx-0494
Online Media:

Thomas Towle Ford Tri-Motor Collection

Creator:
Towle, Thomas, 1887-  Search this
Names:
Ford Motor Company. Airplane Division  Search this
Island Airways  Search this
Towle, Thomas, 1887-  Search this
Extent:
1.09 Cubic feet ((1 records center box))
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Blueprints
Reports
Drawings
Photographs
Pamphlets
Clippings
Date:
1921-1967
bulk 1925-1926
bulk 1953-1967
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of material gathered by Towle to support his claim as the designer of the Ford Tri-Motor. The material consists of the following: newspaper and magazine articles; pamphlets; photographs pertaining to the history of the aircraft and its role in early air transportation; drawings; early flight test reports; technical notes relating to early Tri-Motor models; a short autobiography and resumeof Towle; and assorted postcards, stamps, articles, and so forth relating to Island Airways, an airline still flying Ford Tri-Motors
Biographical / Historical:
Thomas Towle (1897- ) was a mechanical engineer and main designer of the Ford Tri-Motor. Following graduation from Yale University (1920) Towle worked as an engineer for a number of aircraft companies, including Dayton-Wright (1921-22), Martin (1922-23), Aeromarine (1923-24), and Stout Metal Airplane Co (1924-25) before joining Ford Motor Company's Airplane Division (1925-27). While at Ford, Towle designed a three-motored aircraft to replace the Stout 'Air Pullman:, the rights to which Ford purchased with Stout in 1925. Towle left Ford in 1927 to form his own company, Towle Marine Aircraft (1927) and Towle Aircraft Company (1928-32). In 1933 Towle joined Monocoupe and later moved to Lambert Aircraft (1933-35) before leaving the aircraft industry.
General:
NASMrev
Provenance:
Tom Towle, Gift, unknown, XXXX-0102, 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
Topic:
Ford Tri-Motor Family  Search this
Airlines  Search this
Aircraft industry -- United States  Search this
Aircraft industry  Search this
Aeronautics, Commercial -- United States  Search this
Aeronautics, Commercial  Search this
Aeronautics  Search this
Genre/Form:
Blueprints
Reports
Drawings
Photographs
Pamphlets
Clippings
Identifier:
NASM.XXXX.0102
Archival Repository:
National Air and Space Museum Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/pg2d62f8f54-f817-4e82-9265-9c3a1133051a
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nasm-xxxx-0102

Thomas Taylor Neill Collection

Creator:
Neill, Thomas Taylor, 1903-1988  Search this
Names:
National Air and Space Museum (U.S.)  Search this
United States. National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics  Search this
United States. National Aeronautics and Space Administration  Search this
United States. National Bureau of Standards. Aircraft Engine Research Laboratory  Search this
Neill, Thomas Taylor, 1903-1988  Search this
Extent:
17.25 Cubic feet ((2 legal document boxes) (15 records center boxes))
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Correspondence
Financial records
Photographs
Drawings
Logs (records)
Manuscripts
Publications
Reports
Date:
1926-1972
bulk 1938-1943
Scope and Contents:
This collection contains the research material that Neill used in compiling his book. The material consists of correspondence and reports dealing with inspection, specifications, and performance tests of automobile and aircraft engines and fuels from 1926 to 1944. There are also reports, articles, and log books of specific engine types, both aeronautical and automotive, collected from all over the world, as well as a rough manuscript copy of Neill's book.
Biographical / Historical:
Thomas Taylor Neill (1903-1988) was an aeropropulsion engineer and author. Following the completion of his degrees at Catholic University of America (BS.ME 1925) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MS 1926) he went to work in the Aircraft Engine Research lab at the United States National Bureau of Standard (engineer 1926-39). He served as an ignition engineer for the Army Air Corps in Dayton, OH (1939-42). He then spent nearly twenty years in research for the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (Assistant to the Director of Research 1942-58) and its successor the National Aeronautics and Administration (NASA; Chief of Research Administration Division, Office of Advanced Research Programs 1958-61; Chief of Research and Technical Reports, Office of Advance Research and Technology, 1961-70). Following his retirement from NASA, Neill worked as a consultant to the National Air and Space Museum (1971- ) where he began compiling a book on aviation engines in the inter-war period.
General:
NASMrev
Provenance:
Thomas Neill, transfer, unknown, XXXX-0181, 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
Topic:
Aeronautical engineers  Search this
Aeronautics  Search this
Aircraft engines  Search this
Airplanes -- Rocket engines  Search this
Airplanes -- Motors  Search this
Airplanes -- Jet propulsion  Search this
Genre/Form:
Correspondence
Financial records
Photographs
Drawings
Logs (records)
Manuscripts
Publications
Reports
Identifier:
NASM.XXXX.0181
Archival Repository:
National Air and Space Museum Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/pg29782447a-7863-41f3-b4aa-9dca2486a649
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nasm-xxxx-0181

Wright Model B Modified Flyer

Creator:
Fairmont East High School, Kettering, Ohio  Search this
Fairmont West High School, Kettering, Ohio  Search this
Names:
Wright, Orville, 1871-1948  Search this
Wright, Wilbur, 1867-1912  Search this
Extent:
0.22 Cubic feet ((1 flatbox))
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Drawings
Date:
1976
Scope and Contents:
There are 73 drawings including a 3 view assembly, front view, side view, top view and tail section as well as 22 drawings of wing details (including engine mounts, seats, etc.); 6 drawings of tail details; 7 drawings of horizontal stabilizer and bellcrank details; 5 drawings of rudder details; 8 drawings of landing gear, 2 drawings of front skid assembly; 13 drawings of control assembly; 4 drawings of radiator details and one drawing of the fuel tank.
Biographical / Historical:
The Wright Model B was a one-man machine built by Wilbur and Orville Wright to be used for exhibition work. With a maximum length of 31 feet, maximum breadth of 39 feet and supporting surface of 500 square feet, its total weight was 1250 lbs. including aviator and passenger. The Model B's motor was a 30-35 h.p. 4 cylinder one. This set of drawings was a bicentennial project done in 1976 by members of the drafting departments of Fairmont East and Fairmont West High Schools in Kettering, Ohio.
General:
NASMrev
Provenance:
No donor information, Gift, unknown, XXXX-0460, 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
Topic:
Airplanes  Search this
Wright (Co) Model B  Search this
Airplanes -- Design and construction  Search this
Aeronautics -- Exhibitions  Search this
Aeronautics -- 1903-1916  Search this
Aeronautics  Search this
Genre/Form:
Drawings
Identifier:
NASM.XXXX.0460
Archival Repository:
National Air and Space Museum Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/pg2ad225720-b372-4c05-8a49-343c4ae72ea5
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nasm-xxxx-0460

Donald J. Ritchie Collection

Creator:
Ritchie, Donald Jeanne, 1920-  Search this
Names:
Bendix Aviation Corp. Research Laboratory Division  Search this
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University  Search this
National Air and Space Museum (U.S.)  Search this
United States. Air Force. Systems Command. Foreign Technology Division  Search this
Ritchie, Donald Jeanne, 1920-  Search this
Extent:
13.08 Cubic feet (12 records center boxes)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Manuscripts
Reports
Publications
Drawings
Photographs
Clippings
Date:
1955-1976
bulk 1960-1970
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of Ritchie's research files. The material consists of newspaper and magazine clippings, photos, drawings, and Soviet books detailing Russian missile and rocket development during the 1960s. The collection also includes copies of Ritchie's reports during his tenure at Bendix and manuscripts of various chapters of his book 'Rocket and Missile Systems Development in the Soviet Union.
Biographical / Historical:
Donald Jeanne Ritchie (1920- ) is a mathematician and physicist who has been active in missile guidance system design and development and in arms control and disarmament studies. He began work as a production engineer at Bell Aircraft Corp (1940-42) before joining the Design Branch of Wright Air Development Center, Wright Field, OH (1942-45), where he participated in preliminary design work on jet aircraft. Following World War II, he attended Wayne University, completing degrees in Mathematics and Physics (BS, 1949) and Applied Mathematics (MS, 1951). He spent most of the next two decades at Bendix's Research Laboratory Division (Senior Mathematician, 1949-54; Project Engineer, 1955-57; Supervisory Mathematician, 1958-65; Assistant Department Head, Surveillance, Navigation, and Guidance, 1965-67) working on missile systems. He spent several brief periods outside Bendix, at Atomic Power Development Associates (Senior Mathematician, 1954-55), Crosley Division, Avco Manufacturing Co (Supervisor, Missile Systems, 1957), and Corvy Division, Melpar Inc, Scientific Analysis Office (Branch Leader, 1957-58). He then joined the faculty of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical Institute (now Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University) as Professor of Aeronautical Engineering, Director of Research, and Chairman of the Aeronautical Engineering Division (1967-?). During this time he also worked as a consultant to the United States Air Force Foreign Technical Intelligence Division and the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum.
General:
NASMrev
Provenance:
Baron von Ritchie?, Gift, unknown, XXXX-0088, 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
Topic:
Rockets (Ordnance) -- Soviet Union  Search this
Aeronautics, Military -- Research  Search this
Aeronautics, Military  Search this
Aeronautics  Search this
Rockets (Aeronautics)  Search this
Rockets (Aeronautics) -- Guidance systems  Search this
Ballistic missiles  Search this
Genre/Form:
Manuscripts
Reports
Publications
Drawings
Photographs
Clippings
Identifier:
NASM.XXXX.0088
Archival Repository:
National Air and Space Museum Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/pg29d2da3ac-d998-4c6c-8e03-b12cc1f6ddc6
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nasm-xxxx-0088

Crouch-Bolas Dragonfly Collection [Godfrey]

Creator:
Crouch-Bolas Aircraft Corp (Providence, RI)  Search this
Extent:
0.25 Cubic feet ((1 box))
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Stock certificates
Photographs
Correspondence
Drawings
Brochures
Date:
bulk 1931-1935
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of .18 cubic feet of the following material relating to the Crouch-Bolas Dragonfly: photographs; correspondence; reports; syndicate and loan agreements; stock offerings and certificates; brochures; drawings of Dragonfly take-off and landing specifications; copy of The Aeroplane, August 23, 1933; and newspaper articles.
Biographical / Historical:
The Crouch-Bolas Dragonfly was produced by the Crouch-Bolas Aircraft Corporation of Pawtucket, Rhode Island, 1931-1935. The design work used early STOL technologies that allowed the aircraft steep angles of climb and descent. While the aircraft was very successful in its performances, the corporation was unable to secure the financing to go into production.
John Godfrey was a minor investor in the Crouch-Bolas Dragonfly; in all he invested over 10,000 dollars in the venture.
Provenance:
Deirdre Godfrey, Gift, 2014
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:
Aeronautics  Search this
Crouch-Bolas Dragonfly  Search this
Short take-off and landing aircraft  Search this
Genre/Form:
Stock certificates
Photographs
Correspondence
Drawings
Brochures
Citation:
Crouch-Bolas Dragonfly Collection [Godfrey], Accession 2014-0042, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
NASM.2014.0042
Archival Repository:
National Air and Space Museum Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/pg2d3149a40-948f-47f7-8a1b-f2316b0175ba
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nasm-2014-0042

Norman Mayer Lighter-than-Air (LTA) Collection

Creator:
Mayer, Norman  Search this
Names:
Airship Industries Ltd.  Search this
American Skyship Industries  Search this
CargoLifter AG  Search this
Goodyear-Zeppelin  Search this
Extent:
16.6- Cubic feet ((17 boxes))
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Reports
Photographs
Drawings
Manuals
Motion pictures (visual works)
Scrapbooks
Date:
bulk 1940s-2000s
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of approximately seventeen cubic feet of LTA material created or gathered by Norman Mayer during his career, 1941-2000s. The material spans from early Goodyear, Navy and Zeppelin design material, to later LTA designs from the 1970s-2000s, including those from Airship Industries Ltd, American Skyship Industries and CargoLifter AG. The types of material include: photographs, drawings, manuals, patents, conference reports, notebooks, design and feasibility studies/reports, scrapbooks and 16mm film.
Biographical / Historical:
Norman Mayer (1916-2015) was an aerospace engineer, whose professional career spanned 65 years in the airship industry. Mayer graduated from the Academy of Aeronautics in Queens, New York, in March 1941 and immediately began his career at the Goodyear-Zeppelin Corporation in Akron Ohio as a design, research and flight test engineer for Naval patrol airships. After his work at Goodyear, he worked for the U.S. Navy Bureau of Aeronautics in Washington, D.C. as an expert in lighter-than-air (LTA) technology. In 1961, Mayer joined the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) where he managed research in space stations, lunar and planetary bases, orbiting telescopes and composite materials. While at NASA, he served as a consultant to the State Department and the World Bank on LTA systems. He retired from the government in 1984 and continued to consult in LTA systems for government and industrial organizations. He was an Associate Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, an Associate Member of the Society of Naval Architects, an Honorary Life member of the Lighter than Air Society and of the Navy Lakehurst Historical Society and technical chairman of the Naval Airship Association.
Provenance:
Margaret Mayer, Gift, 2016
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:
Aeronautics  Search this
Airships  Search this
Genre/Form:
Reports
Photographs
Drawings
Manuals
Motion pictures (visual works)
Scrapbooks
Citation:
Norman Mayer Lighter-than-Air (LTA) Collection, Accession 2016-0022, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
NASM.2016.0022
Archival Repository:
National Air and Space Museum Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/pg2273b5438-c40f-4fcd-9b1a-eeabb188bd55
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nasm-2016-0022

Fred A. Thaheld Collection

Names:
Guiberson Diesel Engine Company  Search this
Extent:
0.26 Cubic feet ((2 containers))
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Photographs
Drawings
Publications
Date:
bulk 1924-1953
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of .26 cubic feet of articles, drawings, and images chronicling Fred A. Thaheld's aeronautical engineering career, including his work with the following aircraft diesel engines: Guiberson Diesel A-918, Guiberson Diesel A-980 and Guiberson Diesel T-1020. There is also information regarding the aircraft designed by Thaheld, including the Tremaine Humming Bird "The Spirit of John Rodgers," and images of Fred Thaheld, Allen Guiberson, W.D. Shaffer, Sir Hubert Wilkins, and Art Goebel, who was a test pilot for Guiberson Diesel engines. There are also a few images of diesel aircraft engines that were repurposed as wind machines to protect orchards from frost, and the manual, "Guiberson Radial Diesel Engine Instruction Manual for Model T-1020 Series 5."
Biographical / Historical:
Fred A. Thaheld (1902-1981) was a self-taught engineer born in Austria, who first became acquainted with engines due to his involvement with German motorcycle racing after World War I. Thaheld worked his way as a seaman on merchant ships to South America, and then on to Southern California in 1921. He settled in Brea, California, and began building a low-wing monoplane in the garage of William Tremaine, pilot and co-founder of the Brea Air Club; that aircraft was flown in air meets in Southern California in 1924-1925. Thaheld then built for Tremaine the Tremaine Humming Bird "Spirit of John Rodgers" for his planned non-stop flight to Japan. Instead, the "Spirit of John Rodgers" was used by Naval Lieutenants George Covell and Richard Waggener for their entry in the Dole Air Race. Unfortunately, they crashed the aircraft at Point Loma, California, on the way to the start of the race in Oakland, California. The loss of "The Spirit of John Rodger," ended Thaheld's aeronautical engineering with Tremaine, and Thaheld began his work of designing and building diesel aircraft engines. In 1929, Thaheld was the Chief Engineer of the Guiberson Diesel Engine Company where he directed aircraft diesel engines development, and built the following engines for aircraft: Guiberson Diesel A-980 185-hp 9-Cylinder Radial; Guiberson Diesel A-918 240-hp & A-980 185-hp Radials; and Guiberson Diesel T-1020 9-Cylinder Radial Tank Engine. While the engines were installed and successfully flown in aircraft, they were not a commercial success and Guiberson and Thaheld instead sold their various diesel engines to the US Army for tanks. Thaheld then became the principal in Diesel Power Inc., a division of Shaffer Tool Works of Brea, California, and during the mid-1940s, designed a 90 horsepower diesel engine for light aircraft which he used in his Stinson 10-A. Thaheld held over 30 patents in engine design and become a naturalized US citizen in 1943.
Provenance:
Fred Thaheld, Gift, 2016
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:
Aeronautics  Search this
Airplanes -- Motors  Search this
Tremaine Humming Bird "The Spirit of John Rodgers"  Search this
Genre/Form:
Photographs
Drawings
Publications
Citation:
Fred A. Thaheld Collection, Accession 2016-0042, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
NASM.2016.0042
Archival Repository:
National Air and Space Museum Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/pg2f0187aa5-04cf-46b9-9215-734e0a775bbb
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nasm-2016-0042

Continental, Inc Archives

Creator:
Continental, Inc.  Search this
Names:
Continental, Inc.  Search this
Fulton, Robert E.  Search this
Extent:
4.5 Cubic feet ((10 legal document boxes) (6 shoeboxes))
4.2 Linear feet
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Manuscripts
Correspondence
Drawings
Photographs
Publications
Date:
1941-1955
Scope and Contents:
This collection contains the files of Continental, Inc. from early planning documents predating Continental's creation through the company's collapse in 1954. It consists of technical reports and engineering drawings from the development of the Airphibian; correspondence between Continental, the CAA, and Continental's suppliers concerning marketing and certification of the aircraft; and the general correspondence of the company.
Biographical / Historical:
Continental, Inc. was formed in 1945 to develop a "roadable" aircraft designed by Robert E. Fulton, the company's president. The Fulton "Airphibian" was designed to convert from a light aircraft to a small, two-seat convertible for ground travel. The prototype Airphibian first flew on 7 November 1946. The Airphibian was awarded a Civil Aeronautics Authority Approved Type Certificate in December 1950, becoming the first roadable aircraft ever certified. Unfortunately, the Airphibian never found a place in the light aircraft market and the company collapsed in 1954.
General:
NASMrev
Provenance:
No donor information
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:
Aeronautics  Search this
Aeronautics, Commercial -- United States  Search this
Continental Inc Airphibian Family  Search this
Periodicals  Search this
Works of art  Search this
Genre/Form:
Manuscripts
Correspondence
Drawings
Photographs
Publications
Identifier:
NASM.XXXX.0059
Archival Repository:
National Air and Space Museum Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/pg266422ca3-f5c8-4dc0-ab32-3338b513ea16
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nasm-xxxx-0059

Gwinn Aircar Drawings

Creator:
Gwinn Aircar Co.  Search this
Names:
Gwinn Aircar Co.  Search this
Gwinn, Joseph M., Jr.  Search this
Hawks, Frank  Search this
Love, Nancy  Search this
Extent:
2.18 Cubic feet ((2 records center boxes))
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Drawings
Date:
1936-1937
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of drawings of the Gwinn Aircar. It includes engineering and production drawings for the aircraft.
Biographical / Historical:
The Gwinn Aircar Company of Buffalo, NY was formed in 1935 by Joseph M Gwinn, Jr, former Chief Engineer at Consolidated Aircraft Corporation. The 'Aircar' was designed as a 'foolproof' airplane that would be simple and, above all, safe to fly since it would neither stall nor spin. The aircraft first flew in early 1937 and received Civil Aeronautics Authority Approved Type Certificate 682. Gwinn hired Frank Hawks, racing pilot and record setter, and Nancy Love, another famous pilot, to tour the country demonstrating the aircraft. On 23 August 1938, Hawk failed to clear high tension power lines while taking off in the Aircar and was killed in the resulting crash. Gwinn suspended production and closed the Aircar plant.
General:
NASMrev
Provenance:
No donor information, gift, unknown, XXXX-0064, 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
Topic:
Aeronautics  Search this
Aeronautics, Commercial -- United States  Search this
Genre/Form:
Drawings
Identifier:
NASM.XXXX.0064
Archival Repository:
National Air and Space Museum Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/pg23339e713-d13c-476d-9f7d-1e6147fe4000
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nasm-xxxx-0064

Bushby MM-1 Midget Mustang Drawings

Extent:
0.36 Cubic feet ((1 box))
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Drawings
Photographs
Date:
bulk 1949
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of two photographs and approximately fifty drawings of the Bushby MM-1 Midget Mustang.
Biographical / Historical:
The Bushby MM-1 Midget Mustang was designed by Piper chief engineer David Long as a Goodyear Midget Racer. It was intended to be a post World War II sport plane. While that market never developed as planned, the Midget Mustang became very popular with homebuilders and is still much in demand today. There have been four Midget Mustang Oshkosh EAA Grand Champions.
Provenance:
Thomas S. Momiyama, 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
Topic:
Airplanes, Home-built  Search this
Aircraft drafting  Search this
Aeronautical sports  Search this
Aeronautics  Search this
Bushby MM-1 Midget Mustang  Search this
Genre/Form:
Drawings
Photographs
Citation:
Bushby MM-1 Midget Mustang Drawings, Accession 2005-0034, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
NASM.2005.0034
Archival Repository:
National Air and Space Museum Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/pg230a619a2-507e-4ed7-b896-7a636c6a1540
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nasm-2005-0034

General Electric GE4 Super-Sonic Transport (SST) Engine Collection

Creator:
General Electric Company  Search this
Extent:
0.18 Cubic feet ((1 box))
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Correspondence
Drawings
Reports
Date:
bulk 1963-1971
Scope and Contents:
Materials in this collection relating to the General Electric GE4 SST engine include the following: Master Engine Cross-section, GE4 Tool Flow Sheet, documents relating to production and assembly of the GE4, documents relating to the National Air and Space Museum's acquisition of the GE4 SST engine, miscellaneous draft correspondence concerning the GE4 and other General Electric projects, a drawing of the GE4 Experimental Bypass Engine, a drawing of GE Lift-Cruise Fan, three drawings of cruise fan engine installation, and Generalized Field Balance Procedure for Jet Engines. Also included is a drawing of a General Electric scramjet engine.
Biographical / Historical:
The United States' Supersonic Transport (SST) program was initiated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in 1963. The program aimed for a Mach 2+ aircraft capable of carrying approximately 300 passengers with intercontinental range. The US aimed to outstrip the British Aerospace/Aerospatiale Concorde and Soviet Tu-144 programs through the use of advanced technology and materials. By the late 1960s contracts had been let to prime contractors Boeing (airframe) and General Electric (engines) but the program was four to five years behind the European and Soviet efforts, which had graduated to supersonic flight testing while the US program had yet to pass beyond the mockup stage. In 1971 the slow pace of technical development, environmental concerns, high costs, and questions over the commercial feasibility of the aircraft led Congress to cancel the program.
Provenance:
William L. Rowe, 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
Topic:
Supersonic transport planes  Search this
High-speed aeronautics  Search this
Airplanes -- Motors  Search this
General Electric GE4 SST  Search this
Genre/Form:
Correspondence
Drawings
Reports
Citation:
General Electric GE4 Super-Sonic Transport (SST) Engine Collection, Accession number 2005-0049 National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
NASM.2005.0049
Archival Repository:
National Air and Space Museum Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/pg2a9d948ff-a9be-4259-b656-5eca7910b712
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nasm-2005-0049

Massively Parallel Processor (MPP) Documentation

Creator:
Goodyear Aerospace Corporation  Search this
Extent:
1.8 Cubic feet ((5 letter boxes))
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Correspondence
Reports
Drawings
Manuscripts
Date:
bulk 1978-1986
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of two cubic feet of documentation (from 1978-1986) on the Massively Parallel Processor (MPP), including the following: Goodyear Aerospace Corporation reports, internal memorandums, project notes, correspondence, diagrams, a handwritten manuscript of a MPP manual, and progress reports.
Biographical / Historical:
The Massively Parallel Processor (MPP) is the 16,384-processor computer developed by Goodyear Aerospace for 1983 installation at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Earth and Space Data Computing Division (ESDCD) at the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). The MPP pioneered the linking together of a collection of computers to accomplish large tasks quickly via network. The MPP was retired from service with GSFC in 1991 and was donated to the National Air and Space Museum in 1995.
Provenance:
Carl Mickelson, Gift, Year received
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:
Aerospace engineering  Search this
Astronautics  Search this
Computer networks  Search this
Computers  Search this
Massively Parallel Processor (MPP)  Search this
Genre/Form:
Correspondence
Reports
Drawings
Manuscripts
Citation:
Massively Parallel Processor (MPP) Documentation, Accession number 2006-0017, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
NASM.2006.0017
Archival Repository:
National Air and Space Museum Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/pg2622eb3f5-1961-4e50-9be5-85d508896a24
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nasm-2006-0017

Atlas Missile Project Site Construction Photographs

Names:
Dyess Air Force Base  Search this
Extent:
0.05 Cubic feet (1 folder)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Photographs
Drawings
Date:
1960-1961
Summary:
The Atlas was the first intercontinental-range ballistic missile (ICBM) in the US nuclear arsenal. This collection consists of 120 black and white photographs showing various aspects of the construction of the Atlas missile installation at Dyess Air Force Base in Abilene, Texas. In addition, the collection contains three pages of drawings showing typical equipment for launcher platforms and missile silos.
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of 120 black and white photographs, ranging in size from 3.5 x 5 inches to 8 x 10 inches, showing various aspects of the construction of the Atlas missile installation at Dyess Air Force Base in Abilene, Texas. All the photographs are marked with the date and some caption information. In addition, the collection contains three pages of drawings showing typical equipment for launcher platforms and missile silos.
Arrangement:
Collection is arranged by type of material.
Biographical / Historical:
The Atlas was the first intercontinental-range ballistic missile (ICBM) in the US nuclear arsenal. Deployed beginning in August 1959, the Atlas was designed to carry a 1-megaton thermonuclear warhead to targets up to 5,500 miles (8,850 kilometers) away, using either radio-inertial or all-inertial guidance. The Atlas was also used as a booster to launch US manned Mercury capsules into orbit in the 1960s. In the early 1960s, an installation was built at Dyess Air Force Base in Abilene, Texas as part of the Atlas Missile Project.

Major Charles William Moore, USAF, was the project manager for the Site Activation Task Force and his unit received an award for completing the construction on time and under budget.
Provenance:
Jennifer Leigh, Gift, 2009, NASM.2010.0003
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:
Ballistic missiles  Search this
Astronautics  Search this
Atlas ICBM  Search this
Genre/Form:
Photographs
Drawings
Citation:
Atlas Missile Project Site Construction Photographs, NASM.2010.0003, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
NASM.2010.0003
Archival Repository:
National Air and Space Museum Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/pg254913955-49b7-4e5b-a916-3c60e1e91efc
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nasm-2010-0003

Hans von Ohain Collection

Creator:
von Ohain, Hans  Search this
Names:
Aerospace Research Laboratories (U.S.)  Search this
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (Ohio)  Search this
von Ohain, Hans  Search this
Extent:
20.03 Cubic feet ((17 records center boxes) (1 flatbox) (3 tubes))
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Correspondence
Photographs
Drawings
Publications
Awards
Brochures
Clippings
Date:
[ca. 1930s-1980s]
Scope and Contents:
This collection documents Hans von Ohain's professional career in propulsion. While there is documentation on both his work in Germany and the United States, the majority of the collection covers his career in the latter -- especially his positions at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. The following types of material are included: magazine articles written by, or about, von Ohain; engine manufacturing brochures; awards and recommendations for von Ohain; books; drawings of the He S 3B turbojet engine; photographs; flow charts; correspondence; and historical papers.
Biographical / Historical:
Hans von Ohain is the developer of the first turbojet engine used in flight and is a renowned expert in the field of propulsion and energy conversion. Von Ohain received a doctorate in Physics and Allied Mechanics in 1935 at the University of Goetingen, Germany, and was employed by Ernst Heinkel during the 1930s. In 1939 the first turbojet flight took place with the flight of the Heinkel He 178, which had the He S 3B engine. Two years later, von Ohain developed the He S 8A, which was the first jet fighter aircraft. In 1947 von Ohain came to the United States and became a research scientist at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio. In 1963 he became chief scientist of the Aerospace Research Laboratory and in 1975, chief scientist of the Aero Propulsion Laboratory. After retiring in 1979, von Ohain served as Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Dayton and as a consultant to both government and industry. Von Ohain has published more than 30 technical papers and has registered 19 United States patents.
General:
NASMrev
Provenance:
Hans von Ohain, Gift, 1995, 1995-0059, 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
Topic:
Aeronautics, Military  Search this
Aeronautics, Commercial  Search this
Aeronautics -- Research  Search this
Aeronautics  Search this
Jet propulsion  Search this
Airplanes -- Jet propulsion  Search this
Airplanes  Search this
Heinkel He S3B Turbojet (engine)  Search this
Heinkel He 178  Search this
Heinkel He S8 (109-011) Turbojet (engine)  Search this
Genre/Form:
Correspondence
Photographs
Drawings
Publications
Awards
Brochures
Clippings
Identifier:
NASM.1995.0059
Archival Repository:
National Air and Space Museum Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/pg2910eafed-0d3d-44fc-93db-6fa82e9dc1fe
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nasm-1995-0059

Aircraft Propulsion Collection [Mikel]

Names:
United Aircraft Corporation. Pratt & Whitney Aircraft Division  Search this
Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company  Search this
Extent:
0.41 Cubic feet ((2 boxes and 2)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Technical manuals
Photographic prints
Drawings
Brochures
Date:
bulk 1917-1985
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of manuals, reports, photographs, drawings, brochures, and other material relating to aircraft propulsion. The following companies are represented: Pratt & Whitney, Armstrong Siddeley, Bristol, Napier, Westinghouse, and Rolls Royce Engines. Besides material on engines and propellers, the collection also contains U.S. Navy Department Power Plant Memorandums and color slides of 1962 and 1964 British air shows.
Provenance:
Ulrika Mikel, Gift, 1994
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:
Propulsion systems  Search this
Aeronautics  Search this
Aeronautics, Military  Search this
Aeronautics -- Exhibitions  Search this
Genre/Form:
Technical manuals -- 20th century
Photographic prints
Drawings
Brochures
Citation:
Aircraft Propulsion Collection [Mikel], Acc. 1994-0018, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
NASM.1994.0018
Archival Repository:
National Air and Space Museum Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/pg203281e88-258c-402e-bc55-090d525ee602
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nasm-1994-0018
Online Media:

North American XB-70-1

Creator:
North American Aviation, Inc.  Search this
Names:
American Supersonic Transport Program  Search this
North American Aviation, Inc.  Search this
Extent:
0.36 Cubic feet ((1 letter document box))
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Drawings
Reports
Date:
1970
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of drawings and reports relating to XB-70 Wind Tunnel Model, 1970.
Biographical / Historical:
The XB-70 was conceived in 1954 as a subsonic bomber capable of short supersonic dashes. In December of 1957, North American won a competition with Boeing for development of the new bomber. The government decided to build only two of this aircraft, and they were to be used purely for high-speed research. During the testing program, the second Valkyrie was lost in a midair collision. The first Valkyrie was then re-instrumented and served as a flying laboratory for the American Supersonic Transport program and in 1969 it was delivered to the US Air Force Museum.
General:
NASMrev
Provenance:
Found in collection, unknown, unknown, 1996-0059, 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
Topic:
Wind tunnel models  Search this
Aircraft industry -- United States  Search this
Aircraft industry  Search this
Supersonic bombers  Search this
Supersonic transport planes  Search this
Supersonic planes  Search this
Aircraft industry -- United States  Search this
Airplanes -- Design and construction  Search this
North American XB-70A (RS-70) Valkyrie  Search this
North American XB-70A (RS-70) Valkyrie Wind Tunnel Model  Search this
Aeronautics, Military -- Research  Search this
Aeronautics, Military  Search this
Aeronautics, Commercial -- United States  Search this
Aeronautics, Commercial  Search this
Aeronautics  Search this
Aeronautical laboratories  Search this
Genre/Form:
Drawings
Reports
Identifier:
NASM.1996.0059
Archival Repository:
National Air and Space Museum Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/pg252550581-f8f0-4c2e-8fe6-0ab588db1e8c
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nasm-1996-0059

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