This is the main console of an IBM 9020 computer. The IBM 9020 was a large, mainframe computer configured for real-time operation and programmed to handle en-route air traffic control functions at about two dozen centers across the continental United States. The 9020 consisted of three standard commercial mainframes, the IBM System/360 Model 50. All three ran in tandem to ensure high reliability. Each Model 50 had its own control panel, which looked like this one, but this was the master control for the whole configuration. Unlike standard IBM mainframes of the day, the 9020 was programmed to operate in "real time": that is, to compute and generate results as fast as or faster than data were fed into it.
A full system consisted of this computer coupled to air traffic controllers' consoles, with data fed into the system from long-range radar and other ground stations. IBM 9020s were in use at en-route centers from about 1967 through 1997. This system was used at the FAA en-route center in Leesburg, VA.
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
Country of Origin
United States of America
Type
INSTRUMENTS-Computers, General Purpose
Manufacturer
IBM Corporation
Dimensions
Storage (Object rehoused as is.): 197.5 × 97.8 × 186.7cm (77 3/4 × 38 1/2 × 73 1/2 in.)
Materials
Steel, Plastic, Aluminum, Brass, Acrylic (Plexiglas), Foam, Acrylic (Plexiglas), Gold Plating, Rubber (Silicone), Phenolic Resin, Adhesive
Inventory Number
A19970493000
Credit Line
Transferred from the Federal Aviation Administration
Data Source
National Air and Space Museum
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
For more information, visit the Smithsonians Terms of Use.