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Mid-Century Airliners Photography

Extent:
0.2 Cubic feet (1 slim letter document box)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Date:
1937-1987
bulk 1947-1965
Summary:
Photography in this collection was collected by Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum (NASM) Air Transport Curator R. E. G. (Ron) Davies from a variety of unidentified sources, presumably for integration into his airline reference files. It includes a mixture of black and white and color formats from 35 mm roll film to 4.75 x 6 inch sheet film. Aircraft pictured are predominantly airliners in use in the post-World War II period, circa 1947-1965, and include views of British, European, and American airliners at airports in the United Kingdom, and passenger and cargo aircraft belonging to various Central and South American airlines photographed at Miami International Airport (Florida, USA).
Scope and Contents:
Original and copy photography in this collection includes a mixture of color positives (transparencies), color negatives, and black and white negatives predominantly in 35mm roll film format, either as cut strips or as individual frames (no complete rolls). The collection also includes some medium format sheet film in 4.75 x 6 inch, 4 x 5 inch, and 120 format sizes. A small amount of film was found in annotated enclosures, but the bulk of the material was unidentified.

A large number of the photographs in this collection appear to have been taken of British, European, and American airliners on the ground at international airports in Britain (UK), with a few views of Royal Air Force or British government aircraft. An equally large number of photographs show passenger and cargo aircraft belonging to various Central and South American airlines; these are predominantly seen on the ground at Miami, Florida (USA), although some were likely taken at other locations in the Caribbean area. Views taken in Florida also include various American airliners and a few US civil, military, and government aircraft. Views taken in Central America include a few photographs of military cargo aircraft belonging to the Colombian (Fuerza Aérea Colombiana) and Salvadoran (Fuerza Aérea Salvadoreña) air forces. Aircraft types pictured include a large number of World War II military cargo aircraft modified for civilian service, particularly the Curtiss C-46 Commando and—to a lesser extent—the Douglas C-47 (DC-3) Skytrain (Dakota) and Douglas C-54 (DC-4) Skymaster. Other post-WWII American airliners such as the Lockheed Constellation family, various Douglas models (DC-6, DC-7, DC-8, DC-10) and the Martin (Glenn L.) Model 404 (4-O-4) are also seen, as well as various British airliners including the Bristol 175 Britannia, Handley Page Hermes and Dart Herald H.P.R.7, Britten Norman BN-2A-III Trislander, and Vickers Viking and Viscount. A small group of photographs focuses on flying boats used by various small airlines, particularly the Short S.25 Sunderland and S.45A Solent models.
Arrangement:
Photography is organized by format. Images found together have been grouped in the same folder or sheet. Cut strips or individual frames which appear to be from the same roll of 35mm film are presented in frame number order.
Biographical / Historical:
The post-World War II period saw an explosion in the number of new national and international airlines, many making use of readily available surplus military aircraft such as the Douglas C-47 and Curtiss C-46 modified to serve as passenger and cargo aircraft in regularly scheduled and charter operations. This period also saw the introduction of four-engine pressurized airliners such as the Lockheed Constellation and Douglas DC-6, providing airline passengers with a faster, more comfortable air travel experience.

Photography in this collection was collected by Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum (NASM) Air Transport Curator R. E. G. (Ron) Davies from a variety of unidentified sources, presumably for integration into his airline reference files. This material was transferred to the NASM Archives from the NASM Aeronautics Department following Davies' retirement.
Related Materials:
See related collection R. E. G. (Ron) Davies Air Transport Collection, NASM.XXXX.0604.
Provenance:
NASM Aeronautics Department, transfer, 1989, NASM.XXXX.1224
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 -- 20th century  Search this
Aeronautics, Commercial  Search this
Airlines  Search this
Airplanes  Search this
Airports  Search this
Curtiss C-46 Commando  Search this
Douglas DC-3 Family  Search this
Douglas C-47 Skytrain Family  Search this
Douglas C-54 Skymaster Family  Search this
Douglas DC-6  Search this
Douglas DC-7  Search this
Lockheed Model 749 Constellation  Search this
Lockheed Model 1049D Super Constellation  Search this
McDonnell Douglas DC-10 Family  Search this
Citation:
Mid-Century Airliners Photography, NASM.XXXX.1224, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
NASM.XXXX.1224
See more items in:
Mid-Century Airliners Photography
Archival Repository:
National Air and Space Museum Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/pg2ca6c932d-5bc3-4515-a60e-5c6505f500e1
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nasm-xxxx-1224
Online Media:

Early Aviation Collection [Arango]

Creator:
Arango, Javier, 1962-2017  Search this
Extent:
4.46 Cubic feet
0.641 Gigabytes
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Gigabytes
Catalogs
Diaries
Manuals
Maps
Programs
Photographic postcards
Photographs
Scrapbooks
Date:
1900-1955
bulk 1905-1918
Summary:
Early aviation catalogs, photographs, periodicals, class notes, and scrapbooks as well as other materials collected by Javier Arnago detailing the evolution of early aircrafts built before and during World World I.
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of early aviation materials, collected by Javier Arango, pertaining to the development of early 20th century aircrafts. The bulk of the material consists of air meet programs and memorabilia, engine and aeroplane catalogs, articles and periodicals, maps and charts, postcards and correspondence, class notes and technical manuals, scrapbooks and journals, and a variety of photographs. Materials in English, French, German, and Dutch. Aviators pioneers include: the Wright Brothers, Henry Farman, Louis Bleriot, Hubert Latham, Glenn Curtiss, Louis Paulhan, and other French and American pilots. Aircraft manufacturers represented include: Wright Brothers, Curtiss-Wright, Blériot (France), Antoinette (Société Anonyme Antoinette) (France), Deperdussin (France), Farman, Voisin (France), and other American, French, German, and British inventors prior to World War I.
Arrangement:
Collection organized into eight sections by material type. The first three sections 'Aeroplane Catalogs,' 'Engine Catalongs,' and 'Air meet Programs' are in original order, which is alphabetically arranged by company, aircraft, or engine name and thereunder chronologically by year. The 'Periodicals' section is also alphabetically arranged by title and thereunder chronologically by year. 'Additional Text Materials,' 'Scrapbooks and albums,' and 'Class notes and journals' alphabetically arranged by creator's surname or title. The 'Photographs' section is organized by subjects or event, orginially grouped by Arango, and thereunder alphabetically arranged.
Biographical / Historical:
Javier Arango (1962-2017) was an investment consultant, aircraft collector, avid pilot, and board member of the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum. Graduating at Harvard University, he studied the history of science and became an authority of World War I aviation focusing on the progression of warplanes. Establishing his Aeroplane Collection with the construction of a triplane in 1980, he began collecting original materials from the 1900s and 1910s. With a passion for understanding and preserving the history of flight, Arango amassed an exemplary study of the evolution of early aviation.
Provenance:
Javier Arango Living Trust, Gift, 2022, NASM.2022.0033
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access
Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests.
Topic:
Aeronautics  Search this
Aeronautics -- Competitions  Search this
Aircraft supplies industry  Search this
Airplanes -- Design and construction  Search this
Airplanes -- Motors  Search this
Antoinette Aircraft Family  Search this
Bleriot Aircraft Family  Search this
Breguet Aircraft Family  Search this
Bristol Aircraft Family  Search this
Burgess Aircraft Family  Search this
Curtiss, General, Aircraft  Search this
Deperdussin Aircraft Family  Search this
Ford Tri-Motor Family  Search this
Gallaudet Type C Military Tractor Biplane Family  Search this
Lockheed Aircraft Family  Search this
Moisant (Monoplane Co) 1914 Bluebird Monoplane  Search this
Nieuport Aircraft Family  Search this
Sloane Aircraft Family  Search this
SPAD Aircraft Family  Search this
Voisin Aircraft Family  Search this
Genre/Form:
Catalogs
Diaries
Manuals
Maps
Programs
Photographic postcards
Photographs
Scrapbooks
Citation:
Javier Arango Early Aviation Collection, NASM.2022.0033, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
NASM.2022.0033
See more items in:
Early Aviation Collection [Arango]
Archival Repository:
National Air and Space Museum Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/pg2a7794054-9fbe-430c-8b18-ec5aa5cd48e7
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nasm-2022-0033
Online Media:

United States Air Force Aircraft History Cards Microfilm

Creator:
United States. Air Force  Search this
Names:
United States. Air Force  Search this
United States. Army Air Forces  Search this
United States. Army. Air Corps  Search this
United States. Army. Air Service  Search this
United States. National Guard Bureau  Search this
Extent:
1.69 Cubic feet (128 microfilm rolls)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Microfilms
Date:
circa 1920-1953
Summary:
This collection consists of duplicate microfilm of individual aircraft records for the United States Air Force (USAF). The microfilm covers aircraft owned by the US Army Air Service, Army Air Corps, Army Air Forces, USAF, and the National Guard starting in July of 1923 and including those dropped from the active inventory before June 30, 1955. (Master films are held by the Air Force Historical Research Center, Maxwell AFB, AL.) Each record card consists of a complete record of aircraft transfers (duty locations) from acceptance until retirement. Duty locations do not include unit, only theater/air base.
Scope and Contents:
Beginning in 1951, the USAF began microfilming the IARCs for retired aircraft. The first group filmed were aircraft retired as of May 1951 (119 rolls of 16mm microfilm), with additional sections including retirements through September 1952 and records "out of file" (not present in the retired aircraft file) in May 1951 (6 rolls) and retirements through May 1953 and records "out of file" in September 1952 (3 rolls). In 1971 the USAF microfilmed the records through 1954 for aircraft not retired by May 1953 (approximately 70 rolls) and all active aircraft from 1955 through 1964 (89 rolls). Later these various film series were designated by the Air Force Historical Research Agency (AFHRA; Maxwell AFB, AL), which maintains the original records, as ACR (May 1951 retirements), OA (out-of-file records from May 1951, retirements through September 1952 and May 1953), AC (aircraft active as of August 1954), and ACA (1955-1964 records).

Records were organized by military serial number, although some records were missorted and therefore filmed out of order. The project only encompassed the main IARC files and as a result the records maintained by the 15th SCU were filmed only in a few rare cases. Similarly the records maintained by overseas SCUs were not filmed. Thus the IARC records for wartime aircraft, particularly those transferred out of the Continental United States, remain incomplete.

The NASM holdings of these records consists of duplicate copies of the ACR and OA series of films only, comprising 128 rolls of microfilm. NASM rolls are identified consistent with the AFHRA designation scheme. The following listing gives the roll identification (ACR- or OA- number), the serial number range, and any special notes relating to the particular roll. The note "NASM M###" gives the roll identification assigned by the National Air and Space Museum in the 1960s when all microfilm in the NASM collection was sequentially numbered regardless of collection; these numbers are included for historical purposes and are cross-referenced in M-number order in Appendix 1 (page 8).

For access to the AC and ACA series, contact the Air Force Historical Research Agency at:

Air Force Historical Research Agency, 1600 Chennault Circle, Maxwell AFB, AL 36112-6424
Arrangement:
This collection is arranged into the following series:

Series I: Records for aircraft retired from USAF service through May 1951

Series II: Records for aircraft retired from USAF service through May 1951 (Out of file records)

Series III: Records for aircraft retired from USAF service May 1951 through September 1952

Series IV: Records for aircraft retired from USAF service September 1952 through May 1953

The NASM holdings of these records consists of duplicate copies of the ACR and OA series of films only, comprising 128 rolls of microfilm. NASM rolls are identified consistent with the AFHRA designation scheme. The follow listing gives the roll identification (ACR- or OA- number), the serial number range, and any special notes relating to the particular roll. The note "NASM M###" gives the roll identification assigned by the National Air and Space Museum in the 1960s when all microfilm in the NASM collection was sequentially numbered regardless of collection; these numbers are included for historical purposes and are cross-referenced in container listing notes.
Biographical/Historical note:
The United States Air Force and its predecessors1 have maintained a variety of records relating to the aircraft operated by the service. Beginning in 1923, the Air Service maintained individual records for each aircraft added to the inventory listing location and activity from its acceptance by the service until its retirement from the inventory. Such records have had a number of official names --Aircraft Master Record, Individual Aircraft Record Card (IARC), etc. --but are most commonly called "Aircraft History Cards." Originally, these records were manually compiled from unit inventories, morning reports, and so on, but the increased use of automated systems in the 1940s allowed automatic compilation and machine printing of the IARC entries after 1940.

IARCs do not record the entire history and activity of an individual aircraft. They do not include information about missions or crews, nor do they record exact locations or manners of loss. Rather, they serve as a compilation of the locations, transfers, and "controlling activity" (the unit responsible for reporting the aircraft) of the aircraft at a set time. The exact type of information and its manner of presentation changes over time and can be best described in chronological groups:

through c.1940 This period actually covers a variety of record card styles, but the data is hand-written or typed. The information follows the printed columns on the card. The information generally consists of reporting location, inventory date (month and fiscal year2), and flying time (both total and during the inventory period). The reporting activity is generally the base, rather than the unit. Transfers between bases are included as separate listings which include the authority for the transfer.

c.1940 --November 1942 During this period the USAAF switched to the use of electronic accounting machine (EAM) technology for inventory reporting and this allowed the automated compilation and printing of IARC data. The data and card presentation remains constant from the forms in use before the change, but the cards are machine printed, rather than hand written. Some data is abbreviated; location, for example, is given by a seven-character abbreviation.

November 1942 --April 1944 At the end of 1942 the responsibility for maintaining the inventory and individual aircraft status information was shifted from Headquarters, Air Materiel Command to one of several Statistical Control Units (SCU) within the Continental United States (CONUS) or overseas. IARCs were still prepared as before for newly-purchased aircraft and added to the main IARC file to track each aircraft from the factory to its initial assignment within CONUS or to an overseas shipping destination. The 15th SCU was responsible for tracking aircraft inventory and status information for aircraft within the CONUS and developed its own form for recording this data. The 15th SCU forms radically changed the data presentation --flying time was no longer recorded, some unit information was recorded for the first time, and location either appears as the abbreviations used previously or as a four-character shipping destination code. No effort was made to transfer 15th SCU data to the IARC master file, so that no activity was recorded on IARC cards during this period. Further, the inventory records on aircraft outside of the CONUS were maintained by SCUs in theater; as a result the entries on IARCs end with their transfer overseas, save for the final entry showing their removal from the inventory or until they returned to a CONUS location.

April 1944 --September 1949 At the beginning of this period, entries again appear on the main IARCs, although the concentration on CONUS-based aircraft continued until after the end of World War II. There are no records for aircraft transferred overseas once they leave the CONUS until they are dropped from the inventory, return to the United States, or until the reporting requirements changed after the end of the war. During this period the entries recorded a change in the status of the aircraft --either a transfer of station or a change in the usage of the aircraft. Entries record the reporting and other involved station and unit and the type, nature, and date of the change. The exact presentation of the data varies slightly over the period but generally involves a number of codes used to speed transmission of the data.

September 1949 and subsequent Beginning September 1949, IARCs entries were printed in batches, giving rise to groups of entries followed by a "bookkeeping" line indicating the serial number and number of entries printed. The data presentation for each entry remains similar to the entries from the previous period.

During the machine-printed period (from 1940 on) IARC entries become more and more difficult to understand due to the increasing data density and the use of one- or two-character codes for a variety of information. The Museum staff is currently preparing a guide to understanding the USAF IARC, which will treat the various code groups and data presentations in greater depth.

1 Aviation Section, United States Army Signal Corps (1914-1918); United States Army Air Service (USAAS; 1918-1926); United States Army Air Corps (USAAC; 1926-1941); United States Army Air Forces (USAAF; 1941-1947); United States Air Force (USAF; 1947- )

2 Until 1976 the government fiscal year (FY) ran 1 July --30 June. Thus FY1941 ran 1 July 1940 through 30 June 1941.
Provenance:
Dept. of the Air Force, Transfer, unknown, XXXX-0461.
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, Military  Search this
Airplanes  Search this
Aeronautics  Search this
Aircraft history cards  Search this
Aeronautics, Military  Search this
Genre/Form:
Microfilms
Citation:
United States Air Force Aircraft History Cards Microfilm, Acc. XXXX-0461, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
NASM.XXXX.0461
See more items in:
United States Air Force Aircraft History Cards Microfilm
Archival Repository:
National Air and Space Museum Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/pg21018c261-43aa-4e54-b304-5d330835c75b
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nasm-xxxx-0461
Online Media:

Francis Frederick "Fred" Parker Photo Album

Creator:
Parker, Francis Frederick "Fred", 1880-1965  Search this
Extent:
0.13 Cubic feet (1 flatbox)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Photograph albums
Programs
Date:
1911-1917
1953
Summary:
Francis Frederick "Fred" Parker (1880--1965) was an early aviator, mechanic, and aircraft designer and builder. This collection consists of a photo album created by Parker (1911 to 1917) and a program for an open house event held at the San Jose Municipal Airport on June 14, 1953 in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of powered flight.
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of a photo album created by Francis Frederick "Fred" Parker. Aircraft depicted in the album include the Walsh 1911 Silver Dart Biplane; Parker (Francis) Firecracker; Parker (Francis) Firecracker 2; Andermat Biplane Bomber; Parker (Francis) Canard Pusher Biplane (1913); Parker (Francis) Tractor Biplane 1 (1913); and the Andermat Cabin Biplane. Aviators shown in the album include Silas G. Christofferson and Charles Forster Willard. The album also includes aerial photographs and several photographs of aircraft engines. Tucked in the back of the album is a program for an open house event held at the San Jose Municipal Airport on June 14, 1953 in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of powered flight.

Note: Blank pages in original album have not been digitally reproduced in slideshow. Any gaps in numbering of filenames are due to their omission. All pages with content are shown.
Arrangement:
Collection is a single album.
Biographical / Historical:
Francis Frederick "Fred" Parker (1880--1965) was an early aviator, mechanic, and aircraft designer and builder. Prior to his involvement in aviation, Parker worked at various odd jobs, spent time as a cowboy, served as a ship's carpenter on a vessel bound for Australia that was shipwrecked, and worked as a hospital orderly and ambulance driver in California. Parker made his first solo flight in an aircraft he helped build at Dominguez Field in Los Angeles, California on July 20, 1911. From 1912 to 1913, Parker worked for fellow early aviators Charles H. Paterson and Roy N. Francis, and Parker also helped build the Gage 1912 Tractor Biplane (Fowler Gage) in which Robert G. Fowler made a flight across the Isthmus of Panama on April 27, 1913. From 1914 to 1915, Parker served as shop foreman for Silas G. Christofferson in San Francisco, California. In 1915, Parker moved to the Andermat Company in Sunnyvale, California where he mainly engaged in experimental work. Parker designed and built an airplane in 1917 for the Union Gas Engine Company of Oakland, California that was flown by Stanley H. Page. From the 1920s until 1942, Parker worked as a contractor and builder until shifting into work for the war effort from 1942 until 1945, after which he retired. Parker was a member of the Early Birds of Aviation.
Provenance:
Mrs. Fred Parker, Gift, 1960, NASM.XXXX.0224.
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
Air pilots  Search this
Airplanes  Search this
Genre/Form:
Photograph albums
Programs
Citation:
Francis Frederick "Fred" Parker Photo Album, NASM.XXXX.0224, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
NASM.XXXX.0224
Archival Repository:
National Air and Space Museum Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/pg2c09b043e-6bff-41d7-8b1d-1281b32a7eb9
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nasm-xxxx-0224
Online Media:

Airbus A380 Washington DC Fly-Over Photography

Creator:
Long, Eric  Search this
Names:
Early Birds of Aviation (Organization).  Search this
Extent:
2.329 Gigabytes
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Gigabytes
Cd-roms
Digital images
Date:
2007-03-26
Summary:
Photographs taken by National Air and Space Museum photographer Eric F. Long of the Airbus A380 during a commercial route proving flight over Washington, DC on March 26, 2007.
Scope and Contents:
The collection consists of 57 digital, color images relating to the Airbus A380 during a commercial route proving flight on March 26, 2007. Captured by National Air and Space Museum (NASM) photographer Eric Long, images depict the aircraft taxiing, taking off, flying over Washington DC and the NASM Udvar-Hazy Center, and landing at Dulles International Airport (IAD). There are also images of the interior of the aircraft and a preflight planning meeting with crew of the aircraft, Federal Aviation Administration, Transportation Security Administration, helicopter pilot Tom Pumpelly, and videographer Leo Shefer.
Arrangement:
Arranged by aircraft's flight movements.
Biographical / Historical:
The Airbus A380 is a double-deck, wide-body airliner measuring 238 feet in length, 79 feet in height, and featuring a wingspan of 261 feet. It was the result of an international project between France, Germany, Spain, and the United Kingdom to build the largest high-capacity aircraft in aviation history. As the world's first fully double-deck passenger aircraft, the A380 has the capacity to carry approximately 550 passengers. It made its inaugural commercial flight flew on April 27, 2007. To demonstrate the practicality, reliability, and effectiveness of the aircraft's systems, a series of commercial route proving flights were made from the Lufthansa base in Frankfurt, Germany in 2007. As part of one of these exercises, A380 development aircraft MSN7 visited Hong Kong on March 25 before journeying to Washington, DC the following day and returning to Germany on March 27th.

Photographs in this collection were made by National Air and Space Museum photographer Eric F. Long. Initially hired with Smithsonian's Photo Services Division in 1983, he completed assignments for many of the Smithsonian museums. When Photo Services disbanded in 2006, Long was permanently assigned to the National Air and Space Museum where he photographed artifacts while continuing his work with other museums. Retiring in 2023, Long dedicated over 40 years serving the mission of the Smithsonian Institution.
Provenance:
Eric Long, Gift, 2007, NASM.2007.0033
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access
Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests.
Topic:
Aeronautics  Search this
Airplanes  Search this
Genre/Form:
CD-ROMs
Digital images
Citation:
Airbus A380 Washington DC Fly-Over Photography, NASM.2007.0033, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
NASM.2007.0033
See more items in:
Airbus A380 Washington DC Fly-Over Photography
Archival Repository:
National Air and Space Museum Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/pg275f4c067-ba4d-4f02-943a-b0be181536e9
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nasm-2007-0033
Online Media:

Air France Concorde Aircraft Dedication Certificate

Creator:
National Air and Space Museum  Search this
Air France  Search this
Extent:
0.28 Cubic feet (1 folder, Document, 15 x 12 inches (38 x 30 cm))
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Date:
April 16, 1989
Summary:
This decorative certificate was designed to commemorate the occasion on April 16, 1989, when Air France signed a letter of agreement with the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum (NASM) to donate Air France Concorde "Fox Alpha" (r/n F-BVFA) to NASM at the end of the aircraft's operational service.
Scope and Contents:
This decorative certificate (15 x 12 inches, 38 x 30 cm) with hand-lettered calligraphy and gold foil embellishments was designed to commemorate the occasion when Air France signed a letter of agreement with the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum (NASM) to donate Air France Concorde "Fox Alpha" (r/n F-BVFA) to NASM at the end of the aircraft's operational service. Dated April 16, 1989, the certificate was signed at Dulles International Airport, Chantilly, Virginia, by Dr. Martin Harwitt, National Air and Space Museum Director, and an Air France representative. Note that this is not an official donation certificate but a decorative commemoration of a statement of intent to donate.
Arrangement:
None.
Biographical / Historical:
The first supersonic airliner to enter service, Concorde flew thousands of passengers across the Atlantic at twice the speed of sound for over 25 years. Designed and built by Aérospatiale of France and the British Aviation Corporation (BAC), the graceful Concorde was a stunning technological achievement that could not overcome serious economic problems. In 1976 Air France and British Airways jointly inaugurated Concorde service to destinations around the globe. Carrying up to 100 passengers in great comfort, Concorde catered to first class passengers for whom speed was critical. It could cross the Atlantic in fewer than four hours—half the time of a conventional jet airliner—but its high operating costs resulted in very high fares that limited the number of passengers who could afford to fly on it. These problems and a shrinking market eventually forced the reduction of service until all Concordes were retired in 2003.

In 1989, two 18th-century copies of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen (Déclaration des droits de l'Homme et du citoyen de 1789) and the French Constitution of 1791 were loaned to the Smithsonian by the French National Archives to be exhibited in celebration of the French bicentennial. The documents arrived April 16, 1989, at Dulles International Airport (Chantilly, Virginia) aboard Air France Concorde "Fox Alpha" (r/n F-BVFA). On that day, Air France signed a letter of agreement stating their intention to donate Concorde F-BVFA to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum upon the aircraft's retirement. A historically significant aircraft, Concorde F-BVFA had, in 1976, been the first Air France Concorde to open service to Rio de Janeiro, Washington, DC, and New York. On June 12, 2003, Air France honored that agreement, donating Concorde F-BVFA to the Museum upon the completion of its last flight.
Related Materials:
Air France Concorde "Fox Alpha" (r/n F-BVFA) can be found in the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum collection: Concorde, Fox Alpha, Air France, A20030139000.
Provenance:
Transferred from National Air and Space Museum Registrar, gift, 1989, NASM.1989.0106
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  Search this
Supersonic planes  Search this
Supersonic transport planes  Search this
Citation:
Air France Concorde Aircraft Dedication Certificate, NASM.1989.0106, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
NASM.1989.0106
Archival Repository:
National Air and Space Museum Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/pg2b8a804a9-8a84-4e62-aa21-0da1d5714d33
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nasm-1989-0106
Online Media:

Jean Warren (J. W.) Seele Aircraft Photography Collection

Topic:
Jane's all the world's aircraft
Creator:
Seele, Jean W. (Jean Warren), 1924-1993  Search this
Names:
Aero Commander (Aircraft manufacturer)  Search this
Aeronca (Aeronautical Corp of America)  Search this
Arrow Aircraft & Motors Corp  Search this
Beech Aircraft Corp  Search this
Bell Aircraft Corporation  Search this
Bellanca Aircraft Corporation  Search this
Boeing Company  Search this
Bucker (Bucker Flugzeugbau GmbH)  Search this
Callair (Call Aircraft Co)  Search this
Cessna  Search this
Consolidated Aircraft Corp  Search this
Convair (Consolidated Vultee Aircraft Corp)  Search this
Dassault (Aircraft manufacturer)  Search this
Douglas Aircraft Corp  Search this
Erco (Engineering and Research Corporation)  Search this
Experimental Aircraft Association  Search this
Fairchild Aircraft Corp  Search this
Fleet Aircraft Ltd.  Search this
Ford Motor Company. Airplane Division  Search this
Goodyear Aircraft Corp  Search this
Great Lakes Aircraft Corp  Search this
Grumman Aerospace Corporation  Search this
Hawker Siddeley (Aircraft manufacturer)  Search this
Heinkel (Aircraft manufacturer)  Search this
Jodel (Societe des Avions Jodel)  Search this
Junkers (Junkers Flugzeug Werke AG)  Search this
Lawson Aircraft Corp  Search this
Lawson Airplane Co.  Search this
Lockheed Aircraft Corp  Search this
National Antique Airplane Association  Search this
Pazmany Aircraft Corp (Ladislao Pazmany)  Search this
Piaggio (Industrie Aeronautiche e Meccaniche Rinaldo Piaggio SpA)  Search this
Piper Aircraft Corp.  Search this
Pitcairn (Pitcairn-Cierva)  Search this
Pitts Aviation Enterprises, Inc.  Search this
Porterfield Aircraft Corp  Search this
Republic  Search this
Saab (Svenska Aeroplan Aktiebolaget AB)  Search this
Sikorsky (Aircraft manufacturer)  Search this
Stearman Aircraft Co.  Search this
Stinson (Aircraft manufacturer)  Search this
Swearingen Aircraft  Search this
Vickers (Aircraft manufacturer)  Search this
Vought (Aircraft manufacturer)  Search this
Waco Aircraft Company  Search this
de Havilland Aircraft Company, Ltd.  Search this
Hughes Aircraft Co  Search this
Seele, Jean W. (Jean Warren), 1924-1993  Search this
Extent:
12.11 Cubic feet ((1 shoebox) (7 slide and card cabinets))
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Color slides
Color negatives
Black-and-white negatives
Photographs
Date:
[ca. 1950s-1970s]
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of approximately 6000 color slides and over 2000 negatives/prints (a mixture of color and black and white) of civil and military aircraft taken by Seele, circa 1950s-1970s. The shots were taken in the United States, specifically in the Midwest. Aircraft from the following manufacturers are represented: Aero Commander, Arrow, Aeronca, Beechcraft, Bell, Bellanca, Boeing, Bristol, Bucker, Callair, Cessna, Consolidated, Convair, Curtiss, Dassault, de Havilland, Davis, Dart, Douglas, ERCO, Fairchild, Fleet, Ford, Goodyear, Great Lakes, Grumman, Howard, Hawker Siddeley, Hughes, Heinkel, Jodel, Junkers, Lockheed, Ling-Temco-Vought, Lawson, Parsons, Pitts, Pitcarin, Piper, Pazmany, Piaggo, Porterfield, Republic, SAAB, Sikorsky, Stampe, Stearman, Stinson, Swearingen, Taylor, Vickers, and Waco. In June of 2001 the Smitihsonian's Museum of American History transferred an additional shoebox of Seele photography that had been sent directly to them from the widow. This color images included balloon events as well as aircraft shots. The ballooning images are color prints taken mostly around Topeka, Kansas, while the aircraft images are color transparencies of aircraft taken, again, mostly around Topeka.
Biographical / Historical:
Jean Warren (J. W.) Seele (1924-1993) was born in Topeka, Kansas, and spent almost his entire life there. After his graduation from Topeka High School he was enrolled for about one and a half years at the Spartan School of Aeronautics, Tulsa, Oklahoma. Although he worked for a few years at Bendix Aviation Corp, Kansas City Division during the 1950s, most of his professional career was spent as an engineering technician for the Kansas Department of Transportation. While he was not directly employed in the aviation field, Seele's hobby was photographing aircraft. Over a twenty year period, Seele photographed aircraft and at various times he was the official photographer for the National Antique Airplane Association, and for the annual fly-in sponsored by the Experimental Aircraft Association at Rockford, Illinois. Seele's photographs often appeared in the publications of both organizations, and several of this photographs also appeared in Jane's All the World's Aircraft during the 1970s.
General:
Additional materials: photographs taken by Seele of the Kansas countryside, including many of threshing demonstrations, were transferred to the Archives Center at the National Museum of American History.
Provenance:
Charline Seele, Gift, 2000, 2000-0057, NASM, except for images not taken by Seele.
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, Commercial  Search this
Airplanes  Search this
Aeronautics  Search this
Aeronautics, Commercial -- United States  Search this
Balloons  Search this
Photography  Search this
Genre/Form:
Color slides
Color negatives
Black-and-white negatives
Photographs
Identifier:
NASM.2000.0057
See more items in:
Jean Warren (J. W.) Seele Aircraft Photography Collection
Archival Repository:
National Air and Space Museum Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/pg238db35a6-d677-42a9-b258-4d94977ef9c8
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nasm-2000-0057

British Airliners [Manchester Airport] Color Photography

Extent:
0.01 Cubic feet (1 folder, 54 photographs)
Container:
Box 1, Folder 1
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Photographs
Date:
circa 1970 to 1981
Summary:
This collection consists of 54 photographs made by an unknown photographer between approximately 1970 and 1981, predominantly in a small 3.5 x 3.5 inch color print "snapshot" format. Most of the images are of airliners and are believed to have been taken from an observation deck at Manchester (Ringway) Airport, England (UK). Most images are soft-focus and have suffered yellowing and serious magenta-shift color fading overall.
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of 54 photographs made by an unknown photographer between approximately 1970 and 1981, predominantly in a 3.5 x 3.5 inch color print "snapshot" format, but also including two 3.5 x 3.5 inch black and white prints and six 3.5 x 4.5 inch color prints. Most of the images are believed to have been taken from an observation deck at Manchester (Ringway) Airport, Cheshire, England (UK); a few appear to have been taken at the 1981 Leicester International Air Display; a very few were taken at airports outside of the UK including Amsterdam (Netherlands) and Charlottesville, North Carolina (USA). Aircraft pictured include the following: Aero Spacelines Super Guppy; Aérospatiale SN 601 Corvette; Agusta AB.206B Jet Ranger III (Agusta-Bell); BAC One-Eleven Family; Boeing Models 707, 727, 737, and 747; Bölkow/MBB Bo 105C; Britten Norman BN-2A-III Trislander; de Havilland (Canada) DHC-6 Twin Otter Series 300; de Havilland D.H.106 Comet Mk.4; Douglas DC-8 and DC-9; Handley Page Dart Herald H.P.R.7; Lockheed L-1011 Tristar Family (Model 93); McDonnell Douglas DC-10; Nihon (Kokuki Seizo) YS-11A-500; Shorts S.C.7 Skyvan Series 3M; Tupolev Tu-134A Crusty; Vickers (UK) Vanguard Type 952; and the Vickers (UK) VC2 Viscount Types 802 and 806. British airlines pictured include Britannia Airways, British Airways, British Caledonian Airways, British Island Airways (BIA), British Midland Airways (BMA), Court Line Aviation Ltd, Dan-Air, Invicta International Airlines, Laker Airways Ltd, and LoganAir. Foreign airlines pictured include Air France (France), Air Spain (Spain), Alitalia (Italy), Aviaco Lineas Aereas (Spain), Aviogenex (Yugoslavia), Canadian Pacific Air Lines (CP Air)(Canada), Caribbean Airways (Barbados), KLM (Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij) (Netherlands), LOT (Poland), Pan Adria (Yugoslavia), Pan American Airways (Pan Am) (USA), Piedmont Airlines (USA), Trans World Airlines (TWA) (USA), and Wardair Canada Ltd (Canada).

Most images are soft-focus and have suffered yellowing and serious magenta-shift color fading overall. Slightly more than half have some annotations on the reverse of the print.
Arrangement:
Photographs are presented in original order.
Biographical / Historical:
Manchester (Ringway) Airport, located in the Ringway parish of Cheshire, England, south of the city of Manchester, dates from the late 1930s. During World War II it served as a base for the Royal Air Force (RAF Ringway). After the war it was returned to civilian use, growing in size and operations until it became the largest UK airport outside of London in terms of total passenger traffic.
Provenance:
Unknown, tranferred from R. E. G. Davies, NASM Aeronautics Department, circa 1989, NASM.XXXX.1223
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  Search this
Airplanes  Search this
Airports  Search this
Citation:
British Airliners [Manchester Airport] Color Photography, Acc. NASM.XXXX.1223, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
NASM.XXXX.1223
See more items in:
British Airliners [Manchester Airport] Color Photography
Archival Repository:
National Air and Space Museum Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/pg2098df68f-4e81-4613-ba2f-a39db541a148
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nasm-xxxx-1223
Online Media:

Early Aviation Newsclippings Collection

Extent:
22.08 Cubic feet ((19 boxes))
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Newspaper clippings
Date:
bulk 1897-1934
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of newspaper clippings relating to airships, balloons, and early aircraft. The material includes articles on famous inventors, as well as accidents, predictions, war arms, weather bureau reports, and women in aeronautics.
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
Airplanes  Search this
Women in aeronautics  Search this
Genre/Form:
Newspaper clippings
Citation:
Early Aviation Newsclippings Collection, Acc. XXXX-0420, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
NASM.XXXX.0420
Archival Repository:
National Air and Space Museum Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/pg2680e2054-f2b0-40a8-945f-001fbb7cc05f
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nasm-xxxx-0420

US Navy 1919 Transatlantic Flight (NC-4 Flight) Post Cards

Names:
United States. Navy  Search this
Extent:
0.05 Cubic feet (1 folder, 11 photographs, 3.5 x 5.4 inches)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Photographs
Place:
Azores
Long Island (N.Y.)
Trepassey (N.L.)
Lisbon (Portugal)
Date:
May 1919
Summary:
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.
Topic:
Aeronautics  Search this
Airplanes  Search this
Naval aviation  Search this
Curtiss NC-Boat Family  Search this
Curtiss NC-4 (P2N-1)  Search this
Curtiss NC-3 (P2N-1)  Search this
Curtiss NC-1 (P2N-1)  Search this
Seaplanes  Search this
Genre/Form:
Photographs -- 1910-1920 -- Black-and-white photoprints -- Silver gelatin
Citation:
US Navy 1919 Transatlantic Flight (NC-4 Flight) Post Cards, Acc. NASM.XXXX.1102, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
NASM.XXXX.1102
See more items in:
US Navy 1919 Transatlantic Flight (NC-4 Flight) Post Cards
Archival Repository:
National Air and Space Museum Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/pg2d67610f6-2cce-4cee-82ff-b46abc3afb36
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nasm-xxxx-1102
Online Media:

Edgar J. Wynn Collection

Creator:
Wynn, Edward J., 1914-  Search this
Names:
Pan American World Airways, Inc.  Search this
Royal Canadian Air Force  Search this
Transcontinental & Western Air, Inc.  Search this
United States. Army Air Forces. Air Transport Command  Search this
Wynn, Edward J., 1914-  Search this
Extent:
0.23 Cubic feet (1 flatbox; 1 folder)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Photograph albums
Publications
Date:
1939-[ca. 1940s]
Summary:
Edgar J. Wynn (1913--1947) was a barnstormer and civilian air transport pilot who served in both the Royal Canadian Air Force and later the US Air Force. This collection consists of several copies of a publication written by Wynn as well as a photo album.
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of several copies of Edgar J. Wynn's So You're Going to Fly the Big Stuff and a photo album. The album measures approximately 10 x 11 inches and contains images dating mainly from 1939 to 1941, many taken in Canada or New York. The album also contains extensive captioning by Wynn. Aircraft shown in the album include the Luscombe Model 8; Waco F-2; Douglas DC-3; Consolidated B-24 Liberator; North American Harvard; and the Sikorsky S-42 Clipper.
Arrangement:
Collection is arranged by type of material.
Biographical / Historical:
Edgar J. Wynn (1913--1947) learned to fly at age 16, and barnstormed in the east and middle west of the United States until the outbreak of World War II. In 1940 Wynn joined the Royal Canadian Air Force, where he was an instructor. After a few months, however, Wynn resigned his commission to take a job as a civilian ferry pilot. After forty-odd flights across the North Atlantic as a ferry pilot, he shifted to Pan American Airways (Pan Am) where he ferried bombers to Africa by the South Atlantic Route. He later switched to Trans World Airlines (TWA) where he had the privilege of piloting Eleanor Roosevelt. After his stint with TWA he became a captain in the US Air Force Air Transport Command. Wynn wrote several books about flying transport aircraft including Bombers Across and So You're Going to Fly the Big Stuff.
Provenance:
Gardette L. Cumpston, Gift, 1993, NASM.1993.0029.
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  Search this
Air pilots  Search this
Airplanes -- Ferrying  Search this
Aeronautics, Commercial  Search this
Aeronautics -- Exhibitions  Search this
Genre/Form:
Photograph albums
Publications
Citation:
Edgar J. Wynn Collection, NASM.1993.0029, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
NASM.1993.0029
See more items in:
Edgar J. Wynn Collection
Archival Repository:
National Air and Space Museum Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/pg259ddc3ee-4002-46ed-854c-bbc106ce6345
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nasm-1993-0029
Online Media:

Sopwith Aircraft Photo Albums

Creator:
Sopwith Aviation Company  Search this
Extent:
0.94 Cubic feet (2 flat boxes)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Photograph albums
Date:
1918-1919
Summary:
This collection consists of four photo albums containing factory photographs of Sopwith Aircraft built during 1918 and 1919.
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of four photo albums containing factory photographs of Sopwith Aircraft built during 1918 and 1919. There are overall views of the aircraft in various stages of construction, as well as detailed views of various components. Aircraft shown in the photographs include Sopwith Dolphin (5.F.1); Pup; Camel F.1; Snail (8.F.1); Grasshopper; Wallaby (Matthews/Kay UK-Australia Attempt); Gnu; Dove (Single-Seater and Two-Seater); Antelope; Swallow (Monoplane No.2); 1919 Schneider Cup Racer; Snipe (7.F.1); Salamander (2.T.F.1, T.F.2); Dragon and Dragon 2nd Prototype; Buffalo; Bulldog Mk.II (2.F.R.2); Rhino (2.B.2); Bomber (B.1/B.2); Hippo (3.F.2); Cobham Mk.I and Mk.II; and the Sopwith Snark. Additional images in the albums include a map of the proposed route to be taken by Harry George Hawker and John MacKenzie-Grieve during their 1919 transatlantic flight attempt in the Sopwith Atlantic and a series of photographs showing standard metal stampings for a variety of components.
Arrangement:
Albums were previously numbered with a scrapbook number and a letter suffix. They are housed in that order.
Biographical / Historical:
Sopwith Aviation Company was founded by Thomas Octave Murdoch Sopwith in 1912 and the company opened its first factory that year in Kingston upon Thames, South West London, England. A second factory followed in 1914 in Woolston, Hampshire, England. During World War I, more than 16,000 aircraft designed by Sopwith were produced by the company and sub-contractors under license agreements and towards the end of the war the company took out a lease on National Aircraft Factory No. 2 in Ham, London in order to be able to increase production of several models of fighter aircraft. After World War I, Sopwith struggled to find success in the civilian aircraft market and the company was liquidated in 1920. Thomas Sopwith would go on to form HG Hawker Engineering Company with Harry George Hawker (Sopwith Aviation Company's Chief Test Pilot), Fred Sigrist (Sopwith Aviation Company's Chief Designer), and Bill Eyre (another Sopwith Aviation Company colleague), which purchased Sopwith Aviation Company's assets and acquired rights to all the Sopwith aircraft design patents.
Provenance:
Unknown, material found in collection, NASM.XXXX.0260.
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  Search this
Aircraft industry  Search this
Genre/Form:
Photograph albums
Citation:
Sopwith Aircraft Photo Albums, NASM.XXXX.0260, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
NASM.XXXX.0260
See more items in:
Sopwith Aircraft Photo Albums
Archival Repository:
National Air and Space Museum Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/pg21e1f53fa-21b4-42e8-b112-2e8dfab5321d
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nasm-xxxx-0260
Online Media:

1925 Coupe d'Aviation Maritime Jacques Schneider (Jacques Schneider Maritime Aviation Cup) Souvenir Program

Extent:
0.05 Cubic feet (1 folder, 9 x 12 inch booklet (56 pages))
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Place:
Baltimore (Md.) -- 1920-1930
Chesapeake Bay Region (Md. and Va.) -- history
Date:
1925
Summary:
This collection consists of a souvenir program, missing its front and back covers, from the 1925 Coupe d'Aviation Maritime Jacques Schneider (Jacques Schneider Maritime Aviation Cup) seaplane races held on October 24, 1925, in Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of a copy of "Jacques Schneider International Seaplane Races, Baltimore, U.S.A., Bay Shore Park, October 24, 1925" issued by The Flying Club of Baltimore (Baltimore, Maryland) as the official program for the 1925 Coupe d'Aviation Maritime Jacques Schneider (Jacques Schneider Maritime Aviation Cup) races held on October 24 in Baltimore, Maryland. The 12 by 9 inch program (56 pages) is missing its front and back covers. Several pages have been annotated in black ink by an unidentified hand, including a scorecard on page 23.
Arrangement:
Pages are reproduced in numerical order.
Biographical / Historical:
In 1912, Jacques Schneider (1879-1928), a wealthy French industrialist and aviation enthusiast, established the Coupe d'Aviation Maritime Jacques Schneider (Jacques Schneider Maritime Aviation Trophy), a competition to encourage the development of hydroaeroplanes (aircraft capable of taking off from and landing on the surface of the water such as seaplanes, floatplanes, and flying boats). The first race, in 1913, was held at Monaco; the rules dictated that the winner's country would host the following year's race. To retain the trophy, a competitor needed to win three races within a five-year period. Schneider's hope was that the competition would foster technical developments which would aid civil aviation, but by the 1920s the Schneider Trophy races had become speed competitions. Aircraft manufacturers Curtiss (United States), Supermarine (United Kingdom), Macchi (Italy) and others were encouraged by their native countries to develop designs specifically for the Schneider Trophy competitions. The 8th Schneider Trophy race—the first set to take place in the United States—was planned for 1924 but was postponed a year due to a lack of competitors. By 1925, aircraft specifically designed for the race were ready to compete on a triangular course laid out over the Chesapeake Bay near Baltimore, Maryland. On October 26, 1925, US Army Lt. James H. "Jimmy" Doolittle flew the Curtiss R3C-2 to victory for the United States with an average speed of 374 km/h (232.17 mph). The next day he flew the R3C-2 over a straight course at a world-record speed of 395 km/h (245.7 mph). A Macchi design (Macchi M.39) won the race in 1926, passing the trophy back to Italy. Supermarine designs won the 1927 (Supermarine S.5), 1929 (Supermarine S.6), and 1931 (Supermarine S.6B) competitions to permanently secure the Schneider Trophy for the United Kingdom.
Related Materials:
A heavily annotated copy of the program—which includes the missing covers—can be found in the Samuel Donovan "Don" Swann Collection, NASM.1987.0062, Box 1, Folder 9, Program, Jacques Schneider Cup International Seaplanes Races [annotated], NASM-9A20016.
Provenance:
Transfer from NASM Aeronautics Department, 2010, NASM.XXXX.0565.0095
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 -- Competitions  Search this
Aeronautics, Military  Search this
Airplanes  Search this
Air pilots  Search this
Seaplanes  Search this
advertising -- 20th century  Search this
Citation:
Coupe d'Aviation Maritime Jacques Schneider (Jacques Schneider Maritime Aviation Cup) Souvenir Program, Acc. NASM.XXXX.0565.0095, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
NASM.XXXX.0565.0095
See more items in:
1925 Coupe d'Aviation Maritime Jacques Schneider (Jacques Schneider Maritime Aviation Cup) Souvenir Program
Archival Repository:
National Air and Space Museum Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/pg20a7b118b-4ccd-4504-98e1-89ff62fdf985
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nasm-xxxx-0565-0095
Online Media:

R. E. G. (Ron) Davies Air Transport Collection

Creator:
Davies, R. E. G. (Ronald Edward George)  Search this
Extent:
61.38 Cubic feet (143 document boxes; 4 cassette boxes; 10 shoeboxes; 1 oversize box)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Photographic prints
Timetables
Annual reports
Memorabilia
Notebooks
Date:
bulk 1910s to 2010
1847 to 2011
Summary:
R. E. G. (Ron) Davies (1921 -2011) was an English airline historian, who worked in airline marketing research before joining the National Air and Space Museum in 1981. He served as a curator until his retirement in 2011. This reference collection was compiled by Davies during his career and consists of historical data and materials—including photographs, timetables, and memorabilia—from the airlines of the world.
Scope and Contents:
This reference collection was compiled by Ron Davies throughout his career both as a market researcher and an academic and curator. Materials consist of 63 loose-leaf binders (called dossiers), each containing historical data on the airlines of a country or region, hand-drawn maps, chronologies, articles and marketing materials; over 5000 aviation prints; over 3500 airline timetables; and miscellaneous airline memorabilia. The collection also contains oral history materials, both transcripts and audio cassettes, and four catalogued videotapes.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged in six series:

Series 1: Dossiers

Series 2: Photographs

Series 3: Timetables

Series 4: Oral History

Series 5: Personal Materials

Series 6: Motion Picture Materials

Additional title information has been added by the processing archivist in brackets.
Biographical / Historical:
R. E. G. (Ron) Davies (1921-2011) was born in England and educated in Shaftesbury, Dorset. After spending six and a half years in the British Army, Davies joined the newly formed Ministry of Civil Aviation. Davies then spent six years in economic research with British European Airways, before joining British Aeroplane Company in 1957, where he set up a market research department. Davies worked in various manufacturing companies, specializing in market research and traffic analysis.

In 1968, Davies went to work in the United States for Douglas Aircraft, where he remained for 13 years as head of market research. In 1981, Davies was appointed as the Charles Lindbergh Chair of Aerospace History at the National Air and Space Museum, Washington, DC. After his appointment as Lindbergh Chair ended, Davies became a curator in the Aeronautics Division of the Museum. He retired in 2011.

Davies wrote 26 books about airlines, airline personalities and aspects of air transport, including the reference standards: A History of the World Airlines, Airlines of the United States since 1914, Airlines of Latin America since 1919, Airlines of Asia, and Airlines of the Jet Age: A History. He also founded Paladwr Press in 1987, publishing a series of books on various airlines and their aircraft.

Davies was a Fellow of three Royal Societies: Aeronautics, Arts, and Geographical and was an Associate of the Academe National de L'Air et de l'Espace. He was a Fellow National of the Explorers Club and a member of the New York's Wings Club and Washington's Cosmos Club. He received Brazil's Santos Dumont Medal and the Aeronautics Order of Merit.
Provenance:
R. E. G. (Ron) Davies, Gift, 1981, NASM.XXXX.0604.
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, Commercial  Search this
Airlines  Search this
Air travel  Search this
Airplanes  Search this
Genre/Form:
Photographic prints
Timetables
Annual reports
Memorabilia -- 20th century
Notebooks
Citation:
R. E. G. (Ron) Davies Air Transport Collection, Acc. NASM.XXXX.0604, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
NASM.XXXX.0604
See more items in:
R. E. G. (Ron) Davies Air Transport Collection
Archival Repository:
National Air and Space Museum Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/pg29424ca5a-d1c8-4305-a392-1808a01b1255
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nasm-xxxx-0604
Online Media:

La Ligne Aérienne France-Afrique-Amérique du Sud [Victor Cambon] Publication

Extent:
0.05 Cubic feet (1 folder, 1 booklet, 1 photograph)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Date:
1920s; publication circa 1926
Summary:
This collection consists of a circa 1926 French-language booklet written by French author Victor Cambon entitled La Ligne Aérienne France-Afrique-Amérique du Sud (The France-Africa-South America Airline) and possibly intended to be an investment prospectus for the early French airline Lignes Aériennes Latécoère. The publication, heavily illustrated with aerial photographs, discusses postal (air mail) routes operated by Lignes Aériennes Latécoère linking France via Spain to North Africa, details of Pierre-Georges Latécoère's proposed idea of a France-Africa-South America air route, and reference to test flights made in 1925 over the South American portion of the proposed route.
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of a circa 1926 French-language booklet (11 x 8.5 inches, 28 pages) written by Victor Cambon entitled La Ligne Aérienne France-Afrique-Amérique du Sud (The France-Africa-South America Airline) and possibly intended to be an investment prospectus for Lignes Aériennes Latécoère. The cover features a color illustration of a stylized Latécoère LAT 15 airliner in flight over a partial globe marked with a postal route linking several cities in France, Africa, and South America. The first part of the publication provides an introduction detailing the amount of time it took for mail delivery between France and South America via ship as of 1925 and how that time would be greatly reduced if Pierre-Georges Latécoère's ideas of a France-Africa-South America air route were to be put into action. A map detailing the route and distances between France and Buenos Aires, Argentina is included; a dotted line indicates a special ship route connecting the Cape Verde islands and the islands of Fernando de Noronha off the coast of Brazil. The author provides a history of Latécoère's successful France-Morocco air mail route (started September 1, 1919, between Toulouse and Casablanca via Spain) and France-Dakar route (started June 1, 1925, to continue service on to Dakar, Senegal) as proof of the commercial viability of the concept. A section on the technical organization of Lignes Aériennes Latécoère provides information on the routes, aircraft, engines, repair facilities and procedures then in use by the manufacturer and its airline, and features several photographs of Latécoère aircraft including the LAT 15, LAT 17, and LAT 21; views of the airfield at Toulouse, France; and photographs of noted passengers on the France to Morocco route (Ligne Aérienne France-Maroc) including King Albert I of Belgium, French politicians Laurent Eynac and Paul Painlevé, Marshal Philippe Pétain and Marshal Hubert Lyautey. The second part provides more detailed information on the proposed France-Africa-South America air route, with references to test flights made over the South American portion of the route. The publication includes numerous aerial photographs of locations along the air portion of the route: Toulouse and Carcassonne, France; Barcelona, Alicante, Granada, Peñíscola, and Málaga, Spain; Gibraltar; Tangier, Rabat, and Casablanca, Morocco; Dakar, Senegal; Recife (Pernambuco), Bahia, São Paulo, Porto Alegre, Pelotas, and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Montevideo, Uruguay; and Buenos Aires, Argentina. The publication also contains a heavily retouched black and white aerial print photograph of Carcassonne, France, circa early to mid-1920s.
Arrangement:
No arrangement.
Biographical / Historical:
Following the end of World War I, French aircraft designer and builder Pierre-Georges Latécoère (1883--1943) became interested in creating an air network linking France with cities in Africa and South America. In September 1919, Lignes Aériennes Latécoère (often referred to at the time simply as "La Ligne" or "The Line") initiated service between the Latécoère base at Toulouse, France, with Casablanca, Morocco (then a French protectorate) via several intermediate stops along Spain's Mediterranean coast. In June 1925 service was extended across the Spanish colony of Rio de Oro to Dakar, Senegal (then French West Africa). Although Latécoère did not yet have an aircraft capable of making the South Atlantic crossing between Africa and South America, he went ahead with test flights in 1925 from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to Buenos Aires, Argentina (with six stops enroute), and to Recife, on Brazil's northeast coast (with three stops). The proposed air route would encompass five legs: France, through Casablanca to Saint-Louis-du-Sénégal by airplane; Senegal to the Cape Verde islands off the coast of Africa by seaplane; Cape Verde to the islands of Fernando de Noronha off the coast of Brazil via a special fast surface ship; Fernando de Noronha to Recife by seaplane; and Recife to Rio and Buenos Aires by airplane. Latécoère obtained financial support in Brazil from wealthy French banker Marcel Bouilloux-Lafont (1871--1944), who increased his stake in the business until he took over Lignes Aériennes Latécoère in 1927, renaming it Compagnie Générale Aéropostale (better known simply as Aéropostale) to reflect its strong investment in air mail service. Latécoère returned to aircraft design and manufacturing, with the company becoming most famous in the 20th century for its numerous seaplane models. Still active in the 21st century as the aerospace subcontractor Groupe Latécoère, the company is now known for manufacturing aircraft equipment and substructures such as doors and fuselage sections.

French engineer and journalist Victor Cambon (1852-1927) graduated from and was later a professor at the École Centrale des Arts et Manufactures in Paris, France. Cambon was a prolific author who published articles and books predominantly on agricultural issues, French economic and colonial problems, and German industrial power, and at one time served as the editor of the scientific journal La Nature.
Provenance:
Unknown (found in collection), 2010, NASM.XXXX.0938
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
Airlines  Search this
Air mail service  Search this
Aerial photography  Search this
Airplanes  Search this
Citation:
La Ligne Aérienne France-Afrique-Amérique du Sud [Victor Cambon] Publication, Acc. NASM.XXXX.0938, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
NASM.XXXX.0938
See more items in:
La Ligne Aérienne France-Afrique-Amérique du Sud [Victor Cambon] Publication
Archival Repository:
National Air and Space Museum Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/pg2b1300e99-8ee0-4385-820a-e612f449e6f0
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nasm-xxxx-0938
Online Media:

Robert H. Botts Air-ship Collection

Extent:
0.1 Cubic feet (2 folders)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Date:
1902-1904
bulk 1980-1981
Summary:
This collection consists of six black and white photographs of Professor Robert H. Botts (initially known as Barnet Botts) and his air-ship [Botts (R. H.) 1904 Flying Machine] as well as copies of contemporary news accounts and biographical information compiled by donor Dr. William L. Thompson, M.D.
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of six black and white print photographs taken by William L. Thompson, Senior, of Botts and his air-ship [Botts (R. H.) 1904 Flying Machine] as well as copies of contemporary news accounts (1902-1904) and biographical information compiled in 1981 by donor Dr. William Lewis Thompson, Jr. (1909-1998), and a copy of Susan D. Cole's book Richmond—Windows to the Past (Wildcat Canyon Books, Richmond, California, 1980).
Arrangement:
The collection is divided into two folders, Photographs and Documents; the contents of each are presented in original order.
Biographical / Historical:
Barnet Botts (1857-1918) was born in Indiana on August 22, 1857, but after being orphaned at a young age he was sent to live with an uncle in Paso Robles, California. In 1894, Botts wrote a paper entitled "Botts' Air-ship, the Problem of Aerial Navigation," in which he explained the workings of his proposed air-ship and sought to secure financial aid to build it. During the winter of 1900, Botts, who was now identifying himself as Professor Robert H. Botts, moved to Richmond, California. Following this move, he secured at least two patents relating to the steam engine he designed to be used on his air-ship, and he built a model of his air-ship which was displayed in Richmond and San Francisco. In February 1902, he announced that he was going to build two air-ships by summer for a scientific expedition to the North Pole. Each air-ship was to carry four persons and their scientific equipment. In March of that year, Botts began selling shares in his World's Aerial Navigation and Construction Company of Richmond. Eventually enough money was raised to build a proper hangar/workshop and work began in earnest on the air-ship. In May, Botts gave a successful demonstration of the engine. However, on the day of the trial flight, which occurred sometime in 1902-1903, the flying machine was demolished when a gust of wind caught it and smashed in on the steep slopes below the launching hill. According to contemporary sources, Botts was devastated by the destruction and returned to Paso Robles, where he resided until his death.

Photographer William Lewis Thompson (1869-1929) was a mechanic and neighbor of Botts in Richmond, California, and father of the donor.
Provenance:
William L. Thompson, MD, gift, 1981, NASM.XXXX.0621
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 -- 1903-1916  Search this
Airplanes -- California  Search this
Citation:
Robert H. Botts Air-ship Collection, Acc. NASM.XXXX.0621, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
NASM.XXXX.0621
See more items in:
Robert H. Botts Air-ship Collection
Archival Repository:
National Air and Space Museum Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/pg2e07db5d6-e253-4bcf-b5ed-bae6d9b623f8
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nasm-xxxx-0621
Online Media:

Major Mario de Bernardi Photographs

Extent:
0.05 Cubic feet (1 folder, 7 photographs, 2 documents)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Date:
bulk 1926-1955
2003
Summary:
This collection consists of six black and white photographs of renowned Italian aviator Mario de Bernardi and one color photograph of his daughter Fiorenza de Bernardi, the first Italian woman commercial airline pilot. The collection also includes an informational document for each of the de Bernardis.
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of six black and white digital print photographs of Mario de Bernardi along with an information page on him. The collection also includes one color digital print photograph and a photocopy of an article on his daughter, Fiorenza de Bernardi, the first Italian woman commercial airline pilot and an advocate for women's aviation opportunities.
Arrangement:
Materials are grouped by type; photographs are presented online in chronological order.
Biographical / Historical:
Mario de Bernardi, a renowned Italian aviator (1893-1959), received his wings in 1913 when serving with the Italian Army Service in the Baracca Squadron. De Bernardi was an experimental test pilot, aerobatic pilot, and racer, who won the Coupe d'Aviation Maritime Jacques Schneider (Jacques Schneider Maritime Aviation Cup) at Hampton Roads, Virginia, in 1926 and the High Acrobatics Competition at the National Air Races in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1931. In 1940 he made test flights of the first Italian jet aircraft, the Caproni-Campini CC.2 (also known as the Camproni Campini N.1). He continued to fly until 1959 when he died following a heart attack suffered during an aerobatic flight.
Provenance:
Fiorenza de Bernardi, gift, 2004; via Smithsonian Institution Libraries, transfer, 2018; NASM.2018.0020.0005
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  Search this
Aeronautics, Military  Search this
Aeronautics -- Competitions  Search this
Airplanes  Search this
Air pilots  Search this
Women air pilots  Search this
Citation:
Major Mario de Bernardi Photographs, Acc. NASM.2018.0020.0005, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
NASM.2018.0020.0005
See more items in:
Major Mario de Bernardi Photographs
Archival Repository:
National Air and Space Museum Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/pg2eb1d7ab3-116e-44af-980c-e8190b0d38c0
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nasm-2018-0020-0005
Online Media:

"Wings of Gold: How the Aeroplane Developed New Guinea" Collection

Extent:
0.2 Cubic feet (4 folders)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Place:
Papua New Guinea
Date:
circa 1922-1035
Summary:
This collection consists of copies of 57 black and white photographs collected by author James Sinclair for use in his book, Wings of Gold: How the Aeroplane Developed New Guinea, Pacific Publications (Sydney), 1978. The collection does not include copies of all photographs used in the book.
Scope and Contents:
The photographs illustrate aviation activities in Papua, New Guinea from the early 1920s to the mid-1930s including Guinea Airways operations, primarily cargo operations, using Junkers G 31 and W 34 aircraft in support of gold mining and oil exploration; other smaller operators, like Bulolo Goldfield's Aeroplane Services and W. R. Carpenter Air Services using mostly de Havilland aircraft; various "bush pilots" also extensively using de Havilland planes; and expeditions such as the Stirling New Guinea Expedition, fostered by the Smithsonian Institution and employing a modified float-equipped Breguet Bre.14 B2 ("The Ern"), and the Hurley Expedition of 1922 which used a Curtiss MF (Seagull) (Model 18) flying boat. This group of 8 x 10 inch black and white photographs are copy photographs made from copy negatives shot from James Sinclair's original photographs and lent to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum (NASM) for copying by Terry Gwynn-Jones. The originals were collected by Sinclair for use in his book, Wings of Gold: How the Aeroplane Developed New Guinea, Pacific Publications (Sydney), 1978. The collection does not include copies of all photographs used in the book.
Arrangement:
A set of 42 poor-quality copy negatives and copy photographs were produced in 1987 by the Smithsonian Office of Printing and Photographic Services (SI-OPPS) and assigned numbers 87-16321 through 87-16362. In 1990, a set of 52 good-quality copy negatives and copy photographs were produced in 1990 by SI-OPPS and assigned numbers 90-128 through 90-179. The 1990 set includes 16 images not found in the 1987 set. There is extensive but incomplete overlap between the 1987 set and the 1990 set; in all, there are 57 unique images.
Biographical / Historical:
Aviation activities in the Territory of Papua, a territory of the British Empire located in the southeastern quarter of the southwest Pacific island of New Guinea, first occurred in the early 1920s, during a period when the territory was administered by the Commonwealth of Australia. Activities increased greatly in 1930, when an airstrip was constructed in the town of Bulolo (Morobe Province) to support gold dredging in the area. Dredging equipment was transported to Bulolo in pieces by air, with the first gold dredge beginning operations on March 21, 1932.

James Patrick Sinclair was born in Dubbo, New South Wales, Australia, on April 18, 1928. In November 1947, he joined Australia's Department of District Services and Native Affairs, Administration of Papua New Guinea, serving from 1948 to 1957 in many locations as a patrol officer, assistant district officer, deputy district commissioner and district commissioner. Sinclair was the last Australian District Commissioner of the Eastern Highlands District (1969-1974), retiring from civil service in August 1975 after Papua New Guinea declared independence from the British Empire to become the Independent State of Papua New Guinea. In his retirement, Sinclair returned to his previous hobby of writing on Papua New Guinea history, eventually publishing more than 30 books prior to his death on October 9, 2017.

Terry Gwynn-Jones was born in Malvern, England (UK) in 1933. In 1951, Gwynn-Jones joined the Royal Air Force (RAF) and subsequently served as a pilot in the RAF, the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), and the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) before joining the Australian Department of Aviation in 1969. In 1975, veteran Battle of Britain pilot Denys Dalton—with Gwynn-Jones as co-pilot—set a new around-the-world speed record for piston engined aircraft, flying Beech Duke 60 (r/n VH-TKE) round trip from Brisbane, Australia, in 122 hours 19 minutes 57 seconds between July 20 and 25, 1975. In 1983, Gwynn-Jones was a member of the Australian team which won that year's World Ballooning Championship in France. A prolific writer, Gwynn-Jones published numerous aviation history books and articles, and served as a consultant and writer for the Time-Life Epic of Flight series. In the 1980s, Gwynn-Jones was appointed to a visiting fellowship at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, and in 1987 he was appointed to the Board of Advisors of the museum's History of Aviation book project. Gwynn-Jones died in Brisbane on March 28, 2008.
Provenance:
Terry Gwynn-Jones, gift, 1987, NASM.1988.0048
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 -- Freight  Search this
Airplanes  Search this
Airlines  Search this
Citation:
"Wings of Gold: How the Aeroplane Developed New Guinea" Collection, Acc. NASM.1988.0048, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
NASM.1988.0048
See more items in:
"Wings of Gold: How the Aeroplane Developed New Guinea" Collection
Archival Repository:
National Air and Space Museum Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/pg2429eecc9-f438-4433-9845-4049269f2db5
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nasm-1988-0048
Online Media:

Aircraft Recognition Slides [Kahn]

Creator:
United States. Office of Naval Research  Search this
Extent:
0.2 Cubic feet (1 slim letter document box)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Slides (35mm transparencies)
Date:
1947-1951
Summary:
Recognition slides were one of the methods used in the 1940s and 1950s to train service personnel in the identification of aircraft types, as well as ship types. This collection consists of 102 glass-mounted black and white 35 mm recognition training slides with related documents issued by the Office of Naval Research Special Devices Center in Port Washington, New York.
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of 102 glass-mounted black and white 35 mm recognition training slides with related documents. The material was issued by the Office of Naval Research Special Devices Center in Port Washington, New York, as "Device 5-QQ-2a, November 1951 Slide Supplement, to Devices 5-QQ-1, and 5-QQ-2 Recognition Slide Kits." Included with the unused replacement slide set is a booklet of perforated gummed stickers and a form in the shape of a mailing card. The user was expected to remove each sticker from the booklet, wet the back of the sticker to activate the gummed adhesive, then place the sticker over the outdated image in the basic recognition training set's printed material. Instructions on the sticker booklet note that 'Slides having the prefix "x" are replacements for obsolete slides in the basic kits. Obsolete slides should be removed and destroyed.' Pages of gummed paper stickers in the booklet are separated by glassine pages; the gummed side of the stickers have adhered to the glassine. The last page of stickers is detached from the booklet and has become adhered to one side of the "Special Devices Maintenance Report" form; the two stickers originally at the right side of the page appear to have been torn off and were not received as part of the donation. While the contents are officially listed as "100 Recognition Slides" the collection was received with 102 slides; several slides are duplicates.
Arrangement:
Materials are grouped by format. Slides are arranged in numerical order.
Biographical / Historical:
In a combat situation, the ability to identify an aircraft quickly and accurately as friend or foe is of paramount importance. In World War I, national insignia were used for the first time to identify military aircraft used by the combatants. These insignia could be hard to spot when an aircraft in flight was seen silhouetted against a bright sky, so visual aircraft recognition training materials began to emphasize the shape of an aircraft as seen from different angles. The WEFT system, based on study of the shapes and locations of an aircraft's Wings, Engines, Fuselage, and Tail, was developed by the British just prior to and during World War II and made extensive use of three-view (bottom, front, side) silhouettes of aircraft. The WEFT system of recognition training was adopted by the US Navy and the US Army Air Corps in 1941. In 1942, a different approach to training was developed by Samuel Renshaw of Ohio State University; Renshaw's concept presented students with a brief "flash" view of an aircraft on a screen, forcing them to concentrate on the overall shape of the aircraft (whole image) rather than studying individual components (image analysis). Still picture film slides could be used both for initial identification training based on the WEFT system as well as for Renshaw-style "flash" viewing to improve recognition speed. Film slides created specifically for recognition training were typically produced with a printed cardboard frame identifying the subject of the slide sandwiched between thin glass sheets designed to both protect the film image from repeated handling and from the intense heat produced by the incandescent light sources used in slide projectors. The Office of Naval Research Special Devices Center in Port Washington, New York, produced several slide-based recognition training devices for the US military during the Cold War period following World War II.
Provenance:
Mark Kahn, gift, 2023, NASM.2023.0022
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, Military  Search this
Airplanes  Search this
Cold War -- 1950-1970  Search this
Genre/Form:
Slides (35mm transparencies)
Citation:
Aircraft Recognition Slides [Kahn], Acc. NASM.2023.0022, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
NASM.2023.0022
See more items in:
Aircraft Recognition Slides [Kahn]
Archival Repository:
National Air and Space Museum Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/pg2678582c3-36f9-41bb-94dd-5ef985174b42
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nasm-2023-0022
Online Media:

National Air Races Negative Collection

Names:
National Air Races  Search this
Pulitzer Trophy Race  Search this
Thompson Trophy Race  Search this
Brown, Charles  Search this
Cleland, Cook  Search this
Cochran, Jacqueline  Search this
De Bona, Joseph C.  Search this
McKitten, Ben  Search this
Skelton, Betty, 1926-  Search this
Turner, Roscoe, 1895-1970  Search this
Extent:
0.33 Cubic feet (1 box, 336 black and white 4 x 5 inch format negatives)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Photographs
Place:
Cleveland (Ohio)
Date:
1948-1949
Summary:
This collection consists of 336 black and white 4 x 5 inch format negatives by Robert E. Burke Studios, Inc. of Cleveland, Ohio; most of the photographs depict aircraft, personalities, and activities at or in relation to the National Air Races held at Cleveland in 1948 and 1949.
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of 336 black and white 4 x 5 inch format negatives and their original paper envelopes. The photography has been identified as the work of Robert E. Burke Studios, Inc. of Cleveland, Ohio, advertised as the "Official Photographer" of both the 1948 and 1949 National Air Races. Most of the photographs cover aircraft, personalities, and activities at or in relation to the 1948 and 1949 National Air Races; views include racing and military aircraft on the ground and in flight, views of the spectators (including entertainment personalities such as actor James "Jimmy" Stewart and radio presenter Arthur Godfrey), presentation of awards on the Speaker's Stand, aerial views of Cleveland Municipal Airport, and views of pilots and their supporters. Pilots portrayed include Charles Brown, Cook Cleland, Jacqueline Cochran, Joseph C. De Bona, Ben McKillen, Betty Skelton, and Roscoe Turner. The collection also includes some non-aviation work apparently done for Thompson Products, a major producer of aircraft engine components and high-performance valves used in both aircraft and automobile engines.
Arrangement:
During initial processing by NASM Archives in 2004, the negatives were assigned NASM Archives image reference numbers (NASM 9A02483 through NASM 9A02814-C) in the order in which they were received from the NASM Aeronautics Department; they are physically stored in NASM image reference number order. For the purposes of the online finding aid, the images have been intellectually rearranged into numerical order using the photographer's original 8-digit negative numbers as printed on the original negative envelopes. The images are grouped according to the first four digits of the negative number (Burke's "File" number) and divided into two chronological series for the years 1948 and 1949.
Biographical / Historical:
First held in 1920 at Mitchel Field outside of New York City, the National Air Races were an annual, week-long event including formation flying, parachute drops, aerobatic displays, and closed-circuit and cross-country air races. Through the 1920s, the location of the Races moved to a different American city each year, occurring at Cleveland, Ohio, for the first time in 1929. In the 1930s, the Races settled almost permanently at Cleveland Municipal Airport (later known as Cleveland Hopkins International Airport), with only the 1930, 1933, and 1936 races held in Los Angeles, California. The Races were suspended from 1940 to 1945 due to World War II, but resumed at Cleveland in 1946, with the post-war contestants now including many military surplus aircraft. The National Air Races, meant to be the high point of the air racing year, included privately sponsored races to both foster the development of aircraft and raise the profile of the sponsors. The 1948 Races (held September 4-6, 1948) and 1949 Races (held September 3-5, 1949) featured trophy races sponsored by Ohio companies Bendix Corporation, the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, Standard Oil of Ohio (Sohio), and the local Cleveland companies Tinnerman Products (makers of fasteners used in aircraft construction) and Thompson Products (makers of high-performance valves for both aircraft and automobile racing engines). High-speed aircraft races certainly helped draw huge crowds to the airport to see the action, but tragically, on September 5, 1949, Bill Odom, piloting the modified North American P-51C Mustang "Beguine" in that day's Thompson Trophy Race, crashed into a house in the Cleveland suburb of Berea, Ohio, killing himself and a woman and child. Berea and other municipalities in the area quickly passed ordinances prohibiting air racing in their airspace, signaling the end of the National Air Races as they had existed up to that point. The races would be reborn decades later in 1964 at Reno, Nevada, as the National Championship Air Races.
Related Materials:
Additional photography by Robert E. Burke from the 1947 through 1949 National Air Races, as well as copies of the Official Programs for the 1948 and 1949 Races can be seen in the Bendix Air Races Collection, NASM.1988.0115.
Provenance:
Unknown, transfer from NASM Aeronautics Department, 1994, NASM.XXXX.0555.
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 -- Awards  Search this
Aeronautics -- Competitions  Search this
Aeronautics -- Exhibitions  Search this
Airplanes  Search this
Airplane racing  Search this
Air pilots  Search this
Women air pilots  Search this
Women in aeronautics  Search this
Airports  Search this
Stunt flying  Search this
Parachutes  Search this
Genre/Form:
Photographs
Identifier:
NASM.XXXX.0555
See more items in:
National Air Races Negative Collection
Archival Repository:
National Air and Space Museum Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/pg2bf237701-9158-4266-b522-2291f41c49d3
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nasm-xxxx-0555
Online Media:

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