BGuthrie Photos: DC -- Natl Air and Space Museum -- Gallery 208: (a) Pioneers of Flight, Barron Hilton

DC -- Natl Air and Space Museum -- Gallery 208: (a) Pioneers of Flight, Barron Hilton:

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1. GAL208_120426_010.JPG: Curtiss R3C-2 On Oct. 26, 1925, U.S. Army Lt. James H. Doolittle flew the Curtiss R3C-2 to victory in the Schneider Trophy Race 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). In the Schneider Trophy Race of Nov. 13, 1926, this same airplane piloted by Lt. Christian F. Schilt, USMC, and piloted by an improved engine, won second place with an average speed of 372 km/h (231.4 mph).
2. GAL208_120426_018.JPG: Cabin, "Explorer II": Launched on November 11, 1935, from the Stratobowl near Rapid City, South Dakota, Explorer II carried Captain Albert Stevens, Captain Orvil Anderson, and an assortment of instruments to a world record altitude of 22,066 kilometers (72,395 feet). Explorer was the brainchild of Captain Stevens, Chief of the Army Air Corps' photography laboratory at Wright Field, Ohio. With funding from the National Geographic Society, he and two crew members attempted a world altitude-record flight in 1934 with Explorer I. The flight ended in disaster when the balloon ripped shortly after launch, and its hydrogen mixed with air and exploded. After a harrowing few moments while Stevens had trouble escaping through the manhole, he and his two fellow aeronauts parachuted to safety. For the next attempt, in Explorer II, the portholes were widened for easier escape, and the balloon was filled with helium. To ensure that it attained a record altitude, the balloon was enlarged, the crew was cut from three to two, and its scientific payload was halved. Like Explorer I, Explorer II was constructed of welded magnesium/aluminum alloy sections. The 2.8 meter (9 foot) sphere weighed 290 kilograms (640 pounds) and carried a payload of 700 kilograms (1,500 pounds). The balloon lifted off at 7:01 am, reached its maximum height of 22 kilometers at 10:50 am and remained there until 12:20 pm. Then it began its descent and touched down at 3:14 pm near White Lake, South Dakota. One of the flight's most dramatic successes was the aerial photography: the first photographs showing the division between the troposphere and the stratosphere and the actual curvature of the earth from the record altitude. Captain Stevens' cameras captured stunning photographs of South Dakota and surrounding states, and demonstrated the potential of high-altitude, long-range reconnaissance from manned balloons. Although the scientific experiments were reduced from the original plans, Explorer II carried instruments that collected data for studies in cosmic ray research, the ozone layer, aeronomy, meteorology, biology, and radio propagation in the high atmosphere. The National Geographic Magazine devoted several articles to the flight, widely disseminating the photographic, scientific, and engineering accomplishments to the general public. The flight was a public relations success for the Army and the National Geographic Society, and was also a successful venture between government, military, and civilian scientific interests.
3. GAL208_120426_054.JPG: E.B. Meyrowitz Flying Goggles and Case: Doolittle wore these goggles during the 1920s and 1930s.
4. GAL208_120426_061.JPG: Bendix Trophy Presentation Version: Aeronautical and automotive manufacturer Vincent Bendix established the Bendix Trophy for long-distance racing in 1931. Doolittle received this presentation version of the trophy for his victory in the inaugural race. The Bendix Trophy is on display in the Museum's Golden Age of Flight gallery.
5. GAL208_120426_072.JPG: Thompson Trophy Plaque: Charles Thompson, head of Cleveland's Thompson Products, a manufacturer of engine valves, sponsored the Thompson Trophy. Each winner, including Doolittle in 1932, received a plaque in recognition of their victory. The trophy itself is on display in the Museum's Golden Age of Flight gallery.
6. GAL208_120426_079.JPG: Mackay Army Aviation Trophy Medal: Doolittle and Cyrus Bettis received the Mackay Army Aviation Trophy for their victories in the Schneider and Pulitzer races. Their names are inscribed on the trophy (displayed in this gallery) , and both received an individual medal. This one was given to Doolittle.
7. GAL208_120426_090.JPG: Piper J-2 Cub William Piper and the Piper Aircraft Corporation board of directors anointed this Cub, completed on November 2, 1937, as the first official Piper J-2 and flew it as the company plane until April 1939.The tandem two-place J-2 is the transition model of stable and economical Cub light aircraft that made flying easy to learn and afford. The J-2 cost $1,470 or could be rented for $10 an hour. A total of 1,207 Taylor and Piper J-2 Cubs were built from 1935 to 1938. This Cub had a succession of owners. It was restored by Hal Goff of Aero Enterprises of Pittsburgh in 1976, then flown to Lock Haven where former Piper Cub engineer Walter Jamoneau piloted it. Lefferts Mabie Jr. of Pensacola, Florida, acquired it from yet another owner in 1981 and donated it to the Museum in 1984.
8. GAL208_120426_097.JPG: Pulitzer Trophy: Publishing magnates Ralph, Joseph Jr. and Herbert Pulitzer of the New York World and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch sponsored the Pulitzer Trophy Race to promote aviation. The pilot and airplane with the fastest elapsed time during four laps over a 50-kilometer (32-mile) closed course won the contest. The trophy, crafted by sculptor Mario Josef Korbel, exemplifies early Art Deco style.
9. GAL208_120426_118.JPG: Amelia Earhart, 1948 Grace Wells Parkinson
10. GAL208_120426_124.JPG: Lockheed Vega 5B, Amelia Earhart Amelia Earhart set two of her many aviation records in this bright red Lockheed 5B Vega. In 1932 she flew it alone across the Atlantic Ocean, then flew it nonstop across the United States-both firsts for a woman. Introduced in 1927, the Vega was the first product of designer Jack Northrop and Allan Loughead's Lockheed Aircraft Company. Sturdy, roomy, streamlined and fast, the innovative Vega became favored by pilots seeking to set speed and distance records. It sported a cantilever (internally braced) one-piece spruce wing and a spruce veneer monocoque fuselage (a molded shell without internal bracing), which increased overall strength and reduced weight. A NACA engine cowling and wheel pants reduced drag and provided streamline style. Amelia Earhart bought this 5B Vega in 1930 and called it her "Little Red Bus." After a nose-over accident later that year, the fuselage was replaced and strengthened to carry extra fuel tanks. Three types of compasses, a drift indicator, and a more powerful engine were also installed. On May 20-21, 1932, flying in this airplane, Earhart became the first woman (and the only person since Charles Lindbergh) to fly nonstop and alone across the Atlantic Ocean. She took off from Harbor Grace, Newfoundland, Canada and landed 15 hours and 2,026 miles later in a field near Londonderry, Northern Ireland. The feat made Earhart an instant worldwide sensation and proved she was a courageous and able pilot. Later that year, Earhart flew the Vega to another record. On August 24-25, she made the first solo, nonstop flight by a woman across the United States, from Los Angeles to Newark, New Jersey. The flight covered a distance of 2,447 miles and lasted about 19 hours. Earhart sold her 5B Vega to Philadelphia's Franklin Institute in 1933 after purchasing a new Lockheed 5C Vega. The Smithsonian acquired it in 1966.
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Description of Subject Matter: Barron Hilton Pioneers of Flight Gallery
November 19, 2010 – October 15, 2019
This renovated exhibition highlights the growth of aviation and rocketry during the 1920s and '30s and features famous "firsts" and record setters. It has been updated with new research and includes a broader selection of artifacts. The individuals featured were pioneering men and women who pushed the existing technological limits of flight and broke both physical and psychological barriers to flight. The exhibition features sections on "Military Aviation," "Civilian Aviation," "Black Wings," and "Rocket Pioneers." To engage children, the gallery features hands-on activities, as well as toys, books, and childhood memorabilia of the era in an area entitled "Don's Air Service."
Highlights include:
* Anne Lindbergh's telegraph key
* Jimmy Doolittle's "blind flight" instruments
* Tuskegee Airman Chauncey Spencer's flight suit
* The "Hoopskirt" rocket test stand
* Lindbergh memorabilia
* Gifts received by the crew of the Douglas World Cruiser
* Kiosk featuring archival film clips
Aircraft on view include:
* Wright EX Vin Fiz biplane: flown by Cal Rogers as the first pilot to make a transcontinental flight in fewer than 30 days, 1911
* Fokker T-2: first nonstop U.S. transcontinental flight, 1923
* Douglas World Cruiser Chicago: first around-the-world flight, 1924
* Lockheed 5B Vega: flown by Amelia Earhart in the first solo flight across the Atlantic by a woman, 1932
* Lockheed 8 Sirius: flown by the Lindberghs on airline-route mapping flights, 1930s
* Curtiss R3C-2 Racer
* The gondola from the Bud Light Spirit of Freedom, the first balloon to carry one person—Steve Fossett —nonstop around the world
* 1/4-scale model of the Montgolfier balloon: 1st manned aerial vehicle, 1783
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Same Subject: Click on this link to see coverage of items having the same subject: [(Smithsonian) Air and Space Museum (Everything)] [(Smithsonian) Air and Space Museum (Non-Events)] [Museums (History)]
2012 photos: Equipment this year: My mainstays were the Fuji S100fs, Nikon D7000, and the new Fuji X-S1. I also used an underwater Fuji XP50 and a Nikon D600. The first three cameras all broke this year and had to be repaired. Trips this year: three Civil War Trust conferences (Shepherdstown, WV, Richmond, VA, and Williamsburg, VA), a week-long family reunion cruise of the Caribbean, another week-long family reunion in the Wisconsin Dells (with lots of in-transit time in Ohio and Indiana), and my 7th consecutive San Diego Comic-Con trip (including side trips to Zion, Bryce, the Grand Canyon, etc). Ego strokes: I had a picture of Miss DC, Ashley Boalch, published in the Washington Post. I had a photograph of the George Segal San Francisco Holocaust memorial used as the cover of Quebec Francais (issue 165). Not being able to read French, I'm not entirely sure what the article is about but, hey! And I guess what could be considered to be a positive thing, my site is now established enough that spammers have noticed it and I had to block 17,000 file description postings for Viagra and whatever else.. Number of photos taken this year: just below 410,000.
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