SECRETARY'S REPORT 87 



section of the library was improved. From the U. S. Book Exchange 

 many magazines were received to fill gaps in the series; and from 

 nmiierous private collectors and several commercial sources more 

 missing copies and several bound volumes were obtained. The addi- 

 tion of this valuable source of contemporary information has enabled 

 the staff to better perform its duties of labeling specimens and answer- 

 ing queries. 



For every specimen recorded by the Museum an accession record or 

 reference-file jacket is maintained. These jackets are constantly 

 being improved and serve as a source of supplementary data for the 

 staff and for visitors desiring more information than is given on the 

 specimen labels. In the same reference file, jackets are kept on widely 

 varied subjects associated with aeronautics. Many friends of the 

 Museum send in items from time to time which are helpful. This 

 year Ray Fife of Coronado, Calif., Fred Becchetti of Des Moines, 

 Iowa, James Murray of the Boeing Airplane Co., E. T. Pachasa of 

 the Cleveland Model Products Co., and Hideya Ando of Tok^^o, 

 Japan, have been very cooperative. Mr. Ando sent in a book on Japa- 

 nese aircraft of World War II, which is of much assistance in describ- 

 ing the types of that nationality in the Museum collection. 



Frequently publishers and others send in extra copies of their pub- 

 lications. The Fairciiild Airplane and Engine Corporation donated 

 300 copies of their reprints of Walter Bonney's excellent historical 

 article "Preclude to Kitty Hawk" and a quantity of Fred Neely's com- 

 plete issue on the Collier Trophy. The Chance Vought Aircraft, 

 Inc., supplied drawings of their early VE7-H airplane, and a num- 

 ber of other donations have been received. Selections of duplicate 

 material have been sent to teachers and studies, and to other in- 

 quirers during the year. 



The care of retained reference items in the permanent file is a con- 

 stant necessity. During this year about a hundred file cases released 

 by another Government department were taken to the Suitland stor- 

 age area, and in them the large quantity of Air Force data, known as 

 Technical Orders, was filed, following screening and sorting. This 

 information is most useful in conducting the dismantling of aircraft 

 now in progress at Park Ridge and will be even more necessary as 

 the assembly of these aircraft is undertaken, following acquisition 

 of an adequate building for exhibiting the collection. The photo- 

 graphs illustrating aircraft developed by the Aeromarine Co., by 

 Curtiss, and by Curtiss- Wright, the first-named group received last 

 year, and tlie others this year, were given preservation treatment. 



Documentary additions to the collection include the original per- 

 spective drawing of the Wright brothers' Kitty Hawk Flyer, made by 

 Ralph McLarren of Aero Digest, given by the artist. An eniarge- 



326511—55 7 



