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SDASM Library & Archives

SDASM Library & Archives Library & Archives It houses one of the largest collections of Air & Space-related books and archival materials in the country.

The Library & Archives serves as repository for several types of historical and contemporary publications and records related to aviation and space history, and including technical specifications of aircraft. This extensive collection, which includes many unique and rare items, consists of books, periodicals, films and video tapes, audio tapes (including oral histories), manuals, plus a very large

number of photos, personal and organizational papers, clippings, articles, and other archival materials. The main focus of this world class collection is aviation-related materials with an emphasis on aerospace vehicles, events, and individuals associated with the geographical area of San Diego, California.

Operating as usual

75 years ago this month, the Sound Barrier was broken.  Find out more here!
10/17/2022

75 years ago this month, the Sound Barrier was broken. Find out more here!

Come join us for a fun day at the Museum's Gillespie Field Annex tomorrow, October 1st from 9 AM to 3 PM. Hope to see yo...
10/01/2022
San Diego Air & Space Museum - Aerofest - events

Come join us for a fun day at the Museum's Gillespie Field Annex tomorrow, October 1st from 9 AM to 3 PM. Hope to see you there.

San Diego Air & Space Museum Annual Open Hangar and Museum Sale this Saturday Oct. 1 at Gillespie Field. Enjoy an up-close look at the Museum’s latest restoration projects of a Boeing FB-5 and...

https://archive.org/details/aeronautica_202204   The SDASM digitizes a very important periodical!  Since its inception, ...
04/29/2022

https://archive.org/details/aeronautica_202204
The SDASM digitizes a very important periodical! Since its inception, the Institute for the Aeronautical Sciences (IAS) had started preserving the history of flight. By 1940, this collection had become the world’s greatest collected works of artifacts and documents related to the history of aviation.

In 1948, Jack Northrop was the President of the IAS and he appointed an Archives Committee to supervise the matters of flight history within the Institute; this could be seen as the initial founding of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) History Committee; as the IAS merged with the American Rocket Society (ARS) in 1963 to form the AIAA. The IAS Council created a new grade of member, Historical Associate, for individuals with a serious interest in aeronautical history who might not qualify for IAS membership in the technical grades. Historical Associates would not have a vote, but their dues of $10 would entitle them to receive issues of the new quarterly publication “Aeronautica,” that would carry historical articles. These members would provide a pool of volunteers to perform a renewed effort to catalog objects in the IAS collection of aviation history artifacts and documents, and submit articles for the publication. In 1949, William Burden, the most significant donor to the IAS collections, took office as the President of the IAS. None of the past issues of the Aeronautica “magazine” survived in the AIAA.

The “magazines” are about the size of a newsletter; offset printed on two 11x17 sheets of glossy heavy-stock paper on both sides in black and white, glued or stapled. and folded into a multiple-page document that is 8½x11 in size.

By 1950, there were 55 active Historical Associates and 14 additional Historical members already enrolled in other grades. The program was not seen as being successful in keeping-up with the need. Around that time, the Aero Historical Society based in Los Angeles had disbanded and became a means of doubling the number of Historical Associates with John Slone, an engineer with North American Aviation , becoming the chair of the IAS Historical Branch. This group became very active on the west coast in developing programs, building exhibits, and publishing articles with their grass-roots support; but the IAS collection was on the east coast. The responsibility for publishing the “Aeronautica” periodical was transferred to the west coast. Throughout the 1950s, the research library, museum, and historical collections grew and took up half of the space in the New York IAS building.

The problem was that almost all of the Historical Associates were on the west coast. Beginning with the first issue of Aeronautica in 1952, the management of the Historical Associate program and the publication of Aeronautica was all moved to the west coast. Although touted as a magazine, the Aeronautica was not much more than a very professionally published newsletter. It did not publish any news about the Institute or the Historical Associate program, but it would have articles about aircraft, people, and events in aeronautical history with lots of graphics (pictures and scale drawings).

In the late 1950s, membership and revenues had peaked and started to decline. By 1960, expenses needed to be cut, and the historical and museum functions had been divested. Included in the divestiture was the Guggenheim Mansion which had been donated to finally give the Institute the space needed for the historical collections; and the publication of “Aeronautica” had also ceased in 1957. This was too much for Lester Gardner, the Institute’s founder, who for many years cut all ties with the Institute because of the massive divestiture.

Thanks to Kevin Burns for helping us digitize "Aeronautica"!

=Every year Santa Claus makes his trip from the North Pole to deliver toys and goodies to all the good little boys and g...
12/17/2021

=
Every year Santa Claus makes his trip from the North Pole to deliver toys and goodies to all the good little boys and girls around the world. He does so without fail, and makes his journey in one night seem effortless. At the beginning of the 20th century, when airplanes began to fly longer distances, pilots tried very hard to replicate Santa’s feat by flying their planes to the North Pole. We hope you enjoy this exhibit that looks at the history of Polar flight! https://sandiegoairandspace.org/exhibits/online-exhibit-page/polar-express-introduction

New Online Exhibit!https://sandiegoairandspace.org/exhibits/online-exhibit-page/high-flying-films-introductionHollywood ...
11/04/2020

New Online Exhibit!
https://sandiegoairandspace.org/exhibits/online-exhibit-page/high-flying-films-introduction
Hollywood has long had an infatuation with flight, and many movies have been produced that have aircraft in leading roles. These aviation films tell us much about what was going on in society at the time they were produced, as these films often represented the hopes and fears of those that created them. We have created an online exhibit that highlights some of these “High Flying Films” and also discusses the historical context in which they were produced.

Here are some cool matches!  You know what else matches? Our grant!  For a limited time your donation will be matched do...
09/11/2020

Here are some cool matches! You know what else matches? Our grant! For a limited time your donation will be matched dollar-for-dollar through the Museum’s Challenge Grant Recovery Fund: https://sandiegoairandspace.org/support/donate/donate
Please designate "Challenge Grant" if you kindly donate. Thank you very much!

As the Valley Fire burns in San Diego County, we take a look back at the first airplane meant to fight fires in the area...
09/09/2020

As the Valley Fire burns in San Diego County, we take a look back at the first airplane meant to fight fires in the area. In 1917 Orvar "Swede" Meyerhoffer was contracted by the San Diego Fire Department to fly his Curtiss F Boat to attack fires from the air. His plane, christened "Aerial Truck No 1", was going to use chemical fire extinguishers to put out fires. Although the exact method to be utilized is unknown and there is no record that Ole No 1 ever fought a fire.

Incidentally, in 2018, the San Diego Air and Space Museum acquired its own Aerial Truck, a Lockheed P2V Neptune which can be seen at our Gillespie Field annex. We do know that our Neptune, "Tanker 43" was quite successful at fighting fires!

Two of the most prized possessions in the Museum's collection are a pair of logbooks recording events related to the 103...
07/31/2020

Two of the most prized possessions in the Museum's collection are a pair of logbooks recording events related to the 103rd Aero Squadron from the First World War. The 103rd squadron was the first American combat squadron to see action in the War, and was initially comprised of 17 pilots from the famed Lafayette Escadrille, the French squadron made up of mostly American volunteers. One of the logbooks contains a record of the flight operations of the squadron, including hours flown and a narrative about each day's activities. Some of these reports, listed as the "Nature of Patrol" are quite interesting and detailed.

The other logbook records more the Squadron's more mundane activities not related to flight, such as the names of new squadron members, or where the 103rd was stationed. This book spans the period when the squadron was formed till when it returned to the United States after the War.

Recently the library undertook the process of restoring these logbooks. The digitization of these log books means that the can be used by researchers without additional wear and tear. And in 2020, the activity logbook were transcribed by Steve Ruffin.

See the logbooks and transcription here: https://archive.org/search.php?query=subject%3A%22103rd+Aero+Squadron%22

https://sandiegoairandspace.org/collection/item/logbooks-of-the-lafayette-escadrille-103rd-pursuit-squadron

Three historically important scrapbooks, which belonged to Reuben H. Fleet, are being digitized by the Museum’s Library ...
05/19/2020

Three historically important scrapbooks, which belonged to Reuben H. Fleet, are being digitized by the Museum’s Library & Archives as part of the California Revealed program. California Revealed is a State Library initiative to help digitize California’s archival treasures, at no cost to the source institution. Fleet founded Consolidated Aircraft in 1923 in Buffalo, New York, relocating his company to San Diego in 1935. During World War II, located on Pacific Highway by Lindbergh Field, the company employed nearly 50,000 San Diegans, delivering tens of thousands of aircraft. His company merged with Vultee Aircraft in 1943, becoming Consolidated Vultee Aircraft Corporation (Convair).
These oversized scrapbooks contain newspaper clippings and articles about Fleet and Consolidated Aircraft, dating from 1928 to 1942. On loan to the Museum by the Fleet family, they were created by Fleet’s personal secretary.
The digitization of these books will allow research of materials that include valuable marketing and media information about Consolidated Aircraft prior to its move to San Diego, as well as the early years of World War II. The California Revealed project has already digitized many of the Museum’s oral histories, including those of T.C. Ryan, Waldo Waterman and Lillian Boyer.
These are available at: https://archive.org/details/sandiegoairspacemuseum

In March 2020 the world changed as non-essential businesses closed to the public to prevent the spread of the coronaviru...
04/22/2020

In March 2020 the world changed as non-essential businesses closed to the public to prevent the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19). Overnight, the Museum converted its daily activities into a variety of online and remote activities as staff began working from home. During the temporary closure, the Museum’s Library & Archives staff continue to respond to research requests and inquiries. In addition, they are exploring ways to stay connected with the public while working from home. To learn more about the Library & Archives recent accomplishments and future plans, read the new issue of “Researcher News.http://sandiegoairandspace.org/pdf/LANewsletter_April2020a.pdf

Do you have to make repairs to your B-24 or PBY and are worried you don't have the most current instructions?  Don't wor...
01/29/2020
Consolidated Field Service Bulletins Vol. 3 1945 : SDASM : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

Do you have to make repairs to your B-24 or PBY and are worried you don't have the most current instructions? Don't worry! We have digitized Consolidated Field Service Bulletins from World War Two!
https://archive.org/details/consolidatedfieldservicebulletinsvol.31945

We have also digitized "Plane Talk" and Consairways "Plane Talk" check them out at https://archive.org/details/

Consolidated Aircraft Field Service Bulletins Volume 3, from December 1944 through December 1945.  The Field Service Bulletins gave updates and maintenance...

Santa came early this year! We received a generous award from the California State Library for their "California Reveale...
12/23/2019

Santa came early this year! We received a generous award from the California State Library for their "California Revealed" project. This project will digitize 50 items containing thousands of pages of content. The items to be digitized include board minutes from the Consolidated/Convair Aircraft Corporation from 1924 to 1954, which will give insight into the major decisions that made that company one of the most important aerospace manufacturers in America. Also selected for digitization are the company newspapers for the Northrop Corporation, which range in date from the 1940s to the 1980s. Northrop was known for manufacturing "Flying Wing" aircraft and several other important designs, such as the F-5. These newspapers include information about the products the company made, in addition to the everyday activities of its employees. Such activities include such things as employee spotlights and articles on company sports teams. Northrop was a major aerospace corporation, which employed several thousand Californians in the 1950s. These newspapers give a unique look into the aerospace industry in California during the Cold War. These items will be available on Archive.org in late 2020 and all of the text will be fully searchable!

Naughty or nice?  You are running out of time to impress Santa! If you really want to get on the good list, come volunte...
12/18/2019

Naughty or nice? You are running out of time to impress Santa! If you really want to get on the good list, come volunteer at the Library and Archives! Thanks to Bill Allen for use of this image.

As you know, our collections have grown rapidly over the past couple of years, allowing us the responsibility of maintai...
11/25/2019

As you know, our collections have grown rapidly over the past couple of years, allowing us the responsibility of maintaining the largest private non-profit aerospace collection in the nation. However, to ensure good stewardship and accessibility to these valuable collections, it is necessary to improve and expand our existing storage areas. We are now planning and starting to raise funds for the renovation of two more collection rooms. These improvements are needed to better utilize our limited space for proper storage and long-term preservation, as well as provide easier access for research purposes. It will also allow us to create better work areas for our staff and volunteers.

Pictured is the area once known as the "Tank Room" which will be used for expanded collection storage. If you would like to donate to this effort, or purchase items that will help, you can use this link:
https://www.charity.ebay.com/charity/San-Diego-Air-and-Space-Museum/2439925

Visit our eBay store for surplus books and other items for sale. All proceeds will go toward our renovation project to i...
11/18/2019
Support San Diego Air and Space Museum on eBay

Visit our eBay store for surplus books and other items for sale. All proceeds will go toward our renovation project to improve the storage and care of our collections. Thanks for your support.

Through eBay for Charity you can support the causes that matter most - to you - by buying and selling on eBay. We help nonprofits like San Diego Air and Space Museum connect to over 145 million eBay community members to raise money.

We have uploaded even more General Dynamics/Convair Newspapers to https://archive.org/details/sandiegoairspacemuseumAnd ...
10/30/2019

We have uploaded even more General Dynamics/Convair Newspapers to https://archive.org/details/sandiegoairspacemuseum
And if that wasn't cool enough, the website reads the newspapers to you if you so desire! You can search for friends or family members that worked at there and read...or hear all about them!

Big News!  We have digitized 100s of issues of Convairiety, the employee newspaper of Convair.  We have editions from Sa...
10/15/2019
The San Diego Air and Space Museum : Free Texts : Free Download, Borrow and Streaming : Internet Archive

Big News! We have digitized 100s of issues of Convairiety, the employee newspaper of Convair. We have editions from San Diego, Fort Worth, Astronautics and even Antelope Valley. You can find them here: https://archive.org/details/sandiegoairspacemuseum

And, you can search the contents of all of them (and other documents from Convair and Ryan) but using the "Search this Collection" box and selecting "Text Contents".

The San Diego Air & Space Museum Library & Archives houses one of the largest collections of Air & Space-related books and archival materials in the country. This extensive collection, which includes many unique and rare items, consists of books, periodicals, films and video tapes,...

Hello!  Did you know that we have some very rare Oral Histories on Archive.org?  Like this one from Richard Stutzman who...
08/06/2019
BD 0256 Richard Stutzman Oral History : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

Hello! Did you know that we have some very rare Oral Histories on Archive.org? Like this one from Richard Stutzman who flew with the 118th Tactical Recon Sq. and was shot down over China?https://archive.org/details/bd0256richardstutzmanoralhistory

Oral History from Richard Dick Stutzman, who served with the 118th Tactical-Reconnaissance Squadron in World War Two.  Mr. Stutzman discusses his time in...

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Comments

The Archive staff has produced a really nice short history of barnstorming. It is on the SDASM website:
A terrific new online exhibit just went up on the museum's website:

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