Early Flight
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To Fly That Was Our Oldest Dream IMAGE: Wood engraving on paper depicting the fall of Icarus.
Between the first flights of the Wright brothers in 1903 and the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the airplane grew from an ancient dream into a reality that would shape the future. Though balloons first floated people up in 1783, winged flight proved far more difficult. Brilliant experimenters laid the foundation for success during the 19th century. ''An uninterrupted navigable ocean that comes to the threshold of every man's door, ought not to be neglected as a source of human gratification and advantage." —Sir George Cayley, English engineer, 1816 Object Highlight: La Minerve This fanciful balloon sculpture is based on a graphic image made in 1820 by Étienne-Gaspard Robert, magician and balloonist. It offers all of the comforts that an aerial voyager might wish. 5/16
The Dream of WingsThe desire to fly is both ancient and universal. It is an essential element in our oldest stories of gods and heroes in cultures around the globe. Born from our envy of birds, flight came to symbolize the human desire to soar over obstacles and taste the freedom of the sky. The word for kite first appeared in China in the fifth century BCE. Kites were the first objects conceived and crafted by humans to achieve sustained flight. Nineteenth century experimenters used kites to test ideas about aerodynamics, structures, and flight controls. Object Highlight: Box Kite Invented by Australian Lawrence Hargrave in 1893, the box kite played a key role in the development of the airplane. It inspired the twin wings of a biplane—solidly braced with wires and struts. This kite flew U.S. Weather Bureau instruments in the 1930s. Object Highlight: Statue of Hermes Hermes, with wings on his helmet and feet, was the messenger of the Greek gods. Winged Heroes Stories of men who tempted fate by imitating birds and trespassing in the world of the gods have been a staple element in myth and literature for centuries. The story of Icarus and Daedalus symbolizes the wonder and danger of flight. Daedalus, a brilliant engineer, builds wings of wax and feathers for himself and his son, Icarus. The boy ignores his father’s advice and flies too close to the sun. This melts the wax, causing him to fall to his death. Francis Godwin, a 17th-century British bishop, wrote a novel about a man carried to the moon by migrating birds. It is one of the world’s first works of science fiction. Realizing the Myth Students and faculty at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology designed and built Daedalus ’88, a human-powered aircraft. The pilot used bike pedals to spin the propellers. On April 23, 1988, it flew 72.4 miles (115.11 kilometers) in 3 hours 54 minutes, retracing part of the route followed by the mythical Icarus and Daedalus. 6/16
Lighter Than Air Airships offered the first way to navigate in the air. These powered, lighter-than-air craft can be controlled, unlike balloons that go wherever the wind blows. For a time, airships were considered a serious rival to the new airplanes. Engineer Henri Giffard piloted the first powered, controlled flight on September 24, 1852. His steam-powered airship flew 17 miles (27 kilometers) from Paris to Élancourt, France. Several decades would pass before an airship could navigate in even a light wind. Diverse Stories: Alberto Santos-Dumont Le Petit Santos Alberto Santos-Dumont (1873–1932), the son of a wealthy Brazilian coffee farmer, arrived in Paris in 1897 to study engineering. Fascinated by flight, he made headlines piloting a series of small powered airships around Paris, becoming one of the Air Age’s first true celebrities. At just over five feet tall and 110 pounds, impeccably dressed and groomed, Santos-Dumont became the image of the fashionable man about town. He was so determined to show his friends how great it was to fly that he hung his dining room table and chairs from the ceiling, so that his guests could dine in the air. lberto Santos-Dumont won 100,000 francs (about $19,000 in 1901 U.S. currency) for flying his airship No. 6 from a Paris suburb to the Eiffel Tower and back in 1901. He later turned to airplanes, and made Europe’s first public airplane flight with his 14-bis in 1906. Object Highlight: Santos-Dumont Airship No. 9 Model Santos-Dumont brought the No. 9, his smallest airship, to the U.S. to compete at the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair. It was damaged during shipping, which Santos-Dumont thought was sabotage, and so he refused to fly during his visit to the U.S. 1:16 scale Object Highlight: Clement V-2 Engine This engine powered the Santos-Dumont Airship No. 9 in 1903. Although designed for a motorcycle, the engine’s light weight and ample power made it well suited to propel the airship. The V-2 also powered a belt-driven blower that pressurized a separate air bag in the airship's hydrogen-filled envelope. The Airship Grows Larger Santos-Dumont’s airships were too small to carry passengers or cargo. Efforts to develop larger, buoyant craft to meet commercial and military needs were underway early in the 20th century. Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin led the way with his rigid airships. The Ville de Paris, first flown on November 11, 1906, was operated as a civil airship before being turned over to the French Army, which used it during maneuvers and to conduct early experiments in aerial photography. Artist Ernest Montaut illustrated the Ville de Paris over the French countryside in 1908. Founded in 1908, the Astra firm became an important producer of airships. In 1909, Compagnie Générale Trans-aérienne began offering passenger flights in France and Switzerland using Astra airships. Diverse Stories: Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin Zeppelin! Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin (1838–1917) pioneered one of the engineering marvels of the early 20th century—the first rigid airship capable of carrying a useful load of passengers and cargo. After resigning as a general in the German army in 1890, Zeppelin supported a team of brilliant engineers in hopes of beating a similar effort in rival France. The German airline DELAG began sightseeing flights over German cities in 1910. By the start of World War I, the company had carried 34,028 passengers on 1,588 commercial flights, covering 107,208 miles (172,535 kilometers). From Gas Bags to Rigid Airships Santos-Dumont flew pressure airships, in which the airship kept its shape because the pressure of the gas inside the envelope was slightly higher than that of the air. When not inflated, the envelope was simply an empty bag. In rigid airships, the gas was contained in separate bags inside a rigid frame that gave the aircraft its shape. Rigid airships are much larger than pressure airships and can carry many more passengers and heavier freight. First flown in 1906, the Zeppelin LZ 3 demonstrated it was capable of carrying many more passengers and heavier cargo than earlier airships. Taken over by the military in 1909, LZ 3 was flown until 1913. Artist Ernest Montaut illustrated the LZ 3 over Lake Constance, near Friedrichshafen, Germany, where the Zeppelins were constructed. 7/16
Realizing the Dream For centuries people imagined impractical schemes for taking to the air. By 1800, however, a revolution in science and technology had laid a foundation for success. Brilliant engineers were reshaping the world, building roads, canals, steam engines, railroads, steamships, and more. Ordinary people still thought flight was impossible, but many of these engineers were convinced that it was just another problem that could be solved. Diverse Stories: Leonardo da Vinci Centuries before Cayley, Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519) was an artist, engineer, and scientist fascinated by flight. He sketched birds in flight and designed machines that might enable men to fly. While da Vinci favored the ornithopter—a craft with wings that flap like a bird—he also suggested helicopters and parachutes. These ideas remained unknown until his notebooks were studied in the 19th century. Diverse Stories: Sir George Cayley Sir George Points the Way Sir George Cayley (1773–1857) deserves to be remembered as the first aeronautical engineer. He was the first to conceive of a flying machine as a fixed-wing craft with separate systems for lift, propulsion, and control. He did tests with the best engineering instruments available and published his findings, which helped later experimenters. He used his theories and data to design a series of aircraft, some of which carried humans on short glides through the air. Cayley drew from 150 years of work in fluid mechanics—the study of the laws of force and motion on liquids and gases. Object Highlight: Cayley's Glider This 1:4 scale model of Cayley's Glider was made by Paul E. Garber, ca. 1960. Sir George Cayley built the world’s first hand-launched model glider in 1804. It was five feet long and was the first example of the configuration of a modern aircraft, with separate systems for lift and control. Cayley designed and built several gliders capable of carrying people through the air. He pioneered ground-based aerodynamic research, published his results, and applied them to the design and testing of full-scale aircraft. Object Highlight: Convertiplane Sir George Cayley produced this 1843 design for an aircraft featuring helicopter blades that could be converted to fixed wings. While never built, this design was inspired by Cayley’s initial experiments with a helicopter toy. This model was constructed by Paul Edward Garber, based on Cayley’s original drawings. Diverse Stories: Paul Edward Garber Paul Edward Garber (1900–1992) was the founder of the National Air and Space Museum. Mr. Garber began work at the Smithsonian in 1920, and was still coming to his office 72 years later, shortly before his death. Stringfellow and Henson Adding Power Inspired by George Cayley, English experimenters William Samuel Henson (1812–1888) and John Stringfellow (1799–1883) hoped to develop their Aerial Steam Carriage to create air routes linking the far corners of the British Empire. While the technology to create a flying machine was not yet at hand, Henson and Stringfellow tried to raise money for the project by commissioning a series of lovely prints distributed across Europe, showing the Aeriel soaring above familiar world landmarks. Object Highlight: Stringfellow Triplane Model, 1868 This is a copy of the triplane model that was designed to be powered by the Stringfellow steam engine. The original triplane was displayed with its engine at the 1868 Aeronautical Society of Great Britain exhibition. Object Highlight: Aerial Steam Carriage Model, 1842 This 1:20 scale model of the Aerial Steam Carriage was made by Paul E. Garber, ca. 1960. W. S. Henson patented the design of the Aerial Steam Carriage, or Aeriel, in 1842. While never constructed, a full-scale craft would have had a wingspan of 150 feet (46 meters). Object Highlight: Stringfellow Steam Engine The First Aeronautical Engine This small steam engine is the oldest surviving aeronautical engine. The cover has been removed so that you can see the inside. John Stringfellow won first prize for best power-to-weight ratio at an Aeronautical Society of Great Britain exhibition in 1868. With the strength of one horsepower for its 13-pound (6-kilogram) weight, it was judged the lightest engine in proportion to its power. Taking Off Throughout the 19th century, most people still thought powered flight was impossible. But inspired by the work of Cayley and the fame of Stringfellow and Henson, two generations of engineers started working after 1860 to prove people wrong. They did ground-based experiments with new tools like the wind tunnel, then used what they learned to design large flying models and full-scale gliders. Flying Toys Since ancient times, flying toys have inspired and fascinated the young. In the 1800s, children played with helicopters, kites, small wing-flapping aircraft, and even the first-fixed wing model airplanes. But experimenters also used kites and models to test aerodynamic and flight ontrol ideas. In 1878, their father gave young Wilbur and Orville Wright a helicopter toy designed by the French experimenter Alphonse Pénaud. This is Orville Wright’s 1929 sketch of the toy that inspired the brothers’ earliest interest in flight. Object Highlight: The Oldest Flying Toy Originating in China in about 400 BCE, the earliest version of this helicopter toy was imported to Europe during the Middle Ages. One generation after another of 19th-century experimenters modified and improved the old toy. This model copies a version developed by George Cayley. Object Highlight: Planophore Alphonse Pénaud (1850–1880) pioneered the study of aircraft stability. A popular toy, his 1871 Planophore model was the first inherently stable aircraft, capable of flying straight and level until the power of the twisted rubber strands ran out. Object Highlight: L'Oiseau Mechanique French for “mechanical bird,” this ornithopter was developed by M. Pichancourt. It was a popular flying toy of the late 19th century. Diverse Stories: Lawrence Hargrave Aeronautical Experimenter Australian Lawrence Hargrave (1850–1915) conducted important aeronautical experiments and produced a number of flying models, including this 1899 craft above. Powered by a compressed air motor driving the two ornithopter blades on the nose, it flew up to 343 feet (104.5 meters). Hargrave’s most important contribution to the invention of the airplane came through his introduction of the box kite (1893), an example of which is displayed at the entrance to this exhibition. Diverse Stories: Samuel P. Langley Aviation Pioneer Samuel P. Langley (1834–1906) was a self-trained astronomer. After a series of experiments convinced him that mechanical flight was possible, he tested a series of rubber strand-powered models before moving on to tests with lightweight steam engines. Langley’s Aerodromes Langley became Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution in 1887. In 1891, he began work on a series of large steam-powered model aircraft he called Aerodromes. In 1896, the Smithsonian crew successfully launched two of the Aerodromes on flights of more than one-half mile. Samuel P. Langley eventually produced the Great Aerodrome, a full-scale, man-carrying version of his model aerodromes. It too was catapult-launched from the roof of a houseboat, but both 1903 attempts ended in watery crashes. The Great Aerodrome proved incapable of flight. Langley Aerodrome No. 5, 1896 Aerodrome No. 5, a steam-powered model, was twice catapulted into the air from the roof of a small houseboat in the Potomac River near Widewater, Virginia, on May 6, 1896. On the first flight it traveled 3,300 feet (1,005 meters). The second time it covered 2,300 feet (700 meters) at a speed of about 25 mph (40 km/h). The flights represented the first time that a powered, heavier-than-air machine of significant size had completed a sustained flight. Object Highlight: The Manley-Balzer Engine, 1903 This was the first internal combustion engine designed for an aircraft. Commissioned by the Smithsonian, the engine was originally built by Stephen M. Balzer of New York. When it fell short of the required horsepower, Charles M. Manley, Langley’s aeronautical assistant, took charge of the project and redesigned the engine, greatly increasing its power. During tests the engine ran for up to 10 hours, and had the best power-to-weight ratio (2.4 lb/hp or 1.5 kg/kW) of any engine until 1906. Unfortunately it was installed on the 1903 Langley Aerodrome, a machine that proved incapable of flight. Diverse Stories: John J. Montgomery In 1884, Californian John J. Montgomery became the first American to build and fly a man-carrying glider. After limited success with several gliders, he unveiled his tandem wing Santa Clara gliders in 1904 and 1905. Launched from hot air balloons, he abandoned the design after one pilot died and another was injured in crashes. Montgomery died in 1911 in a crash of the last glider he designed. Diverse Stories: Octave Chanute Aeronautical Leader Octave Chanute (1832–1910) was one of the most important figures in world aeronautics from 1880 to 1910. As a civil engineer, student of flight theory, and promoter of active gliding, Chanute set the stage for the success of Wilbur and Orville Wright. Chanute became interested in flight after noticing the impact of high winds on bridges and roofs. He corresponded with aeronautical experimenters around the world and published a book of his articles, Progress in Flying Machines (1894), which had an important influence on the Wright brothers. The Chanute Glider In 1896, Chanute and a group of young assistants tested a series of full-scale gliders on Lake Michigan’s sand dunes. One glider—the Chanute Herring two-surface machine—was the most advanced of all pre-Wright designs. Chanute gave these models of his gliders to the Smithsonian in 1909. 1. Chanute Biplane Glider, 1896 2. Chanute Multiple Wing Glider, 1896 3. Chanute Oscillating Wing Glider, 1901–1902 Diverse Stories: Otto Lilienthal The Flying Man Otto Lilienthal (1848–1896) was the most important aviation pioneer between Sir George Cayley and the Wright brothers. He began tests on aerodynamic forces in 1867, and in 1889 he published results that would serve as the foundation for later experimenters. Then he designed, built, and tested the first of 16 glider types. Lilienthal completed as many as 2,000 glides in five years before he died in a crash in August 1896. “Of all the men who attacked the flying problem in the 19th century, Otto Lilienthal was easily the most important.” --Wilbur Wright Object Highlight: Otto Lilienthal Standard Glider, 1894 This is the only original Lilienthal glider in the Western Hemisphere. Lilienthal considered it the most successful of his designs. The pilot controlled the glider by shifting his weight. Lilienthal made glides of over 900 feet (274 meters) in this model. Photographs of Lilienthal in the air established him as an internationally known figure. “The Flying Man,” he appeared in newspapers and magazines around the world between 1890 and 1896. He inspired other flying machine experimenters, including the Wright brothers, who used Lilienthal’s aerodynamic information as their starting point. American newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst bought this glider from Otto Lilienthal in 1896 and had it flight-tested on the lawn of his estate. It was given to the Smithsonian in February 1906 after appearing at a New York Aero Club show. The Wright Brothers Reach Success Wilbur and Orville Wright, a pair of intuitive engineering geniuses, began their quest to fly in 1899 with a two-surface kite whose control principles would be key to their success. Over the next six years they built and tested an evolutionary series of three gliders and three powered flying machines. By the fall of 1905 they had transformed their initial success of 1903 into the reality of the world’s first practical airplane. The Air Age had begun. The World's First Powered Flight With Orville Wright at the controls, the 1903 Wright Flyer takes off on the first flight of a powered airplane. The photo was taken at 10:35 a.m. on December 17, 1903, at the foot of the big Kill Devil Hill, four miles (six kilometers) south of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Brothers Wilbur (1867–1912) and Orville Wright (1871–1948) designed, built, and tested seven flying machines: one kite (1899), three gliders (1900–1902), and three powered flying machines (1903–1905). The brothers made the world's first powered, controlled, and sustained flights in an airplane on December 17, 1903. On October 5, 1905, Wilbur Wright kept their third flyer in the air for just over 38 minutes, flying 24.5 miles (39.4 kilometers), and landing when the fuel was exhausted. The Wright brothers designed and built a wind tunnel in 1901. The tests they conducted with it enabled them to make a breakthrough in wing design, which paved the way to their final success. Early Wright Aircraft The successful flights of December 17, 1903, were just one step in the development of a practical airplane. The process included gliders (1900–1902) and two more powered aircraft (1904–1905). By the fall of 1905, the Wright brothers had a product ready for sale. Object Highlight: Wright Models 1. 1900 Wright Glider This was the first piloted Wright glider. 2. 1902 Wright Glider This was most successful of the three Wright gliders and a key step toward powered flight. 3. 1905 Wright Flyer This was the world’s first practical airplane. 8/16
A New Aerial Age In the 11 years between the Wright brothers’ first flights and the outbreak of World War I, experimenters around the globe began designing and building airplanes. European governments supported the industry, which would soon have a huge impact on society, politics, and culture in both war and peace. The Wright Brothers Meet the World The Wright brothers made their first public flights in Europe and America in 1908. Wilbur first flew in public at a race track near Le Mans, France. His ability to turn tight circles and maintain control over his plane stunned European observers, including pioneer aviators who had made their first short public hops a year before in aircraft without adequate flight controls. Wilbur showed his skill and the plane’s potential in later flights at Pau, France, and in Italy into 1909. While Wilbur stunned the Europeans, Orville flew at Fort Myer, Virginia. A crash during the trials killed Army observer Lt. Thomas E. Selfridge, the first person to die in a powered airplane crash. Orville recovered, but suffered back pain for the rest of his life. The Army realized that the accident was caused by a split propeller and not a fundamental flaw in the machine, so it invited the Wrights to come back and complete the trials the following year. Following those successful trials, the Army purchased the 1909 Wright Military Flyer, the world’s first military airplane. Object Highlight: Wright Military Flyer, 1909 The World’s First Military Airplane The Wrights returned to Fort Myer in June 1909 with this new airplane to complete the acceptance trials interrupted by the 1908 crash. Wilbur Wright taught the first three American military aviators to fly in this airplane at nearby College Park, Maryland. It was sent to Fort Sam Houston, Texas, in 1910. The Army gave the airplane to the Smithsonian in 1911. IMAGE: The Wright brothers ready the 1909 Military Flyer for flight. Here Wilbur (in white shirt and derby) watches as brother Orville (between skids) makes final adjustments to the aircraft before takeoff. What does this memorial have to do with the Wright Military Flyer? Before the George Washington Masonic Memorial stood in nearby Alexandria, Virginia, this spot was a turnaround point for the Wright Military Flyer trials conducted by the U.S. Army. A 10-mile (16.09 km) round trip speed course went from Fort Myer to Alexandria and back. Diverse Stories: Katharine Wright Katharine Wright (1874-1929) was last of five surviving children born to Milton and Susan Wright. She grew up in Dayton, OH, with four older brothers: Reuchlin, Loren, Wilbur, and Orville. The only one of the five to graduate from college (Oberlin, 1898), she taught high school Latin until 1908, when she resigned to help care for her brother Orville who had been injured in a crash. During his recovery the pair joined Wilbur in Europe, where he was demonstrating the Wright airplane. Applauded by kings and commoners alike, the three Wrights quickly emerged as international celebrities. Katharine and Orville shared a home in Dayton until her marriage to Henry Haskell, an Oberlin classmate and the editor of the Kansas City Star, in 1926. She died of pneumonia three years later. The Wright Company In November 1909, the Wright brothers established a company to build and sell airplanes. Two dedicated factory buildings were constructed in Dayton, Ohio, in 1910–11. From the beginning until 1915, when Orville Wright sold the company, it produced about 120 aircraft in 13 different models. While the airplanes were very high tech, the workers who built them had very traditional skills. Woodworking, for example…and sewing. Aircraft production at the Wright factory was the work of several departments, each performing a specific set of tasks. This workman is painting propellers. The Patent Suits From 1909 to 1917, the Wright brothers sued aircraft builders in America and Europe for infringing on their 1906 patent. The courts uniformly ruled in their favor, but the suits often dragged on through appeals. Finally, an industry trade group was created in the U.S. to pool all the patents for use by members of the group. Who owns rights to the airplane? Obtaining a patent on a new invention can be tricky. The Wright brothers didn’t want people profiting from their ideas, but once the basic concepts of flight were known, it was difficult to build an airplane that didn’t infringe on the Wright’s ideas. Wright Company Aircraft The Wright Company produced aircraft in 13 models from 1909¬ to 1915. Only Models B and C were manufactured in substantial numbers. Most other models were produced only as prototypes, or in small numbers. Object Highlights: Wright Models 1. Wright B, 1911 2. Wright R, 1910 3. Wright D, 1912 4. Wright Baby Grand, 1910 5. Wright B-1, 1911 6. Wright C, 1912 7. Wright Glider, 1911 8. Wright E, 1913 9. Wright C-H, 1913 10. Wright F, 1913 11. Wright G Aeroboat, 1913 12. Wright HS, 1913 13. Wright J, 1913 14. Wright K, 1914 Diverse Stories: Glenn Hammond Curtiss Airplane Builder and Racer Like the Wright brothers, Glenn H. Curtiss began his career building and racing bicycles. Graduating to motorcycles, he set a world land speed record of 136.3 mph (219.4 km/h) at Daytona, Florida, in 1907. His motorcycle engines impressed acrobat-turned-aviation pioneer Thomas S. Baldwin, who used a Curtiss motor to power the airship that he built for the U.S. Army. In 1907, telephone inventor Alexander Graham Bell recruited Curtiss to help his Aerial Experiment Association (AEA) build a powered airplane. On July 4, 1908, Curtiss won the Scientific American Trophy with a straight-line flight of one kilometer flying his June Bug. Glenn Curtiss was issued pilot’s license No. 1 by the Aero Club. Why was he granted a license before the Wright brothers? The first batch of licenses was issued in alphabetical order. Orville Wright received license No. 5. The Aerial Experiment Association The Aerial Experiment Association (AEA) was a Canadian-American research organization chartered in 1907 under the leadership of Alexander Graham Bell. In two years it produced four viable aircraft, including the first powered airplane to fly in Canada. Object Highlight: Bell's Tetrahedral Kite Cell A tetrahedron is a four-sided pyramid. Alexander Graham Bell believed that a stable powered aircraft could be made up of an assemblage of tetrahedral kite cells. Did You Know? Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the telephone, became interested in flight while serving on the Smithsonian Board of Regents during the period of Secretary Samuel P. Langley’s aeronautical experiments. Following Langley’s death in 1906, Bell decided to begin aeronautical experiments himself. Recognition for Glenn Curtiss After gaining experience designing, building, and flying aircraft as a member of the AEA, Glenn Curtiss began building airplanes in Hammondsport, New York. He earned his pilot’s license from the Aero Club of America on June 8, 1911. Object Highlights: Glenn Curtiss Objects 1. Curtiss Pilot's License 2. Distinguished Flying Cross 3. Aero Club of America Aviation Medal of Merit 4. National Aviation Club Medal Object Highlights: Curtiss Aeronautical Trophies Glenn Curtiss set motorcycle speed records, then turned his sights to the air, with great results. He won many awards in speed and distance competitions before the start of World War I in 1914. 1. Collier Trophy Plaque, 1911 2. Collier Trophy Plaque, 1912 Object Highlight: Curtiss D-III Headless Pusher, 1912 This is an original Curtiss D-III, which first appeared in 1909 and became the standard aircraft flown by members of the Curtiss Exhibition team. This example was built in 1919 under the supervision of Glenn Curtiss, using some 1912 parts. The aircraft was flown by aviator “Casey” Jones at air meets and celebrations to remind spectators of the progress of aviation in a short time. Why is the Curtiss D called a “Headless Pusher”? It is dubbed “headless” because the unnecessary forward elevator has been removed, unlike earlier Curtiss models which featured it in front of the pilot. A pusher is an airplane with the propeller behind the wing, so that it “pushes” the airplane forward. This type was flown by such famous Curtiss aviators as John McCurdy, Lincoln Beachey, and Glenn Curtiss himself. The Curtiss D was a very popular design with would-be aviators constructing their own airplanes. Object Highlight: Curtiss E-4 Engine This was the first of two engines to power the U.S. Army Signal Corps Dirigible No. 1, the first U.S. military airship. It drove a tubular steel shaft about 22 feet (6.7 meters) long on which was mounted a wooden propeller. This was the first Curtiss water-cooled engine. The Curtiss Aircraft In the years leading up to World War I, Curtiss emerged as the nation’s leading producer of aircraft. He made the world’s first practical flying boats and was a leading supplier to the U.S. and foreign navies. Object Highlights: Curtiss ModelsThis case displays models of some of the Curtiss company products, 1909–1914. 1. Curtiss Hydroaeroplane, 1911 2. Verville Flying Boat, 1915 3. Curtiss H-1 America, 1914 4. Curtiss D, 1910 5 .Curtiss/AEA June Bug, 1908 Glenn Curtiss piloted the June Bug on a straight-line flight of one kilometer (0.6 mile) to win the Scientific American Trophy, Hammondsport, New York, July 4, 1908. 6. Curtiss Twin Tractor, 1912 7. Curtiss Hydroaeroplane 8. Curtiss E Flying Boat, 1912 9. Curtiss Triad, 1911 Object Highlights; Curtiss Trophies 1. Kelly Cup, 1910 2. Scientific America Trophy, 1908 3. Omaha World Herald Cup Diverse Stories: Louis Blériot Louis Blériot (1872–1936) was an engineer who made his reputation manufacturing automobile headlights, then used the proceeds to pay for his aviation experiments. After building 10 different models, he found success in 1909 with his classic Type XI monoplane. After his historic flight across the English Channel in July 1909, Blériot emerged as one of the world’s leading aircraft manufacturers, a position he held well into the post-war years. No Longer an “Island” At 4:15 a.m., on July 25, 1909, Louis Blériot took off from near Calais in France. Twenty-four miles and 36 minutes later he landed near Dover Castle in England. The flight across the English Channel shattered traditional geographic barriers. While other aviators had made longer flights, Blériot’s flight shook the British, who had always counted on the English Channel as a barrier against invasion. Object Highlight: The Blériot Xl, 1914 The classic Blériot XI first appeared in the spring of 1909, and became one of the most popular monoplanes produced before World War I. It was licensed for other firms to build, and was popular with European armies and even do-it-yourself builders in both Europe and America. The design was updated periodically—the 1914 model on exhibit is much heavier and stronger than the original. Diverse Stories: John Domenjoz The Domenjoz Blériot Swiss aviator John Domenjoz bought the Blériot XI on display in 1914 and flew it on an extended tour of Europe, Latin America, and the United States. He earned the nickname "upside down Domenjoz" for his aerobatic flying. How many wings does the Blériot Xl have? This plane is a monoplane, with one set of wings. Many of the other planes in this gallery are biplanes with two sets of wings. While the braced wings of a biplane were stronger, monoplanes were generally faster and more popular with early racing pilots. A Popular Monoplane Thin monoplane wings were prone to twisting, which endangered pilots pulling out of steep dives. Biplane wings were braced together to resist twisting and distortion. Better engineering solved the problem and made later models of the Blériot XI among the most popular airplanes of their time. Looping the Loop As aviators gained experience, simple flying gave way to more complex and daring aerial maneuvers. The Russian pilot Petr Nesteroff is said to have been the first to complete a loop in the air. This image shows the aviator Adolphe Pégoud looping his Blériot XI. Object Highlight: Blériot by John Amendola, 1982 John Domenjoz stunt flies over the Statue of Liberty. Object Highlights: Recognition for Louis Blériot His flight across the English Channel made Louis Blériot one of the best known and most celebrated aviators in the world. 1. Watch fob with a Blériot XI flying over symbolic representations of European cities 2. Charm showing the Blériot XI as a cultural symbol of the new air age 3. Medal commemorating the fatal 1910 attempt of Jorge Chavez to fly the Alps in a Blériot XI 4 .Medal honoring Louis Blériot 5. Medal commemorating the birth of aviation, showing a Blériot XI 6. Medal with Blériot aircraft commemorating the Circuit de l’Est (Circle of the East) flying competition in France in 1910 Object Highlights: European Aircraft Models By 1909, a variety of European aircraft had made significant flights. 1. 14-bis, 1906 In the fall of 1906, Alberto Santos-Dumont’s 14-bis made the first public flight in Europe. 2. Voisin Bird of Passage, 1907 The brothers Gabriel and Charles Voisin produced their Bird of Passage in 1907. It was the first heavier-than-air plane to fly longer than a minute in Europe, and the first European airplane to fly a circle. 3. Blériot XI, 1909 4. Henri Fabre Hydroavion, 1910 5. Antoinette IV, 1909 9/16
Power and Control in the Air While wings proved to be a successful way to lift an aircraft, what would power and propel it into the sky? And once up there, how could a pilot control its movement in three-dimensional space? Aircraft designers approached these challenges by developing different types of engines, propellers, and devices to control a flying airplane. Engines Early engines had to be powerful enough to propel the aircraft into the sky, yet light enough so they didn’t weigh the aircraft down and keep it from taking off. Most engines of the time powered land vehicles, where their weight was not an issue. Adapting these engines to aircraft was one of the greatest challenges to building a successful airplane. Four types of aircraft engines were used:
Inline Engines Inline engines, with a single line of cylinders, already powered most cars. Because some were made from new, lighter aluminum, they made sense for airplanes. But they were water-cooled, and the added water weight meant early inline engines were generally heavier than air-cooled engines. The Wright 4 cylinder inline engine is mounted in the Type A Military Flyer at Fort Myer, Virginia, in early September 1908. Object Highlight: Wright 6-70 Inline 6 Engine In 1913, the Wrights improved their 6-cylinder engine by adding a flexible flywheel drive and a throttle to control the speed of the engine in flight. They also increased horsepower. The new Wright 6-70 powered the two Wright Model D aircraft built for the U.S. Army in 1913. V-Type Engines V-type engines have pairs of cylinders. Léon Levavasseur patented the most popular V-type gasoline engine the V-8 in France in 1902. His compact V-8 Antoinette engine became a favored choice for aircraft in Europe. In the U.S., aviation pioneer and inventor Glenn Curtiss designed and built some of the most successful early V-8 engines. Like inline engines, V-types were often water-cooled Glenn H. Curtiss at the controls of the Model D Headless Pusher powered by one of his V-8 engines. Object Highlight: Curtiss B-8 V-8 Engine A Model B-8 was the first Curtiss engine to power a heavier-than-air machine in sustained flight, the June Bug. Unlike all later Curtiss engines, it was air-cooled. In 1911, this Curtis B-8 engine was used by the donor's father, Dr. George A. Spratt, to power an experimental seaplane of his own design. Why is the V-8 called a V-type engine? V-type gets its name from having its cylinders arranged in two rows that appear as a “V” shape when looking from the front. The number 8 tells how many cylinders there are. Radial Engines Radial engines have two or more cylinders arranged around a central crankcase, or hub, which provides smoother operation. Because most radials are air-cooled, they are generally lighter and provide more power for their weight than water-cooled engines. Anzani produced a line of radial engines that were popular among early aircraft builders. Object Highlight: Anzani A 2 Radial 3 Engine Italian motorcycle engine manufacturer Alessandro Anzani produced his first aircraft engine in 1908 in France. This Model A 2, introduced in 1910, was an improvement over earlier Anzani 3-cylinder, air-cooled, fan-shaped engines, and powered Deperdussin, R. Sommer, and Blériot XI aircraft. Anzani engines were also manufactured in England and Italy. Rotary Engines Rotary engines may look like radial engines, but they are attached to the airframe only by a crankshaft. The entire engine rotates with the propeller. Rotaries, popular for their simplicity and adequate cooling at slow speeds, powered many early aircraft. But problems from the gyroscopic effects of a spinning engine plus improvements in radial engines made rotaries obsolete by the end of World War I. Hubert Le Blon stands at his Blériot XI, Paris, France, about March 1910. Since the engine rotates with the propeller, Le Blon has chose to mount the propeller behind his Gnome rotary to improve cooling. Object Highlight: Gnome Omega Rotary 7 Engine The French Gnome engine, developed by the Seguin brothers, introduced the rotary to a broad aviation market. This is the first Gnome engine made. More than 20,000 Gnomes of different models were made by the end of World War I. This engine was given to the donor by Amédée Seguin, son of Louis Seguin, co-inventor of the engine. PropellersWhile the choice of an engine is critical, propellers are the second half of the power equation. They convert the engine’s power into thrust to move the aircraft through the air. The Wright brothers invented the modern propeller. “Well, our propellers are so different from any that have been used before that they will have to either be a good deal better, or a good deal worse.” - Orville Wright, 1903 They were first to realize that propellers acted like wings. The Wrights used their wind tunnel data on wings to help make a propeller far more efficient than those of other early experimenters, such as Langley. Other manufacturers soon made designs of their own. One of the earliest manufacturers, Chauviere in France was known for the graceful lines of its propellers, which were used on many aircraft, including the Blériot XI. Object Highlights: Propeller Designs To help take full advantage of the advances in engine horsepower, designers experimented with many different propellers to try and find the most efficient one. 1. Langley Propeller fixed-pitch, two-blade, wood and fabric 2. Baldwin Red Devil Propeller fixed-pitch, two-blade, wood 3. Aeromarine Plane & Motor Co. Propeller ground-adjustable, two-blade, metal 4. Bastow-Page Airship Propeller fixed-pitch, two-blade, metal 5. American Propeller & Manufacturing Co. Propeller fixed-pitch, two-blade, wood 6. American Propeller & Manufacturing Co. Propeller fixed-pitch, two-blade, wood 7. American Propeller & Manufacturing Co. Propeller fixed-pitch, two-blade, wood 8. American Propeller & Manufacturing Co. Propeller fixed-pitch, two-blade, wood 9. Simmons Propeller fixed-pitch, two-blade, wood and metal 10. Wright Ex Vin Fiz Propeller fixed-pitch, two-blade, wood 11. Requa Gibson Propeller fixed-pitch, two-blade, wood 12. Gibson Propeller Co. Propeller fixed-pitch, two-blade, wood 13. Requa Gibson Propeller fixed-pitch, two-blade, wood 14. Requa Gibson Propeller fixed-pitch, two-blade, wood Controlling Flight in 3D Flying an airplane that move in three Dimensions was a major challenge. A pilot had to control an airplane in three dimensions:
Roll control presented a special problem on early aircraft (unlike pitch and yaw control that used movable surfaces such as elevators and rudders). The Wrights’ solution was a process called wing warping in which the outer trailing edges of the wing are literally bent upward or downward to control roll. The wing warp positions on this Wright Model A (left wing edges bent up; right wing edges bent down) would make the aircraft roll to the left. Ailerons Other aircraft used ailerons—small hinged surfaces on the trailing edge of the wing—to achieve roll control, as on this 1911 Henry Farman aircraft. Interactive: Are You in Control? There was no standard control system in early aircraft. At this interactive, visitors can move the joystick and see how the control systems of the Curtiss Headless Pusher, Wright Military Flyer, or Blériot XI worked.
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The Roar of the Crowd The first air races, meets, and exhibitions kicked off a wave of public enthusiasm for aviation that circled the globe. The men and women who flew ever higher, faster, and farther emerged as the great heroes of the era. The stage was set for a new age shaped by the new reality of human flight. Introducing the Aeroplane! Aerial exhibitions and meets introduced the airplane to the public in truly thrilling ways. People flocked to these events, anxious to see daring aviators show their stuff. Still more devoured newspaper accounts of the latest aerial derring-do. And while few would have admitted it, the ever-present possibility of disaster added to the excitement. Object Highlight: Fledglings by Rudolph Dirks, 1908 In 1908, Rudolph Dirks joined a crowd of 20,000 at an air meet in the Bronx. Dirks, who created The Katzenjammer Kids comic strip, was so inspired by the excitement of the crowd that he rushed to his studio and created one of the earliest artistic depictions of an air meet. Object Highlight: Wilbur Wright Greets Lady Liberty by Dean Mosher, 2012 In 1909, Wilbur Wright made two triumphant flights in winds that grounded lesser aviators—one around the Statue of Liberty with a canoe tied to his plane in case of a water landing, and another up the Hudson River to Grant’s Tomb and back. Why is a canoe strapped under Wilbur Wright’s airplane? If forced to land on water, the canoe might keep the airplane afloat long enough for Wilbur to escape. Reims In August 1909, 22 leading aviators and a few hundred thousand spectators met at a racetrack outside Reims, France, for the world’s first organized international air meet. Rich prizes were awarded for top distance, altitude, and speed flights. As many as 400,000 people watched pilots displaying their skills in the 23 airplanes that made it into the air. For the first time, visitors—including some of France’s top political and military leaders—could see multiple airplanes in the air at once. Object Highlight: James Gordon Bennett Plaque, 1909 This plaque marked Glenn Curtiss’s victory in the first James Gordon Bennett speed classic at the Reims meet. The win established Curtiss as a leading figure in the new world of aviation. The Exhibition Teams From 1910 to 1913, teams of pilots toured America, competing for rich prizes for flying higher, faster, and farther that the rest. Both the Wright and Curtiss companies fielded teams that flew machines they produced. They were joined by a few other teams, notably the Moisant International Aviators. Some of the best known and most daring American aviators of the time flew for one of the teams. The Curtiss Exhibition Team Glenn Curtiss discovered that in addition to selling airplanes to the government and individuals, he could make money by sending a team of aviators and aircraft on the road to air meets and exhibitions. Wright Exhibition Team Modest by nature, the Wright brothers were never comfortable showing off in the air. Still, they followed Curtiss’s lead and fielded their own exhibition team as a way to profit from building airplanes. The Wright exhibition team’s headlines sometimes came at a terrible cost. Some pilots, including Arch Hoxsey and Ralph Johnstone, “the Stardust Twins,” died in crashes. The brothers disbanded the team in 1911, after just 16 months of operation. Moisant International Aviators American businessman John Moisant learned to fly in France, then formed the Moisant International Aviators in 1910. Operating as a touring “flying circus,” the team included his sister, Matilde (standing left), and Harriet Quimby (standing right), the first two American women to earn a pilot’s license. Object Highlight: Wanamaker Trophy, 1911 Matilde Moisant won the 1911 Rodman Wanamaker Trophy for flying her monoplane to a women’s record altitude of 1,200 feet (366 meters). Diverse Stories: Harriet Quimby Harriet Quimby (1875-1912) was born in Michigan and grew up in New York and San Francisco. She began her career as a theatre critic and journalist. In 1911 she began producing screenplays for director D. W, Griffith and Biograph studios, occasionally appearing on screen. Attendance at the Belmont Park International Aviation Tournament on Long Island in 1910 inspired her to take up flying. After training at the Moisant flight school she became the first American woman to earn a pilot’s license on August 11, 1911. An attractive woman clad in a plum colored flying suit, she was a favorite with reporters and photographers. Harriet flew her Blériot XI monoplane from Dover, England, to Calais, France, on April 16, 1912, becoming the first woman to fly the English Channel. She once remarked: “Men flyers have given the impression that aeroplaning is very perilous work, something an ordinary mortal should not dream of attempting, but when I saw how easy men flyers handle their machines, I said I could fly. Flying is a fine, dignified sport for women, it is healthy and stimulates the mind." She died in a crash on July 1, 1912. Diverse Stories: Tiny Broadwick At just five feet (1.5 meters) tall and weighing all of 85 pounds (39 kilograms), Georgia Broadwick earned the nickname “Tiny.” Yet as the first woman to parachute from an airplane, her courage was anything but tiny. At 15, she started jumping from tethered balloons wearing a “life preserver” designed by her adoptive father. She made her first jump from an airplane on June 21, 1913. While skydiving was rare before World War I, it became a popular feature of air shows after the war. Object Highlight: Tiny Broadwick's Parachute Higher! Faster! Farther! Competition and cash prizes pushed planes and pilots to new and greater heights in the days of early powered flight. Advancements came fast and were spectacular:
Object Highlight: Deperdussin and Gee Bee by Guy Johnson, 1973 In this fanciful painting, a 1911 Deperdussin is about to take off, with a Gee Bee Super Sportster—a famous 1930s racing plane—flying overhead. The style is photorealism, in which artists painted images from photographs, in this case two historic photos. Diverse Stories: Armand Deperdussin French silk merchant Armand Deperdussin founded a company that built and raced some of the fastest airplanes before World War I. In 1912, his sleek monoplane was the first to top 100 mph (161 km/h). Object Highlights: Deperdussin Models 1. Deperdussin 1913 Monocoque Racer The 1911–1913 Deperdussin monoplanes were the fastest in the sky. The Monocoque Racer set a speed record of 130 mph (210 km/h) and won the Gordon Bennett Trophy. 2. Deperdussin Monocoque Seaplane Racer Sleek and streamlined, with a fuselage of laminated wood, this 1913 aircraft on floats won the first Schneider Trophy seaplane race at an average speed of 45.71 mph (73.56 km/h). Death and the Airplane Flying in the early days was dangerous. Thirty-three people died in the first three years of public flying, 1908–1910. Five of nine members of the Wright exhibition team died between 1910 and 1912. The Aviators The first generation of aviators ranged from aristocrats like the Comte de Lambert and industrialists like C. S. Rolls, to famed racing pilot Jules Védrines [right], who grew up in the tough back alleys of Paris. Women were as attracted to the thrills of flying as were men. Some, like Harriet Quimby, became aerial stars. Whatever their origin, age, or gender, they all shared incredible courage and a daring spirit. Object Highlight: Early Birds Plaque The Early Birds of Aviation is an organization honoring all aviators who flew before December 17, 1916. This plaque contains the names of all of the American members. Learning to Fly Most aviators went to flight schools operated by aircraft manufacturers, but the quality of instruction varied widely. At some, student pilots taught themselves to fly by first rolling airplanes along the ground, then making short hops in the air without an instructor on board. More often, an instructor accompanied the pilot during training. Aviators of the World The daring men and women who flew higher, faster, and farther during the years before World War I were huge celebrities. Their exploits made headlines in newspapers and magazines around the globe, and a few became household names. Today, most are forgotten. The Finest Flying Clothing for Ladies and Gentlemen As aviation becomes more and more popular, magazines and newspapers have begun to turn their attention to what one wears to "aviate," not only as a pilot but also as a passenger. Manufacturers have designed more effective helmets, gloves, scarves, and other protective accessories for aviators. IMAGE: Helene Dutrieu wears the latest in ladies flying clothing, 1911. Wind Proof and Warm On long journeys and for over-water flights, warmth is the ruling factor for flight clothing. Gloves are an absolute necessity, and ideally, the coat sleeves have elastic bands which hold them closely to the wrists. Leather, although expensive, is the material preferred by pilots because of its warmth, durability, and impermeability. If the coat is oil-smeared when the aviator lands, he can remove it before greeting his admiring public. The Warren Helmet The outer layer is cork covered with composition leather. A layer of padding separates this outer part from the inner layer of protective aluminum plates and steel springs. Other features include an inner layer of laced leather strips to absorb shocks, thick padding around the rim to protect the head and face from side injuries, and earflaps with a hole that can be closed. The Brown Helmet The top portion partially covers the forehead and back of the head. The lower part, three thicknesses of felt covered with leather, protrudes over the eyes and protects the face in case of a forward fall. The earflaps are punched with holes. The Brown helmet affords protection against cold and against less severe blows, but it is not as effective a shock absorber as the Warren helmet. Heavy Tweed Could Save Your Life Matilde Moisant owes her life to the heavy tweed flying outfit she wore. In April 1912, her Blériot monoplane crashed and burst into flames. Spectators ran to the aircraft and pulled Matilde out, her clothes afire. Her heavy tweed costume prevented her from being burned. 11/16
The World Takes WingIn the years leading up to World War I, new types of aircraft were developed with improved capabilities. Flying boats matured and the first four-engine aircraft appeared. Across Europe and America, the airplane was on its way to revolutionizing our world. Object Highlight: The Ecker Flying Boat, 1911 Herman Ecker learned to fly at New York’s Belmont Park meet in 1911, and produced the first version of this aircraft later that year. Originally fitted with wheels, Ecker added pontoons to enable it to operate from water. Finally, he rebuilt it into his own version of the classic Curtiss flying boat. Ecker represents the large community of individuals who designed and built their own airplanes, or built their own copies of manufactured aircraft. "On rainy days I noted that I couldn’t get the plane in the air because the rain had dissolved the glue." -Herman Ecker The Roberts Engine Herman Ecker powered his flying boat with a Roberts six-cylinder, water-cooled, two-cycle marine engine converted for aeronautical use. It had two car-style radiators, and pilots started it with a hand crank. Our Wings Grow Larger As airplanes became more specialized—with designs for racing, stunt flying, and use on water—they also got bigger and more powerful. Russian designer Igor Sikorsky produced the world’s first four-engine aircraft, the Russky Vityaz, in 1913. It was designed for luxury passenger flight, complete with a saloon and bathroom. After it was destroyed in a ground accident, Sikorsky built the even more luxurious Ilya Muromets. It set a distance record of 746 miles (1,200 kilometers) from St. Petersburg to Kiev and back, June 30-July 12, 1914. When war broke out, the Ilya Muromets became the world’s first large bomber. Object Highlights: International Aircraft Models During the years 1908–1914, individuals and companies around the world produced a wide variety of aircraft types and designs. 1. Ellehammer II, 1906 2. Columbia Monoplane, 1910 3. Heinrich Monoplane, 1910 4. Walden IX, 1911 5. Lincoln Beachey’s Little Looper, 1914 6. Heinrich, 1910 7. Henry Farman, 1909 8. Burgess-Dunne Hydroplane, 1912 9. Boland Tailless, 1910 10. Walden III, 1909 11. Martin Biplane, 1910 12. Johnson Monoplane, 1911 12/16
The Gathering StormOn November 1, 1911, Italian aviator Giulio Gavotti dropped bombs from an Etrich Taube monoplane on Turkish troops in Libya, becoming history’s first aerial bomber. Over the next several years, armies fighting in the Balkan states of Eastern Europe used aircraft for both reconnaissance and bombing. By the time Europe plunged into war in the summer of 1914, the military potential of the airplane was clear. The Birth of Aerial Warfare The military potential of the airplane was first demonstrated in small conflicts in Europe, North Africa, and America. The U.S. Army Signal Corps established the Aeronautical Division in 1907. In 1909, Wilbur Wright trained the Army’s first three aviators. But the lack of government investment put the United States far behind Europe in military aviation. Object Highlight: USS Pennsylvania Model First Landing on a Ship, 1911 On January 18, 1911, Curtiss aviator Eugene Ely made the first ship-board landing on a special platform on the deck of the USS Pennsylvania, pointing the way to the possibility of an aircraft carrier. First Airplane Takeoff From the Deck of a Ship, 1910 Eugene Ely made the first airplane takeoff from the deck of a ship, the USS Birmingham, on November 14, 1910. Object Highlight: Etrich Taube, 1909 Designed in 1909 by Igo Etrich, the Taube—with room for two and a cruising speed of just over 60 mph (97 km/h)—was a popular reconnaissance aircraft with German and Austrian forces early in World War I. Before World War I, armed aircraft were rare but not unheard of. A rifle was first fired from an airplane in 1910 and a machine gun followed in 1912. By World War I, devices to synchronize machine gun fire through the propeller without hitting the blades had been developed. Captain Charles Chandler (left, with Lieutenant Roy Kirtland), commander of the U.S. Army aviation school at College Park, Maryland, fired the first machine gun from an aircraft on June 7, 1912. French aircraft builder Raymond Saulnier designed and built the first practical gun synchronization system in early 1914, as seen in this patent drawing. While the device worked, limitations in the machine gun he used kept it from being adopted. With war clouds gathering, European nations invested heavily in an untried weapon—the airplane. The U.S., feeling safe an ocean away, did not. In 1913, the U.S. ranked 14th in spending on aeronautics, behind Brazil, Spain, Bulgaria, Greece, Chile, and Japan. Total Government Expenditures on Aviation, 1908-1913 (All figures in U.S. dollars, 1913) CountryAmount Germany$28,000,000 France$22,000,000 Russia$12,000,000 Italy$8,000,000 Austria$5,000,000 Britain$3,000,000 Belgium$2,000,000 Japan$1,500,000 Chile$700,000 Bulgaria$600,000 Greece$660,000 Spain$550,000 Brazil$500,000 USA$435,000 Image Highlight: Entrance LenticularA lenticular is an image that has multiple images within it. Depending on where you stand, you will see a different image. For this lenticular, you will see the novelty of flight as children watch a Blériot fly as you enter the exhibit and then you will see the birth of aerial warfare as you leave. In this way, these two images help to represent the beginning and end of the early flight age. 13/16
vSys Shifts: Signing Up For SpotlightsYou MUST sign up for Spotlight shifts using vSys. How To Sign Up For NMB Spotlight Shifts in vSys:
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Recording Your Hours in vSysAfter your shift, it is important to correctly log your volunteer hours in vSys. We report our volunteer hours and visitor interaction numbers to Central Smithsonian and Congress, so it is imperative that we have your shifts regularly and correctly logged, including visitor interaction numbers. How To Log NMB Spotlights Hours:
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Next StepsAfter you complete this lesson and pass the quiz, please email [email protected] so they can add this training to your vSys profile. Please note that you must complete this lesson, pass the quiz, and complete the Q&A session with Curator Chris Moore (either at the live Zoom session or the recorded copy on Moodle) in order to sign up for Early Flight Spotlight shifts. 16/16
Lesson Completed!This is the end of the lesson. This lesson contains the basic information about docent spotlighting in the Early Flight gallery at NMB. You can review the lesson again using the links in the Lesson Menu block or the navigation buttons below. When you are finished reviewing the lesson, return to the Main Course Page to take the quiz. A PDF version of the lesson content is available on the main course page, for your reference. |