SECRETARY'S REPORT 115 



Helicopter Society to outstanding personages in that field; the 

 case containing mementos of Wiley Post and his two world flights; 

 the Postal Aviation exhibit featuring models of historic airmail 

 planes; the Amelia Earhart Memorial Collection; and the aeronau- 

 tical instrument collection were improved. A series of paintings of 

 jet-powered aircraft by the noted artist Charles Hubbell was added to 

 the exhibition of the Whittle jet engine. The case containing noted 

 aeronautical awards, including the Curtiss Marine, Pulitzer, Harmon, 

 Brewer, and Wright brothers trophies, was rearranged and labels 

 were rewritten. The case containing model aircraft of the first World 

 War and the commercial models exhibit were rearranged, and the im- 

 pressive series of models illustrating types developed by the Wright 

 brothers and their company was improved by the addition of several 

 models, prints, and structural specimens. A seasonal exhibit of kites 

 attracted attention from the younger visitors and from aeronautical 

 historians who recognize the kite as the fundamental manmade air- 

 craft. Some of these early types of kites embody the genesis of im- 

 portant aerodynamic features. 



The 40-year-old prefabricated steel Aircraft Building, actually a 

 World War I airplane hangar, was provided with a new skirting 

 around its lower edge, extending over the concrete curbing so that rain 

 will drain outward instead of seeping inward. The sloping wall was 

 painted. 



The Smithsonian Print Shop prepared a number of labels to replace 

 the former temporary ones, greatly improving appearance and legi- 

 bility. All the suspended airplanes in the Arts and Industries Build- 

 ing were cleaned, and several fabric repairs were made. The Wright 

 Military and Curtiss Pusher airplanes were provided with glass 

 screens at their wing tips to protect them from handling by visitors. 

 The Langley quarter-size model aerodrome was re-covered ; the large 

 display case containing airplane models of the pre-World War I 

 period was disassembled, moved from the Arts and Industries Build- 

 ing and re-erected in the Aircraft Building, and the models rein- 

 stalled ; and exhibits of relics associated with the first transcontinental 

 flight and the First Aero Squadron of World War I were improved. 



The Air Force Central Museum at Wright-Patterson Field trans- 

 ferred to this Museum a 3 -unit wall case in which scale models show- 

 ing the progress in design of Air Force planes have been installed. 

 This new case is provided with shielded lighting and illuminated label 

 frames and is a great improvement over the floor case formerly used. 



Many of the new accessions listed at the end of this report were 

 prepared for exhibition during this year ; others must be held in stor- 

 age until the new building is completed. 



