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This collection contains Upson's papers and notebooks. The material consists of notebooks, both general (1911-35) and experimental (1928-68) and reference files on a variety of aeronautical subjects. The collection also contains material from Upson's teaching career, as well as miscellaneous personal documents.
Ralph Hazlett Upson (1888-1968) was an aeronautical engineer, inventor and pilot. After graduation from Stevens Institute of Technology (ME 1910) he rocketed to prominence by winning the International Balloon Race (1913) and American National Balloon Race (1913, 1921). He worked as chief engineer of the aeronautical department of Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. (1914-1920), during which time he flew the first United States Navy coastal patrol airship on a demonstration flight (1917) and served on the Navy Design Mission to Europe (1918-19). He then moved to the Aircraft Development Corp. (Chief Engineer 1922-27) while serving as chairman of the Lighter-Than-Air (LTA) division of the Aeronautical Safety Code Commission, US Bureau of Standards (1922-24). He went to work for Aeromarine-Klemm Corp. and a number of other companies (1928-42), during which time he designed the first successful metal-clad airship, the ZMC-2 (1929). After a brief tenure at H. J. Heinze Co. (Chief of Aeronautical Engineering (1942-44) he moved into academia at New York University (NYU, Research Specialist and Lecturer 1944-46) and the University of Minnesota (Professor of Aeronautical Engineering 1946-56; Professor Emeritus 1956-1968). Upson then worked for Boeing (Research Specialist 1956-64) and remained an active consultant until his death.
NASM.XXXX.0177
Upson, Ralph Hazlett, 1888-1968
1911-1968
bulk 1940-1960
Francis A. Upson, gift, 1974, XXXX-0177 Curtiss-Wright Corporation
7 Cubic feet (21 boxes )
National Air and Space Museum Archives
This collection contains Upson's papers and notebooks. The material consists of notebooks, both general (1911-35) and experimental (1928-68) and reference files on a variety of aeronautical subjects. The collection also contains material from Upson's teaching career, as well as miscellaneous personal documents. There is approximately seven cubic feet of correspondence, reports, manuscripts, notebooks and various other materials.
Contents: Series 1: Personal and Career Subseries 1: Personal Subseries 2: Career Subseries 3: Education Subseries 4: Authorship Subseries 5: Correspondence Series 2: Notepads and Notebooks Subseries 1: Notepads and Appointment books Subseries 2: Notebooks Series 3: Subject files Series 4: Miscellaneous
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Ralph Hazlett Upson Collection, Acc. XXXX-0177, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Airships
ZMC-2
Aeronautics
Periodicals
Aeronautical engineers
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Diaries
Publications
Photographs
Letters
Notebooks
Correspondence