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This is a Collins oscillator radio tube made by the Arthur A. Collins of the Collins Radio Company and based on a design developed by the American rocket pioneer Dr. Robert H. Goddard and patented by him in 1912. In addition to rocketry, radio technology was another interest of Goddard. From 1936, he permitted Collins to use his oscillator patent and accepted only a modest consultant's fee.

Goddard did not consider his osiclllator patent among his most important invertions. Yet the tube was essential in the development of radio and electronics and could have made him a millionaire. The tube was donated to the Smithsonian in 1965 by Mrs. Robert H. Goddard.

 Display Status

This object is not on display at the National Air and Space Museum. It is either on loan or in storage.
Object Details
Date ca. 1936 Country of Origin United States of America Type EQUIPMENT-Communications Devices Manufacturer Collins Radio Co.
 Dimensions 3-D: 13.7 x 4cm (5 3/8 x 1 9/16 in.)
 Materials Glass
Aluminum
Steel
Adhesive
 Inventory Number A19650304000 Credit Line Gift of Mrs. Robert H. Goddard Data Source National Air and Space Museum Restrictions & Rights Usage conditions apply
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