In July 1923, the US Army Air Service disclosed that it intended to attempt a global flight the following year. Four specially-built aircraft were commissioned from the Douglas Aircraft Company. The World Cruisers, as they were called, were christened the Seattle, the Chicago, the Boston, and the New Orleans. The four aircraft departed from Seattle, Washington, in April 1924 to begin their flight. Only the New Orleans and the Chicago completed the arduous 44,085 km (27,553 mi) flight. It took 175 days, with a flying time of 371 hours and 11 minutes. Vance James Maloney, Sr. was serving as a Director of the South Fukien Mission of Seventh Day Adventists in Kulangsu (Gulangyu) Island, Amoy, China in 1924. Maloney photographed the Douglas World Cruisers (DWC) Chicago, Boston, and New Orleans during a refueling stop in the harbor at Amoy on June 7, 1924.

NASM.2022.0023

Arranged, described, and encoded by Jessamyn Lloyd, 2022.

Maloney, Vance James, Sr.

1924, Circa 1928

John A. Maloney, Maloney Family Trust, Gift, 2022, NASM.2022.0023

0.01 Cubic feet (1 folder)

In 1924, the US Army Air Service sent four specially-built aircraft, the Douglas World Cruisers (DWC) Seattle, Chicago,Boston, and New Orleans on an around the world flight. Vance James Maloney, Sr. was serving as a missionary in Amoy, China in June 1924 when the world flyers made a refueling stop there. This collection consists of three photographs taken by Maloney during that refueling stop, as well as a copy of a 1924 letter written by Maloney to his parents in which he mentions the flight, along with a copy of a ten-page autobiography written by Maloney circa 1968 that includes several passages that relate to the flight.

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Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Photographs

Correspondence

Autobiographies

Collection is in chronological order.

This collection consists of three photographs taken by Vance James Maloney, Sr. during a refueling stop for the US Army Around the World Flight at Amoy, China on June 7, 1924. The Douglas World Cruiser (DWC) Chicago (#2), Boston (#3), and New Orleans (#4) are shown. Each photograph measures approximately 5.5 by 3.5 inches and they are mounted to a single black album page. Two of the photographs have captions handwritten on the front. The collection also contains a copy of a letter, dated June 18, 1924, written by Maloney to his parents in which he mentions the flight, as well as a copy of a ten-page autobiography written by Maloney circa 1968 that includes several passages that relate to the flight.

Photographs

Correspondence

Autobiographies

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US Army Around the World Flight (1924) Photographs [Maloney], NASM.2022.0023, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.

National Air and Space Museum Archives