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Gustave Whitehead (1874-1927) was born in Hochst am Main, Bavaria. He immigrated to the United States and during the early 1900s experimented with aircraft design. According to his claims, he built several aircraft, which he flew several years before the Wrights' 1903 flight. Whitehead still has a number of followers trying to verify his claims.
NASM.XXXX.0603
Gibbs-Smith, Charles Harvard, 1909-
1969-1970
Charles H. Gibbs-Smith, Gift, unknown, XXXX-0603, Smithsonian Institution
0.45 Cubic feet ((1 legal document box))
National Air and Space Museum Archives
This collection consists of manuscripts and articles written by Charles H. Gibbs-Smith, in which he refutes Whitehead's claims. The collection contains the following manuscripts: 'The Flight Claims of Gustave Whitehead,' 'Gustave Whitehead: His Flight-Claims and his Place in History,' 'Gustave Whitehead,' 'Reflections on the Whitehead Claims to Powered Flight in 1902 and 1902,' 'An Open Letter on the Subject of the Flight-Claims of Gustave Whitehead,' and 'The Sorry Affair of Gustave Whitehead and His Alleged Powered Flight.'
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Wright (Brothers) 1903 Flyer
Aeronautics -- Records
Aeronautics -- pre-1903
Aeronautics
Airplanes -- Design and construction
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Articles
Manuscripts