AIRCRAFT TECHNICAL MANUALS

Manufacturers and operators of aircraft and equipment produce large numbers of manuals for their air- and ground- crews. These manuals generally cover all phases of operation, from assembling the newly purchased aircraft (Aircraft Erection), operation and maintenance of the equipment, to storage of the equipment. Manuals are updated (Revised) as new procedures are developed, or modifications made to existing models. The National Air and Space Museum has over 40,000 technical manuals covering aircraft, engine, and other air-related equipment. Most of these manuals were developed and published by the military for their own use from circa 1915 through 1970, with the bulk of the manuals covering World War II aircraft (1940-1945). This material is available to restorers, researchers, and the general public. Unfortunately, sheer volume precludes our making available a complete list of our holdings.

NOTICE: The National Air and Space Museum and its donors assume no liability for any accidents or damage caused by or to aircraft built, operated, or restored according to procedures outlined in documents obtained from the Museum. Aircraft technical manuals are made available by the NASM Archives for historical and research purposes and are not for commercial use or further dissemination.

TO REQUEST A CUSTOM SEARCH PRINTOUT
For information about the availability of specific manuals, please send a written request to the NASM Archives Reference Desk. Replies may require 2 to 3 weeks, and are sent via postal mail. You will be sent a Custom Search Printout from our in-house database listing the manuals available for your topic. Customized searches will be done by our staff for no more than three aircraft or spacecraft types per request. We will accept only one customized search request per household or organization per month.

Photocopies of specific Aircraft Technical Manuals may be ordered based on the information provided in a NASM Archives Custom Search Printout. Please see NASM Archives Reproduction and Shipping Base Rates for current pricing information.

TO VIEW THESE DOCUMENTS IN PERSON
The Archives staff is only able to do a preliminary search of these materials for you. More extensive research will require that you make an appointment to visit the NASM Archives to review the Aircraft Technical Manuals collection materials in person. These documents are currently stored at the NASM Archives Division's branch at the Paul E. Garber Preservation, Restoration and Storage Facility in Suitland, Maryland.