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Felixstowe (NAF) F-5-L (hull only)

Manufacturer:
Naval Aircraft Factory  Search this
Materials:
Overall: Wood
Dimensions:
Wingspan: 31.6 m (103 ft 9 in)
Length: 15 m (49 ft 4 in)
Height: 5.7 m (18 ft 9 in)
Weight: Empty, 3,955 kg (8,720 lb)
Gross, 6,169 kg (13,600 lb)
Type:
CRAFT-Aircraft
Country of Origin:
United States of America
Date:
1918
Credit Line:
Transferred from the U.S. Navy Department
Inventory Number:
A19240007000
Restrictions & Rights:
Usage conditions apply
See more items in:
National Air and Space Museum Collection
Data Source:
National Air and Space Museum
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nv9e90ebb82-f16e-4063-9ab2-a29f0aa70e83
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nasm_A19240007000

Radio, Marconi, SE 1100, Felixstowe (NAF) F5L

Manufacturer:
Marconi Wireless Telegraph Company  Search this
Type:
AVIONICS-Communication
Country of Origin:
United States of America
Date:
1918
Credit Line:
Transferred from the U.S. Navy Department.
Inventory Number:
A19240007016
Restrictions & Rights:
Usage conditions apply
See more items in:
National Air and Space Museum Collection
Data Source:
National Air and Space Museum
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nv98d13cbc1-03de-4749-a9e5-50a884701e06
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nasm_A19240007016
Online Media:

Theodore E. Boyd World War I Collection

Author:
Boyd, Theodore E.  Search this
Extent:
0.84 Cubic feet (1 legal document box; 1 flat box)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Correspondence
Photographs
Date:
1916-1983
Summary:
The Theodore E. Boyd World War I collection consists of material documenting Theodore E. Boyd's World War I career. The bulk of the collection covers the World War I era, 1917 to 1919, but materials before and after those dates are also present. Materials include: correspondence, written both during the war to family and friends; photographs; military orders, mostly in English, a few in French; flight logs; identity card; Honorable Discharge and Distinguished Service Cross certificates; memoirs of his war experiences, both written for publication and to his family; and post war veterans rosters.
Scope and Contents:
The collection consists of material documenting Theodore E. Boyd's World War I career: correspondence, written both during the war to family and friends; photographs; military orders, mostly in English, a few in French; flight logs; identity card; Honorable Discharge and Distinguished Service Cross certificates; memoirs of his war experiences, both written for publication and to his family; and post war veterans rosters.
Arrangement:
The collection has been arranged into three series: Series 1, World War I; Series 2, Memoirs; and Series 3, Post War Rosters.

The collection did not have any particular order when received by the NASM Archives. Archivists have organized the documents by topic then by date.
Biographical Note:
During World War I, Theodore E. Boyd served with the 88th Aero Squadron (Attached), 7th Field Artillery, Air Service, American Expeditionary Forces (A.E.F.). Second Lieutenant Boyd was an observer and served in France until he was injured on September 14, 1918, when during a flight near Conflans, France, he was wounded in both legs, his left foot, and right elbow by explosive bullets. For his bravery during this flight, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. Due to his injures, his service ended and he was honorably discharged. After the war, Boyd went to medical school and taught physiology for 24 years at Loyola University in Chicago. In 1947, Boyd joined the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis where for twenty years he served as Assistant Director, and then Director, of the Research Department.

Timeline

Theodore E. Boyd Timeline

1893 December 14 -- Theodore Elliott Boyd born in Ashland City, Tennessee.

1910 -- Boyd forced to give up a West Point appointment because of varicose veins and a bad scar.

1917 May -- Reported to Reserve Officers' Training Camp, Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia.

1917 August 15 -- Honorably discharged from Ft. Oglehthorpe to accept commission as Second Lieutenant Field Artillery Section Officers Reserve Corps.

1917 August 22 -- Ordered to report to General Superintendent, Army Transport Services, New York City, for assignment to first available transportation to France. Left Tennessee August 23.

1917 September 9 -- Left New York. Landed at Liverpool on September 23, Le Havre on September 25.

1917 October 1 -- Entered Artillery School at Saumur

1918 January 14 -- Report to Aviation School, Tours

1918 February 19 -- Transferred to First Corps School, Gondrecourt, for advanced instruction.

1918 April 6 -- Dispatched for duty with French 40th Observation Squadron in Champagne.

1918 May 20 -- Ordered from Chalons-sur-Marne to the AEF 88th Squadron in Amanty (Meuse).

1918 June 6 -- Ordered to Cazeux for course in machine gun instruction.

1918 July 1 -- Returned to the 88th Squadron at Ourches (Meuse).

1918 August 9 -- Protected a photographic miessio nbetween the Vesle and Aisne. Cited for gallantry in action and entitled to wear a silver star on the Victory medal.

1918 September 9-12 -- On leave in Paris.

1918 September 14 -- "[Lt. Theodore Boyd was charged with the] protection of an aerial photo mission over the city of Conflans, in which six machines were schedule to fly in combat formation. This officer, three of the escorting plans having failed to join the formation, proceeded on his mission notwithstanding. At a point, roughly 3 km NW fo Conflans, he engaged in combat with five enemy pursuit machines of the Pfalz type. He was wounded in both legs, the left foot, and right elbow by explosive bullets. In spite of his wounds, he succeeded, by a remarkable display of courage and tenacity, in keeping up the fire of his guns until the attacking planes were put to flight. During the return to the Allied lines, Lieut. Boyd, although faint with pain and loss of blood, assisted his pilot, whose machine was disabled and coming down under control, in choosing the shortest route to safety."-Captain Kenneth P. Littauer, recommendation for Distinguished Service Cross

1918 November 11 -- Ordered to proceed from Savenay to the port of Brest for transport to the United States (left Brest November 18).

1918 November 29 -- Landed at Newport News, Virginia.

1918 December 6 -- Arrived at Fort McPherson, Georgia, for convalescense.

1919 May 6 -- Lieutenant Theodore E. Boyd honorably discharged from the United States Army.
Provenance:
Donated by Pat Piper, gift, 2012.
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
World War, 1914-1918 -- Aerial operations  Search this
United States. Army. American Expeditionary Forces  Search this
Genre/Form:
Correspondence
Photographs
Citation:
Theodore E. Boyd World War I Collection, Accession 2013-0016, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
NASM.2013.0016
See more items in:
Theodore E. Boyd World War I Collection
Archival Repository:
National Air and Space Museum Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/pg224519125-1613-4c45-9622-3f408c448efd
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nasm-2013-0016
Online Media:

Rich Field Flyer

Collection Creator:
Junkin, Hattie Meyers, 1896-1985  Search this
Container:
Box 7, Folder 2
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
1919
Collection Restrictions:
No restrictions on access
Collection Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests.
See more items in:
Hattie Meyers Junkin Papers
Hattie Meyers Junkin Papers / Series 5: George "Buck" Weaver materials
Archival Repository:
National Air and Space Museum Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/pg293474a28-91ac-42ba-9e3b-2a796e7908f6
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-nasm-xxxx-0171-ref169
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Biographical Information

Collection Creator:
Milling, Thomas DeWitt, 1887-1960  Search this
Container:
Box 1, Folder 1
Type:
Archival materials
Text
Collection Restrictions:
No restrictions on access
Collection Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests.
Collection Citation:
Thomas DeWitt Milling Collection, NASM.XXXX.0133, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
See more items in:
Thomas DeWitt Milling Collection
Thomas DeWitt Milling Collection / Series 1: Personal
Archival Repository:
National Air and Space Museum Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/pg226d5bbec-365b-4c98-9f24-3aca3966d583
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-nasm-xxxx-0133-ref14
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Clippings

Collection Creator:
Milling, Thomas DeWitt, 1887-1960  Search this
Container:
Box 1, Folder 8
Type:
Archival materials
Text
Date:
1911-1939
Collection Restrictions:
No restrictions on access
Collection Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests.
Collection Citation:
Thomas DeWitt Milling Collection, NASM.XXXX.0133, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
See more items in:
Thomas DeWitt Milling Collection
Thomas DeWitt Milling Collection / Series 1: Personal
Archival Repository:
National Air and Space Museum Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/pg2d44f6f9d-70f4-4691-a12d-7b4c54cf7a1c
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-nasm-xxxx-0133-ref21
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Miscellaneous

Collection Creator:
Davis, Benjamin O., Jr., 1912-  Search this
Container:
Box 11, Folder 10
Type:
Archival materials
Date:
undated
Collection Restrictions:
No restrictions on access
Collection Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests.
Collection Citation:
Benjamin O. Davis, Jr. Collection, Acc. 1992.0023, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
See more items in:
Benjamin O. Davis Jr. Collection
Benjamin O. Davis Jr. Collection / Series 2: Military Career / 2.3: Materials Arranged by Posting / 2.3.13: Far East Air Force (FEAF) Headquarters (Tokyo, Japan), Director of Operations and Training
Archival Repository:
National Air and Space Museum Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/pg273231a1e-f76a-4674-9eaf-fcc89cfe3fbb
EDAN-URL:
ead_component:sova-nasm-1992-0023-ref1918
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Samuel P. Langley Collection

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

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

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

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

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

Other material was added to the collection over the years:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Note: The digital images in this finding aid were repurposed from scans made by an outside contractor for a commercial product and may show irregular cropping and orientation in addition to color variations resulting from damage to and deterioration of the original objects.
Arrangement:
The Samuel P. Langley Collection is arranged in the following series:

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

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

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

Subseries 3.1 - Design and Construction

Subseries 3.2 - Langley Aerodrome Exhibits

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

Subseries 4.1 - S. P. Langley Correspondence

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

Subseries 3 - Miscellaneous Correspondence

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

Subseries 5.1 - Works by S. P. Langley

Subseries 5.2 - Miscellaneous Manuscripts, Articles, and Notes

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

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

Series 8 - Miscellaneous Files

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1847 -- Henson tests a model of his aircraft.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1868 -- Stringfellow builds a model triplane.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1888 -- Langley publishes The New Astronomy.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

November 1905 -- Langley suffers a stroke.

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

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

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

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

The Smithsonian Aeronautical Staff

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

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

Louville Eugene Emerson -- Laborer.

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

William Gaertner -- Instrument maker.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Langley Technical Files: Aircraft Series Technical Files

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Langley Technical Files: Biographies Series Technical Files

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Langley, Samuel Pierpont -- Images available.
Provenance:
Smithsonian generated, transfer, unknown.
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access
Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permission Requests.
Topic:
Aeronautics  Search this
Aeronautics -- pre-1903  Search this
Aeronautics -- 1903-1916  Search this
Aeronautics -- Records  Search this
Langley Aerodrome Family  Search this
Langley Aerodrome No 5 (1895-96)  Search this
Periodicals  Search this
Genre/Form:
Correspondence
Drawings
Manuscripts
Photographs
Publications
Citation:
Samuel P. Langley Collection, NASM.XXXX.0494, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
NASM.XXXX.0494
See more items in:
Samuel P. Langley Collection
Archival Repository:
National Air and Space Museum Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/pg21fa211d9-0818-40b9-a8e7-60709d4400a8
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nasm-xxxx-0494
Online Media:

Five down and glory; a history of the American air ace. Edited by Mark P. Friedlander, Jr

Author:
Gurney, Gene  Search this
Physical description:
302 pages illustrations 22 cm
Type:
Books
Place:
United States
Date:
1958
[1958]
Topic:
Military decorations  Search this
World War, 1914-1918--Aerial operations  Search this
World War, 1939-1945--Aerial operations, American  Search this
Korean War, 1950-1953--Aerial operations  Search this
Call number:
UG633 .G98
UG633.G98
Data Source:
Smithsonian Libraries
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:siris_sil_143208

Float, Felixstowe F5L (Left Wing)

Manufacturer:
Naval Aircraft Factory  Search this
Materials:
Wood
Varnish
Ferrous Alloy
Copper Alloy
Natural Fiber Fabric
Aircraft Dope
Dimensions:
3-D (Aluminum Pallet Storage): 234.9 × 121.9 × 99.1cm, 55.8kg (7 ft. 8 1/2 in. × 4 ft. × 3 ft. 3 in., 123lb.)
3-D (Float): 215.9 × 49.5 × 78.7cm, 12.2kg (7 ft. 1 in. × 1 ft. 7 1/2 in. × 2 ft. 7 in., 27lb.)
Type:
CRAFT-Aircraft Parts
Country of Origin:
United States of America
Date:
1918
Credit Line:
Transferred from the U.S. Navy Department.
Inventory Number:
A19240007015
Restrictions & Rights:
Usage conditions apply
See more items in:
National Air and Space Museum Collection
Data Source:
National Air and Space Museum
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/nv91bfa75c9-e359-43c1-85e8-8cd4fc7cf81f
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:nasm_A19240007015

Alexander de Seversky Russian Photograph Album

Extent:
0.15 Cubic feet ((1 box))
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Photograph albums
Date:
bulk 1912-1915
Summary:
This 12 1/2 by 9 1/2 inch black-paged photograph album, with captions in Russian, comes from the estate of Alexander de Seversky. It contains aerial photographs, images of the Russian officers and sailors, hangars and shipyards, and various float planes, some equipped with pontoons for use on ice. Aircraft seen in the photographs include the Sikorsky S-10 Hydro, Sikorsky S-5A, Sikorsky Il'ya Muromets on floats, Grigorovich pusher seaplane, Franco-British Aviation Co. Ltd. FBA Model C, and Maurice Farman M.F.11.
Scope and Contents:
This 12 1/2 by 9 1/2 inch black-paged photograph album, with captions in Russian, comes from the estate of Alexander de Seversky. It contains aerial photographs, images of the Russian officers and sailors, hangars and shipyards, and various float planes, some equipped with pontoons for use on ice. Aircraft seen in the photographs include the Sikorsky S-10 Hydro, Sikorsky S-5A, Sikorsky Il'ya Muromets on floats, Grigorovich pusher seaplane, Franco-British Aviation Co. Ltd. FBA Model C, and Maurice Farman M.F. 11.

Note: The digital images in this finding aid were repurposed from scans made by an outside contractor for a commercial product and may show irregular cropping and orientation in addition to color variations resulting from damage to and deterioration of the original objects.
Arrangement:
The Alexander de Seversky Russian Photograph Album Collection is arranged in the collection's original orderby content type.
Biographical / Historical:
Alexander de Seversky (1894-1974) was born in Russian Georgia and graduated from the Imperial Russian Naval Academy. He took a postgraduate course at the Military School of Aeronautics where he learned to fly a Farman 4. Upon the outbreak of World War I, he began service with the Baltic Fleet as a naval combat pilot. Seversky shot down 13 German aircraft during the war and lost his right leg during a bombing mission in 1915. After the Russian revolution he became an American citizen and worked as a test pilot and inspector for the US government. In the 1930s he organized the Seversky Aircraft Corporation. Seversky set numerous speed records during the 1930s and is credited with playing a major role in important aviation technological breakthroughs.
Provenance:
Joshua Stoff, Cradle of Aviation Museum, Gift, 2005
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access.
Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests
Topic:
Aeronautics  Search this
World War, 1914-1918 -- Aerial operations  Search this
Aeronautics -- Russia  Search this
Sikorsky (Igor) S-10, Hydro  Search this
Sikorsky (Igor) S-5A  Search this
Sikorsky (Igor) S-22 Il-ya Muroments  Search this
Farman (Maurice) M.F.11  Search this
Genre/Form:
Photograph albums
Citation:
Alexander de Seversky Russian Photograph Album, NASM.2005.-0016, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Identifier:
NASM.2005.0016
Archival Repository:
National Air and Space Museum Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/pg2f8ea80ee-a4da-4ceb-83e0-94d0705f2187
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nasm-2005-0016
Online Media:

Edward V. Rickenbacker Microfilm Collection

Creator:
Rickenbacker, Eddie, 1890-1973  Search this
Names:
American Airlines  Search this
Eastern Airlines, Inc.  Search this
Fokker Aircraft Corp  Search this
United States. Air Force. Military Air Transport Service  Search this
United States. Army. Air Service. 1st Pursuit Group. 94th Aero Squadron  Search this
Rickenbacker, Eddie, 1890-1973  Search this
Extent:
0.05 Cubic feet ((5 microfilm reels))
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Albums
Scrapbooks
Photographs
Reports
Date:
1913-1973
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of two annual reports, two photograph albums, and a set of microfilm of 26 scrapbooks. The scrapbooks contain newspaper clippings chronicling Rickenbacker's aviation career. The two photo albums are as follows: 'In Commemoration of the Dedication of the Rickenbacker Foundation,' and 'The Great Silver Fleet,' which features imagery from the 1941 Georgia crash. There are also two annual reports: United Aircraft and Transport Corporation First Annual Report to Stockholders,' 1929 and 'Central Airlines Annual Report, 1965.'
Biographical / Historical:
Edward Vernon Rickenbacker (1890-1973) had only a sixth grade education but became a leading aviation figure in both military and civilian circles. Rickenbacker was a fighter ace during World War I, where as a member of the 94th Aero Squadron he shot down 22 German aircraft and 4 observation balloons. He became a colonel in the Army Air Reserves and during WWII helped form the Military Air Transport Services. In the civilian sector, Rickenbacker worked at several airlines, including Fokker Aircraft Corporation and American Airways, before going to work at Eastern Airlines in 1934. In 1939 Rickenbacker became Eastern's president and chairman, positions he held until 1963.
General:
Note: The physical scrapbooks were deaccessioned to Auburn University Library in 1996. The National Air and Space Museum holds a microfilm copy.
NASMrev
Provenance:
Estate of Edward Vernon Rickenbacker, unknown, 1973, XXXX-0525, unknown
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access
Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests
Topic:
Aeronautics, Military  Search this
Aeronautics  Search this
World War, 1914-1918 -- Aerial operations  Search this
Aeronautics, Commercial -- United States  Search this
Aeronautics, Commercial  Search this
Fighter pilots  Search this
World War, 1914-1918  Search this
Genre/Form:
Albums
Scrapbooks
Photographs
Reports
Identifier:
NASM.XXXX.0525
Archival Repository:
National Air and Space Museum Archives
GUID:
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/pg2ca6b03aa-5ae1-4206-b4fb-6b4305d6c6f0
EDAN-URL:
ead_collection:sova-nasm-xxxx-0525

An airman remembers, by Hans Schroder. Translated from the German by Claud W. Sykes

Author:
Schröder, Hans 1894 or 5-  Search this
Sykes, Claud W (Claud Walter) 1883-  Search this
Physical description:
320 p. front. (port.) plates. 22 cm
Type:
Personal narratives, German
Date:
1936
[1936]
Topic:
World War, 1914-1918--Aerial operations  Search this
World War, 1914-1918  Search this
Call number:
D604 .S38X
D604.S38X
Data Source:
Smithsonian Libraries
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:siris_sil_73705

The Red Knight of Germany : the story of Baron von Richthofen. Germany's great war bird / by Floyd Gibbons ; with drawings by Clayton Knight

Author:
Gibbons, Floyd Phillips 1887-1939  Search this
Subject:
Richthofen, Manfred Freiherr von 1892-1918  Search this
Physical description:
383 pages : plates, 2 portrait (including frontispiece) ; 22 cm
Type:
Books
Date:
1927
Topic:
World War, 1914-1918--Aerial operations  Search this
Call number:
D604 .R53X
Data Source:
Smithsonian Libraries
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:siris_sil_87099

Recollections of an airman, by Lt.-Col. L. A. Strange

Author:
Strange, Louis Arbon 1891-  Search this
Physical description:
224 p. front., plates, ports. 22 cm
Type:
Books
Date:
1933
[1933]
Topic:
World War, 1914-1918--Aerial operations  Search this
Call number:
D602 .S76X
D602.S76X
Data Source:
Smithsonian Libraries
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:siris_sil_72720

The canvas falcons: the story of the men and the planes of World War I / Stephen Longstreet

Author:
Longstreet, Stephen 1907-2002  Search this
Physical description:
xiii, 365 p., [16] p. of plates : ill., ports. ; 22 cm
Type:
Books
Date:
1995
Topic:
World War, 1914-1918--Aerial operations  Search this
Call number:
D600 .L66 1995
Data Source:
Smithsonian Libraries
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:siris_sil_729115

In Trichtern und Wolken; Adolf ritter von Tutscheks Kriegsaufzeichnungen. Herausgegeben von Thor Goote [pseud.] Mit 22 Abbildungen

Author:
Tutschek, Adolf, ritter von 1891-1918  Search this
Berg, Johannes M. 1890-  Search this
Physical description:
268 [2] p. front., 2 illus., plates, ports. 19 cm
Type:
Personal narratives, German
Date:
1934
[c1934]
Topic:
World War, 1914-1918--Aerial operations  Search this
World War, 1914-1918  Search this
Call number:
D604 .T78X
D604.T78X
Data Source:
Smithsonian Libraries
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:siris_sil_74205

Flying men & their machines; a literary and photographic record of facts concerning flying with special reference to those pilots who have so bravely sacrificed their lives and to those who happily still practise the newest of arts: aviation, by Clarence Winchester ("Ornis")

Author:
Winchester, Clarence 1892-  Search this
Physical description:
xii, 242 p. front., plates, ports. 22 cm
Type:
Books
Date:
1916
Topic:
Aeronautics  Search this
World War, 1914-1918--Aerial operations  Search this
Call number:
TL547 .W65X
TL547.W65X
Data Source:
Smithsonian Libraries
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:siris_sil_74685

Air power and armies, by Wing Commander J. C. Slessor

Author:
Slessor, John 1897-1979-  Search this
Physical description:
xx, 231, [1] p. 3 fold. maps (1 in pocket) 22 cm
Type:
Books
Place:
Great Britain
Date:
1936
Topic:
Aeronautics, Military  Search this
World War, 1914-1918--Aerial operations  Search this
Call number:
UG635.G7 S45X
UG635.G7S45X
Data Source:
Smithsonian Libraries
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:siris_sil_92172

Oswald Boelcke, der meisterflieger, von Anton Lübke. Mit bildern von Richard Sapper

Author:
Luebke, Anton 1890-  Search this
Subject:
Boelcke, Oswald 1891-1916  Search this
Physical description:
112 p. col. front., col. pl. 22 cm
Type:
Books
Date:
1934
[1934]
Topic:
World War, 1914-1918--Aerial operations  Search this
Call number:
D604 .B69X
D604.B69X
Data Source:
Smithsonian Libraries
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:siris_sil_72457

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