Report on the National Air Museum 



Sir : I have the honor to submit the following report on the activi- 

 ties of the National Air Museum for the fiscal year ended June 30, 

 1964: 



In July 1963 a Congressional appropriation of $511,000 was ap- 

 proved for the first year's planning funds for the new National Air 

 Museum Building. The firm of Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum of 

 St. Louis was employed as architects for the new building, with Mills, 

 Petticord & Mills of "Washington, D.C., as associate architects. Dur- 

 ing fiscal year 1964 the architects submitted a preluninary concept for 

 the new building which received the approval of the National Air 

 Museum staff and Advisory Board, members of the Smithsonian 

 Board of Regents, the General Services Administration, the National 

 Capital Planning Commission, and the National Commission of Fine 

 Arts. 



Legislation was introduced in Congress to change the name of the 

 National Air Museum to the National Air and Sf)ace Museum, to in- 

 crease the membership on the Advisory Board, and to authorize con- 

 struction of the new building. 



A generous gift to the Smithsonian Institution for the use of the 

 National Air Museum was amiounced during the year — a grant from 

 the Daniel and Florence Guggenheim Foundation of $250,000 over a 

 10-year period. The income from the grant is to be used for an amiual 

 lecture, a commemorative exhibit in the new building, and the em- 

 ployment of graduate students of history for research in the Museum's 

 Historical Flight Research Center. 



The beginning of a new exhibits department was established during 

 the year in anticipation of the new building. James A. Mahoney was 

 emploj^ed to head the unit. 



A number of historically significant accessions were received by the 

 Museum during the year. Among them were a Fleet Model 7 air- 

 craft, from the Fleet Foundation; a Mark XV Norden Bombsight 

 from John Wible; Helioplane No. 1, from the Helio Aircraft Corp.; 

 a replica of Oscar /, world's first amateur satellite, from Project 

 Oscar, Inc. ; an RAF lA aircraft engine of 1914, from United Aircraft 

 Corp.; a Napier "Nomad" E, diesel compounded with turobjet aero- 

 nautical engine, from Napier Aero Engines, Ltd. ; a Delia villand 98 

 236 



