Frontiers of Flight Museum PDF

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Winifred Ojo Prof. Douzart History 1301-86403 August 4, 2020 Frontiers of Flight Museum Summary For this extra credit assignment, I was very interested in the Dallas Holocaust Museum because of the significance of this event in the history of the world but I was more inclined to write about the frontier of flight museum due to my vast knowledge and love for all things aviation. I have always been interested in aircrafts and the mechanics behind them, hence influencing me to studying them as a professional degree. Although I have never visited the Frontier of Flight Museum, I have had the opportunity to visiting different flight museums and camps but I can say I know a lot about the history of aviation when it comes to how they pertain to wars. This museum focuses on aeronautics: the designing, the building and flying of all kinds of aircrafts both in the military and the space. The first link I clicked was one that featured aircrafts and airmen in the World War II. This exhibition showcases the history of Tuskegee airmen also known as the Red Tail Angel, who served regardless of racism and became one of America’s most elite fighter units of the World War II producing the country’s first military pilots. A print that portrays one of their missions signed by many airmen including Gen. Benjamin O. Davis, Jr who was the first African American general in the United States Army. It was amazing to know that he was the first black officer to solo an Army Air Corps aircraft. His significance in aviation is still something we, as black students learning to fly feel

grateful for. The print was also signed by Captain Lee Archer who is the highest -scoring Tuskegee Airman of World War II with four aerial victories. He also fought in the Korean War. It was also nice to see the display of women Airforce service pilots (WASP) who were the first female military pilots. The next exhibit I clicked was named “The Unknown Warriors of The Cold War.” It shows the prints on the Civil Air Transport (CAT) that was formed in China after the World War II. Highlighting the start of the era of CAT, the challenges, the aircrafts flown, and the missions of the CAT & Air America until the end. A Map of their active sites and major support activities is seen. A picture of General Vang Pao who was a Laotian general, who led a secret army against communist North-Vietnam insurgents is shown. This exhibit shows the significance of some of the people that were so impactful in history but are not recognized. The influence of aviation on the South Vietnam Propaganda in 1954 is seen. Housed in the museum is a flying simulator of the SR-71 Blackbird, a spy plane designed and built in the early 1960s by Kelly Johnson and the Lockheed Skunk Works Division during the Cold War for high-altitude surveillance. It is still the world’s fastest airplane till date with speeds exceeding Mach 3 or 2,100 mph. It flies three times faster than the speed of sound. It was surprising for me to see that the plane was only used for this purpose and not as a defensive weapon. The Pratt & Whitney J58, a unique engine that powered the SR-71 Blackbird that has six bypass tubes which directs airflow from the compressor stage directly into the afterburner allowing the SR-71 to operate at a much higher fuel efficiency than other afterburning jet engines in full afterburner. Also showcased is a Technical Objective Camera (TEOC) from the SR-71, designed to

photograph specific targets at an angle of 0-45 degrees up to 20 nautical miles. There are usually mounted on each sides of the aircraft. The SR-71 carries an Optical Bar Camera (OBC) mounted to the nose taking a picture 72 miles wide which in an hour covered 100,000 square miles. The next exhibit I clicked on was the Apollo 7 Command Module. Apollo 7 was the first manned spaceflight in the United States’ Apollo program which launched on October 11, 1968. Orbiting the Earth 163 times, the crew spent 10 days and 20 hours in space. The American Flag from the Apollo mission by Col. Walter Cunningham who was the Lunar Module Pilot is showcased in the museum. The Omega Speedmaster Professional Watch worn by Walter Cunningham during the Apollo 7 program is also displayed. “The Moon Watch” as it is also known as was NASA’s official space watch and the first watch on the moon. The Space Suit Glove Dip Forms for Neil Armstrong are also shown. Neil Armstrong was the commander of the Apollo 11 space mission and the first man to walk on the moon. He and his crew collected moon rocks and brought them back to Earth. A photograph taken by Neil Armstrong of one of Buzz Aldrin’s first steps on the moon can also be seen. SSM-N-9 “Regulus II” Cruise Missile built in 1956 by Chance Vought and BQM-MQM “Chukar” built in 1968 by Northrop are missiles showcased in the museum. Some of the aircrafts in this exhibit are Curtiss JN-4D “Jenny” Aircraft built in 1918 by Liberty Iron Works and served as a primary training aircraft for U.S combat pilots during World War I. After the war, it became a favorite of civilian pilots through the 1920s. Stearman PT-17 “Kaydet” was built in 1941 by Boeing serving throughout the World War II as a primary flight training aircraft for U.S combat pilots. After the war, it

was popular for crop dusting due to their excellent low-speed flying characteristics. F105D “Thunderchief” was an aircraft used by the U.S Air Force as a strike aircraft and surface-to-air missile suppression “Wild Weasel” aircraft during the Vietnam War. Because it was heavily loaded with bombs, pilot found it hard to maneuver the aircraft and a lot of US pilots were lost to anti-aircraft fire and North Vietnamese fighter aircraft. Lear Fan 2100 was the first business aircraft built in I985 by William Lear constructed only out of carbon fiber composites for the aircraft to be highly efficient and lightweight. Others include V-173 “Flying Pancake” Aircraft, T-33A “Shooting Star” Aircraft, F-16B “Fighting Falcon” Aircraft, Boeing 737-300 Spirit of Kitty Hawk, Bell 47 Helicopter and UH-1D “Iroquois” (Huey) Helicopter. The next exhibit was on the Hindenburg first’s trip to America. Making it first passenger trip to the U.S on May 9,1936 and landed in Lakehurst, New Jersey, it was an airship that symbolized national pride adorned with the Nazi Swastika. The Hindenburg was one of the largest flying craft ever built at 804 ft. long. Construction began in 1932 and was completed in 1936. It was made from a special type of metal alloy called duralumin which made the inner structure needed to be strong yet lightweight. The kitchen Galley equipped with modern, electrical kitchen highlighting the best of German cuisine. On May 6,1937, the LZ-129 Hindenburg suddenly burst into flames while attempting to land in Lakehurst, New Jersey. Although the cause of the fire is still unknown, the airship was filled with almost 7 million cubic feet of highly inflammable hydrogen gas,from first spark to complete destruction took approximately 30 seconds. The accident likely occurred from a buildup of static electricity that ignited an unnoticed hydrogen leak, a tasteless and odorless gas. The radio operator’s chair in

the Hindenburg as it was in a fireproof insulation operation room. 97 people were on board, 62 people including Adolf Fisher, an engine mechanic. A print of the Hindenburg flying over Olympic Stadium at the 1936 Summer Olympics Games held at Berlin, Germany as part of the opening ceremony. Displayed in the museum is the Original Southwest Airlines Captain’s Collection. It features pictures of Captain Fred S. Deakins who was a former Air Force pilot who flew combat missions in the Korean War, Vietnam War and took part in the Berlin Airlift. He was one of the first 12 pilots hired by the Southwest Airlines in 1970. The collection also contains his captain’s uniform, flight logbook, his certificate of aeronautical rating, his diploma and certificates from the United States Air Force. In the museum is a replica of a World War I pilot briefing room with a first-person video mission briefing. Another exhibit is the “Merlin” V-12 Aircraft Engine built in 1933. Powering all the Royal Air Force (RAF) front line aircrafts during the World War II, it is the best piston aircraft engine ever built with its early models having produced 900hp and the later models produced over 1200hp. The final display I clicked on was the Flight Suit worn by Dick Rutan. Dick Rutan and his co-pilot Jeana Yeager began “The World’s Longest Flight” on December 14, 1986 flying for 9 days, 3 mins and 44 seconds covering 26,358 statute miles. This flight was the first ever, non-stop unrefueled flight around the world. Included in this display is a picture of the Voyager signed by co-pilot Jeana Yeager. Overall, I have learnt so much from the virtual tour that I hope to visit the museum once when Covid-19 is contained. Before this tour, I never paid attention to the history of military flying in the United States given that I did not see it one of my future prospects but seeing and learning more have certainly made me understand the

significance of fighter pilots in the history of wars in the this country and in the world at large. I feel visiting in person will further inspire me even as an aeronautical engineering student and a student pilot. I am glad I had the opportunity to virtually visit the Frontiers of Flight Museum.

Works Cited “Home.” Frontiers of Flight Museum: www.flightmuseum.com/virtual-tour/...