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The Langley Research Center has operated continuously as the premier American aerospace research center since 1917. Langley opened as the only research facility of the recently formed (1915) National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), which Congress had created "to supervise and direct the scientific study of the problems of flight with a view to their practical solution." In the wake of developments in spaceflight in the late 1950s the NACA was transformed in 1958 into the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). This organization was charged with advancing the science of aeronautics and spaceflight. The Langley Research Center did not cease aeronautical research, but added space research to it taskload. From the most practical advances in aviation to the most outlandish ideas for overcoming small hindrances, if it was tested on an airplane, it was likely tested at Langley. Since the NACA was co-located with Air Force facilities at Langley Field in Hampton, Virginia, the loan or sharing of an airframe between the NACA/NASA and the Air Force was not unusual. With NACA Headquarters housed in Navy Department facilities in Washington, DC and naval aviation facilities in the nearby Tidewater Virginia area, the NACA was also the ready recipient of loaned Naval aircraft. Aircraft were also tested by Langley at the request of the Army or Navy, in order to improve existing aircraft or to substantiate internal military evaluations with reports from another agency. NACA/NASA Langley is often termed "The Mother Center," for it provided the nucleus of staff and equipment that formed the other NACA/NASA Centers and field offices. Most of the key figures who gained prominence at other NACA/NASA facilities such as Robert Gilruth and Christopher Kraft started as aeronautical engineers at Langley. Many flight programs, such as the aircraft icing program, later flown from the Ames Research Center in California, started at Langley.
NASM.1993.0011
National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Langley Research Center
1917-1993
NASA Langley Research Center Office of External Affairs, Gift, 1992, 1993-0011, Public Domain
6.3 Linear feet
National Air and Space Museum Archives
The NACA/NASA Langley Photographic History Collection (acc. 1993-0011) contains approximately 1000 photographs relating to the Langley Research Center. The subjects of the photographs include aircraft (and mockups), wind tunnels, research equipment, experiments and personalities (engineers, pilots and administrators). NASM Archives Staff member Brian Nicklas was detailed to NASA Langley Office of Public Affairs for one year (September 1990-August 1991) to gather the images for a published photographic history of the Center for its 75th anniversary. During this time Nicklas was to gather the collection and write captions for the images found. Plans were also made to distribute copies of the images to several NASA and NASM offices. The NASA Headquarters History Office, NASA Langley Office of Public Affairs, NASA Langley Technical Library Archives, and the National Air and Space Museum Archives Division were each given one set of prints and one set of negatives of the images gathered. In addition, one set of prints was made for use in producing the book. At the close of the project, citing funding shortages, NASA declined publication. By providing a set to NASM, the public was assured of access to these images, as all the other holders would restrict access to NASA or members of the working media. The photographs in this collection support the NASM aircraft collection in that they depict a number of aircraft in the NASM collection while they were in active research use. These include the Vertol VZ-2 and the Lippisch (Darmstadt-München) DM-1. The aircraft listed in Series I are known Langley aircraft. The list was assembled from NACA and NASA records, photographs held by NASA Langley and aircraft record cards held by the National Air and Space Museum Archives. This list may not include all Langley aircraft because documentation of aircraft operated by the NACA or NASA at Langley Field is lacking. Crash test aircraft used by NASA in the Impact Dynamics Research Facility are not fully listed, as records on what airframes were tested are incomplete. Several twin-engine Piper airframes were purchased following flooding at the factory, and as these incomplete airframes lack identity numbers, records and photos are also lacking. The Aircraft photos draw in small part from two artificial collections at Langley, the Marty Weiner Collection and the Lawrence Loftin Collection (itself drawn from a portion of the Weiner Collection). Note that while every known aircraft has a folder, not every folder contains an image. The folders were arranged during the initial collection process, and kept in place in hopes that an image would surface. This did happen on many occasions, yet for other aircraft. While the images in Series II are from the NASA Special Publication SP-4305 Engineer in Charge by James Hansen, mention must also be made of two other artificial collections represented herein. Once access to the original photography was gained, it became apparent that better representative images were available. Neither the Weiner or Loftin Collections were used in their entirety. In some cases images were obtained by copying the image reproduced in a NACA or NASA report. This was done in cases where the original negative had disappeared or deteriorated to the point of becoming unusable. Some images were copied from file copies held by the NASM Archives, as these were the best images extant. Series III holds photos primarily from the NASA years, 1958-1991. There are photos of the newer facilities, the updated older facilities, programs and projects-both space and aeronautical, and a few personalities from this period. Photos in Series I are arranged chronologically by date of negative. Folders are numbered sequentially within the series. Photos in Series II are arranged in the order they appear in the NASA Special Publication SP-4305 Engineer in Charge by James Hansen, with additional NACA photos at the end of the series. Series III consists of NASA images from the years 1958 to 1990, arranged chronologically by date of negative. Resources & Publications: NASA Special Publication SP-4305 Engineer in Charge by James R. Hansen, 1987 NASA Special Publication SP-4308 Spaceflight Revolution by James R. Hansen, 1995 NASA Special Publication SP-4406 Orders of Magnitude by Roger E. Bilstein, 1989 NASA Special Publication SP-468 Quest for Performance by Lawrence Loftin, 1985 NASA Special Publication NP-130 Winds of Change by James Schultz, 1992 NASA Technical Memorandum TM-4021 Research and Technology 1987 NASA Technical Memorandum TM-4331 Research and Technology 1991 NASA Technical Memorandum TM-4452 Research and Technology 1992 NASA Technical Memorandum TM-104090 Langley Aerospace Test Highlights 1990
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Astronautics
Aeronautics
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