SECRETARY'S REPORT 109 



Museum files, and selected several to augment its program. The Voice 

 of America made a number of phone calls to the Museum to check 

 on details of scripts, and the Civil Aeronautics Administration re- 

 ceived helpful suggestions for the making of scale models of airplanes 

 used in accident investigations. These are only a few of the many 

 requests for assistance received from Government agencies. Several 

 Congressmen referred their constituents to the Museum or received 

 direct assistance in answering inquiries about historic aircraft, and 

 a research worker from the Bureau of the Budget was aided in his 

 study of the history of aerial photography. 



Seventeen schools and colleges were assisted in preparing their 

 aeronautical courses, and numerous teachers and students consulted 

 the Museum for facts about many aircraft and related subjects. 

 Authors and an illustrator from the Civil Air Patrol were shown some 

 documents on aviation engines and propellers which aided them in 

 preparing texts. Aeronautical organizations that consulted the Na- 

 tional Air Museum included the National Aeronautical Association, 

 Koyal Aeronautical Society, Institute of Aeronautical Sciences, Air 

 Transport Association, Air Industries Association, Washington 

 Junior Chamber of Commerce, and the National Aviation Education 

 Council. Several lecturers were assisted in preparation of texts and 

 in illustrating their talks. 



Among the many interesting projects with which the Museum as- 

 sisted were three motion pictures, the producers of which have ex- 

 pressed their appreciation, not only for help in reproducing accurate 

 copies of historic aircraft, but also for supplying authentic facts for 

 the script. For "The Court Martial of Billy Mitchell" help in costum- 

 ing was supplied from actual uniforms of Mitchell preserved in this 

 Museum. The Spirit of St. Louis itself was measured, photographed, 

 and examined in detail to insure the accuracy of the copies of that 

 airplane constructed for the film. The third film project was the 

 story of the "Wright brothers, and only in this Museum could the 

 technical directors find three original examples of Wright brothers' 

 aircraft, and a group of models from which they could scale details for 

 the reproductions they planned to make. 



The list of airlines and aircraft manufacturers who were assisted 

 in writing their own company histories includes several which, but 

 for the Museum records, would have left gaps in their texts. The 

 publications that were given assistance include the National Geo- 

 graphic Magazine, Our Wonderful World, Eeader's Digest, Life, 

 Saturday Evening Post, American Aviation Daily, Pegasus, Skyways, 

 and Sperryscope. Numerous authors and artists based their work 

 on Museum material. 



