The Technical Reference Files comprise an artificial collection that currently contains 1,900 cubic feet of aviation and space related materials, organized in 22 subject series. File materials include photographs, press releases, clippings, correspondence, reports, and brochures, on individuals, organizations, events, and objects.
The majority of the Archives Department's public reference requests can be answered using material in these files, which may be accessed through the Reading Room at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia. More specific information can be requested by contacting the Archives Reference Desk.
List of Series
Heavier-than-Air (180 cubic feet)
Human-carrying, heavier-than-air craft which are supported primarily by dynamic lift, including airplanes (powered fixed-wing aircraft), gliders and hang gliders (unpowered, fixed-wing aircraft), helicopters (powered-rotor rotorcraft), and autogiros (unpowered-rotor rotorcraft). Also included are unmanned vehicles that were originally designed as man-carrying aircraft. (Aircraft designed from the start as unmanned vehicles can be found in the Space History reference files with missiles and rockets.)
Lighter-than-Air (LTA)(60 cubic feet)
History, science, and art of airships and balloons from the 18th century to the present.
Engines
Air-breathing engines. (Other power plants for aircraft (including rocket motors) are filed under the Space Propulsion subseries.)
Accessories
Accessories and components which support air-breathing engines; also fuels, coolants, and lubricants.
Propellers
Specific models, listed by designer or manufacturer; also general topics.
Space Propulsion
All methods of spacecraft propulsion (even "passive" concepts such as the Solar Sail), spacecraft power sources (such as solar batteries and fuel cells), all rocket motors (including those used to power aircraft and other vehicles), and all accessories and components.
Information on specific people involved in the history of aviation and space exploration listed alphabetically by name.
Aviation and space related organizations.
Basic information about aviation and space corporations.
General
Broad air transport topics such as air cargo; economics; insurance; refueling and maintenance; regulation; salvage; and statistics.
Airlines
Specific regularly scheduled passenger and/or cargo carrying airlines.
By Region or Nation
Materials covering air transportation topics within specific world regions.
Airports
Specific U. S. and foreign airports; also general topics such as airport equipment, planning, and security.
Air Mail
Basic history of air mail services, foreign and domestic.
General
Electronics and communications equipment; also related topics such as air traffic control, navigational aids, and radar.
Avionics
Avionics equipment by manufacturer.
Type Recognition
Aircraft recognition training programs and materials, both U. S. and foreign (predominantly World War II). Includes various aircraft spotter's guides and information on WWII's National Model Building Program.
Schools
General topics; also specific aviation schools (predominantly U.S.) Training Guides Documents used for training.
By Date and Location
Information organized by date (1868 to the present) and location of event; includes assorted ephemera such as brochures, programs, advertisements, and tickets.
By Subject
Information dealing with broad categories of flights or events, for example: transatlantic, around-the-world, and altitude attempts.
Explore Events, Air Expositions, Meets, Races, and Shows Technical Files
Specific awards and trophies by name; also general topics pertaining to many awards.
General
Assorted aviation-related general equipment topics; includes the Brodie System, specialized tractors and trucks, and general information on markings, insignia and camouflage.
Clothing, Flight Gear, and Insignia
Information on clothing and related flight gear, and the insignia used on them (both U.S. and foreign). Does not include pressure suits and g-suits, which appear in a separate subseries below.
Oxygen
Information on oxygen equipment.
Parachutes
Information on the history of parachutes; also some specific types.
Pressure Suits and G-Suits
Information on pressure suits and g-suits.
Instruments
Instruments by type (altimeter, compass, air speed indicator, etc.) and by manufacturer. Also includes general topics such as instrument illumination, lubrication, and testing.
Topics related to space exploration, astronomy, missiles, rocketry, or remotely piloted vehicles. Also includes technologically related programs and vehicles that were designed to function entirely within the Earth's atmosphere.
Non-scheduled civil aviation.
General
General topics such as aerial refueling, aerobatic flying, and business aviation.
Regional
General aviation by state; also some information on general aviation in other countries.
Uses of Aircraft
Agriculture, advertising, fire fighting, insect control, meteorology, and tourism.
National and international government agencies and regulations.
Aviation and space exploration as depicted in art, literature, motion pictures, radio, and television; also includes aircraft nose art.
International
Military aviation by country (non-U.S.); includes general information on aces.
USA
U.S. military aviation, including selected Air Force bases and units, basic information on aircraft carriers, and military flight demonstration teams.
Armament
Guns, bombs and bombing, bombsights, ammunition, gun mounts, gun turrets, gun sights, chemical warfare, anti-aircraft guns and accessories.
Aviation's role in various wars and conflicts, from the 1914 Mexican Punitive Expedition through Desert Shield/Desert Storm.
General
Non-Smithsonian aviation and space museums around the world, by name.
Smithsonian
Basic information on the National Air and Space Museum, and related past and present Smithsonian Institution facilities and exhibits. Researchers seeking detailed information on the history of the Museum or its past exhibits should contact the Smithsonian Institution Archives.
Various types of scale aircraft models and related topics; also wind tunnel test models.
Includes basic information on topics such as accident investigation, safety equipment, medicine, rescue, survival training, noise abatement, and windshear.
General
Very small subseries of miscellaneous topics such as natural flight (birds and insects), preservation of air- and spacecraft, sonic booms, and toys.
Engineering
Engineering related to specific types of aircraft systems, such as landing gear, rotors, materials, tires, seats, and wings. Also information on wind tunnels.
Navigation
Air navigation history, equipment, and systems.
Operations
Aerial refueling and reclamation and salvage.
Photography
Aerial photography history and equipment.
Accessing this collection:
The Technical Reference Files comprise an artificial collection that currently contains 1,900 cubic feet of aviation and space related materials, organized in 22 subject series. File materials include photographs, press releases, clippings, correspondence, reports, and brochures, on individuals, organizations, events, and objects.
The majority of the Archives Department's public reference requests can be answered using material in these files, which may be accessed through the Reading Room at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia. More specific information can be requested by contacting the Archives Reference Desk.
List of Series
Heavier-than-Air (180 cubic feet)
Human-carrying, heavier-than-air craft which are supported primarily by dynamic lift, including airplanes (powered fixed-wing aircraft), gliders and hang gliders (unpowered, fixed-wing aircraft), helicopters (powered-rotor rotorcraft), and autogiros (unpowered-rotor rotorcraft). Also included are unmanned vehicles that were originally designed as man-carrying aircraft. (Aircraft designed from the start as unmanned vehicles can be found in the Space History reference files with missiles and rockets.)
Lighter-than-Air (LTA)(60 cubic feet)
History, science, and art of airships and balloons from the 18th century to the present.
Engines
Air-breathing engines. (Other power plants for aircraft (including rocket motors) are filed under the Space Propulsion subseries.)
Accessories
Accessories and components which support air-breathing engines; also fuels, coolants, and lubricants.
Propellers
Specific models, listed by designer or manufacturer; also general topics.
Space Propulsion
All methods of spacecraft propulsion (even "passive" concepts such as the Solar Sail), spacecraft power sources (such as solar batteries and fuel cells), all rocket motors (including those used to power aircraft and other vehicles), and all accessories and components.
Information on specific people involved in the history of aviation and space exploration listed alphabetically by name.
Aviation and space related organizations.
Basic information about aviation and space corporations.
General
Broad air transport topics such as air cargo; economics; insurance; refueling and maintenance; regulation; salvage; and statistics.
Airlines
Specific regularly scheduled passenger and/or cargo carrying airlines.
By Region or Nation
Materials covering air transportation topics within specific world regions.
Airports
Specific U. S. and foreign airports; also general topics such as airport equipment, planning, and security.
Air Mail
Basic history of air mail services, foreign and domestic.
General
Electronics and communications equipment; also related topics such as air traffic control, navigational aids, and radar.
Avionics
Avionics equipment by manufacturer.
Type Recognition
Aircraft recognition training programs and materials, both U. S. and foreign (predominantly World War II). Includes various aircraft spotter's guides and information on WWII's National Model Building Program.
Schools
General topics; also specific aviation schools (predominantly U.S.) Training Guides Documents used for training.
By Date and Location
Information organized by date (1868 to the present) and location of event; includes assorted ephemera such as brochures, programs, advertisements, and tickets.
By Subject
Information dealing with broad categories of flights or events, for example: transatlantic, around-the-world, and altitude attempts.
Explore Events, Air Expositions, Meets, Races, and Shows Technical Files
Specific awards and trophies by name; also general topics pertaining to many awards.
General
Assorted aviation-related general equipment topics; includes the Brodie System, specialized tractors and trucks, and general information on markings, insignia and camouflage.
Clothing, Flight Gear, and Insignia
Information on clothing and related flight gear, and the insignia used on them (both U.S. and foreign). Does not include pressure suits and g-suits, which appear in a separate subseries below.
Oxygen
Information on oxygen equipment.
Parachutes
Information on the history of parachutes; also some specific types.
Pressure Suits and G-Suits
Information on pressure suits and g-suits.
Instruments
Instruments by type (altimeter, compass, air speed indicator, etc.) and by manufacturer. Also includes general topics such as instrument illumination, lubrication, and testing.
Topics related to space exploration, astronomy, missiles, rocketry, or remotely piloted vehicles. Also includes technologically related programs and vehicles that were designed to function entirely within the Earth's atmosphere.
Non-scheduled civil aviation.
General
General topics such as aerial refueling, aerobatic flying, and business aviation.
Regional
General aviation by state; also some information on general aviation in other countries.
Uses of Aircraft
Agriculture, advertising, fire fighting, insect control, meteorology, and tourism.
National and international government agencies and regulations.
Aviation and space exploration as depicted in art, literature, motion pictures, radio, and television; also includes aircraft nose art.
International
Military aviation by country (non-U.S.); includes general information on aces.
USA
U.S. military aviation, including selected Air Force bases and units, basic information on aircraft carriers, and military flight demonstration teams.
Armament
Guns, bombs and bombing, bombsights, ammunition, gun mounts, gun turrets, gun sights, chemical warfare, anti-aircraft guns and accessories.
Aviation's role in various wars and conflicts, from the 1914 Mexican Punitive Expedition through Desert Shield/Desert Storm.
General
Non-Smithsonian aviation and space museums around the world, by name.
Smithsonian
Basic information on the National Air and Space Museum, and related past and present Smithsonian Institution facilities and exhibits. Researchers seeking detailed information on the history of the Museum or its past exhibits should contact the Smithsonian Institution Archives.
Various types of scale aircraft models and related topics; also wind tunnel test models.
Includes basic information on topics such as accident investigation, safety equipment, medicine, rescue, survival training, noise abatement, and windshear.
General
Very small subseries of miscellaneous topics such as natural flight (birds and insects), preservation of air- and spacecraft, sonic booms, and toys.
Engineering
Engineering related to specific types of aircraft systems, such as landing gear, rotors, materials, tires, seats, and wings. Also information on wind tunnels.
Navigation
Air navigation history, equipment, and systems.
Operations
Aerial refueling and reclamation and salvage.
Photography
Aerial photography history and equipment.