130 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1948 
In addition there will be incorporated within the structure the usual 
space for offices, laboratories, library, auditorium, manufacturers’ 
display rooms, and shops, as well as facilities for building mainte- 
nance and operation. 
CURATORIAL ACTIVITIES 
The curator, Paul E. Garber, reports on the year’s work as follows: 
EXHIBITION 
The close of the fiscal year finds the exhibits in greatly improved 
condition. All full-size aircraft were given a thorough cleaning; 
several required minor repairs; four engines were reconditioned and 
remounted. The exhibition of many propellers was improved. The 
insignia which provide a colorful border to the walls of the Aircraft 
Building were touched up. A number of bases and cases were reno- 
vated and numerous scale models were repaired. At the suggestion of 
Gen. Frank Lahm and with the advice and assistance of Orville 
Wright, the lever which controls the balance and steering on the 
Wright Brothers’ Military Flyer of 1909 was remodeled to conform 
with its condition when in active service. The incomplete parts of 
the John J. Montgomery gliders of 1905 and 1911 which had been ac- 
cessioned the previous year were partly assembled. The series of 
frames containing the illustrated story of the Wright Brothers re- 
ceived additional drawings and photographs depicting more facts in 
this chronicle. Two large cased exhibits were formed to group en- 
gines of types used by the “Early Birds” (pioneer flyers of 1903-16) 
and those of World War I. The gondola of the balloon Ezplorer-2, 
which 13 years after its ascent still holds the world’s absolute manned 
altitude record, had its rigging elevated to make a more understand- 
able display. The exhibition of the Norden bombsight by which the 
atomic bomb was directed at Hiroshima was improved by adding two 
large photographs to illustrate its destructive effect. Extensive re- 
arrangements of cases effected improvements in space and groupings, 
and a program of relabeling provided better captions for numerous 
items. 
Several special exhibits were prepared: The first use of aircraft for 
polar exploration was undertaken by Salamon Andrée and two com- 
panions, 1897. Their heroic effort was commemorated by the Air 
Museum on the fiftieth anniversary of their departure. During the 
month of August the U. S. Air Force displayed current flight equip- 
ment including engines, ordnance, instruments, and training devices. 
The featured item was a Lockheed P-80 jet-powered fighter. The 
National Air Museum prepared a historic aeronautic display for Air 
