Stories of daring, stories of technological feats, stories of prevailing against the odds ... these are the stories we tell at the National Air and Space Museum. Dive in to the stories below to discover, learn, and be inspired.
Showing 1 - 10 of 29
The Curtiss F9C-2 Sparrowhawk was a light 1930s biplane fighter aircraft that was designed to launch from the United States Navy airships USS Akron and Macon.
A new online interactive experience from the National Air and Space Museum explores the history of the USS Shenandoah
One hundred years after the first U.S. Navy airship took to the skies, zeppelins and blimps are poised to make a comeback
Cornelius Coffey was an advocate for the education of Black Americans in aeronautics.
In 1929, Transcontinental Air Transport (TAT) started passenger service between New York and Los Angeles using a combination of trains and planes.
It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s a...lion?
Amelia Earhart’s remarkable 1932 flight still stands today as a significant milestone in aviation history and women’s history. Earhart was a decorated pilot, a major celebrity, and an impactful woman whose surprising construction of a 1930s aviation career remains an inspiration to 21st century women and men. Curator Dorothy Cochrane reflects on her life and the role she would play if she were alive today.
On May 6, 1937, German airship LZ 129 Hindenburg burst into flames upon its approach to Naval Air Station Lakehurst, in New Jersey. Soon after, the airship plummeted to the ground in a crash that shocked the world. The incident marked the beginning of the end of the era of the airship. Read about one of most famous disasters in aviation history.
After World War I, many people began to operate commercial airlines. But every one of these early efforts failed because of high operating costs.
Air mail had helped the commercial aviation industry thrive in its early days. Contracts to deliver mail were awarded to airlines by the federal government, but small, independent airlines complained that the way contracts were distributed was unfair.