104 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1956 



illustrated in this Museum by original aircraft, but also provides the 

 collection with an example of a 3-place commercial airplane which 

 was popular in the 1930's. This record of over 27 days in the air was 

 an impressive demonstration of the reliability of American aircraft 

 and engines, as well as a tribute to the piloting skill and endurance 

 of the Key brothers. 



On August 18, the Civil Air Patrol, an air-youth organization 

 sponsored by the Air Force to encourage aeronautical training and 

 national airmindedness, chose the National Air Museum as a fitting 

 location for paying tribute to their retiring head, Gen. Lucas V. Beau. 

 The ceremony was held in the Aircraft Building in front of the 

 Spad-XIII airplane, a type which General Beau had flown during 

 World War I. 



August 19 was the birth date of Orville Wright, xlt one time this 

 date was designated as Aviation Day, and although that term is now 

 generally applied to December 17, when the Wright brothers first flew 

 in 1903, August 19 is deserving of recognition. The National Air 

 Museum marked the day with a public lecture on World War I avia- 

 tion, Col. Burling Jarrett, curator of the Army Ordnance Museum at 

 Aberdeen, Md., being guest speaker. Pie showed motion pictures that 

 he had produced with the assistance of Maj. Kimbrough Brown, 

 USAF, recording the heroism of the famous aces, Georges Guynemer 

 of France and Baron Manfred von Eichthofen of Germany. 



On September 5, 1955, at a meeting of the Early Birds in Phila- 

 delphia, this organization of pioneer pilots, who flew solo during the 

 first 13 years of human flight, 1903-1916, designated the National Air 

 Museum as their official depository for mementos of those fundamen- 

 tally important years of aeronautics. The head curator was elected 

 secretary of this organization. As a result, this Museum has received 

 a number of important accessions from the membership. These in- 

 clude the Knabenshue airship of 1905, Boland air-speed indicator of 

 1910, an Elbridge and a Lawrance engine from William Parker, a 

 group of instruments and a Daniel rotary engine from Adm. Luis de 

 Florez, and other items included among those listed at the end of 

 this report. 



Members of the Philadelphia Flying Club came to Washington in 

 their own planes October 30, 1955, for the purpose of seeing the 

 Smithsonian's aircraft collection; and on April 3, 1956, a tour of the 

 Museum by members of the Association for Childhood Education 

 International was followed by a group discussion on the value of aero- 

 nautics as a medium in school courses. On June 13 a group of chil- 

 dren, sponsored by Representative Peter Mack, were given a descrip- 

 tive tour of the aircraft display. 



The National Air Museum was represented, by invitation, at the 

 Wright brothers memorial banquet of the Aero Club of Washington 



