NASM Archives Technical Reference Files

Created by the staff of the National Air and Space Museum, the NASM Technical Reference Files comprise an artificial collection that currently contains 1,300 cubic feet of aviation and space related materials, organized in twenty-two subject series. File materials include photographs, press releases, clippings, correspondence, reports, and brochures, on individuals, organizations, events, and objects.

The majority of the NASM Archives Division's public reference requests can be answered using material in these files, which are located adjacent to the Main Archives Reading Room. More specific information can be requested by contacting the NASM Archives Reference Desk.

Aircraft (240 cubic feet)
Heavier-than-Air (180 cubic feet)
Human-carrying, heavier-than-air craft which are supported primarily by dynamic lift, including airplanes (powered fixed-wing aircraft), gliders and hang gliders (unpowered, fixed-wing aircraft), helicopters (powered-rotor rotorcraft), and autogiros (unpowered-rotor rotorcraft). Also included are unmanned vehicles that were originally designed as man-carrying aircraft. (Aircraft designed from the start as unmanned vehicles can be found in the Space History reference files with missiles and rockets.)
Lighter-than-Air (LTA)(60 cubic feet)
History, science and art of airships and balloons from the 18th century to the present.

Propulsion (175 cubic feet)
Engines
Air-breathing engines. (Other power plants for aircraft (including rocket motors) are filed under the Space Propulsion subseries.)
Accessories Accessories and components which support air-breathing engines; also fuels, coolants, and lubricants.
Propellers Specific models, listed by designer or manufacturer; also general topics.
Space Propulsion
All methods of spacecraft propulsion (even "passive" concepts such as the Solar Sail), spacecraft power sources (such as solar batteries and fuel cells), all rocket motors (including those used to power aircraft and other vehicles), and all accessories and components.

Biographical (261 cubic feet)
Information on specific people involved in the history of aviation and space exploration listed alphabetically by name. Please note that these files are organized by name ONLY, and the NASM Archives is not able to identify specific groups of people from this file series based on civilian or military affiliation, ethnicity, or gender.

Organizations (27 cubic feet)
Aviation and space related organizations.

Corporations (15 cubic feet)
Basic information about aviation and space corporations.

Air Transport (105 cubic feet)
General
Broad air transport topics such as air cargo, economics, insurance, refueling and maintenance, regulation, salvage, and statistics.
Airlines
Specific regularly scheduled passenger and/or cargo carrying airlines.
By Region or Nation
Materials covering air transportation topics within specific world regions.
Airports
Specific U. S. and foreign airports; also general topics such as airport equipment, planning, and security.
Air Mail
Basic history of air mail services, foreign and domestic.

Electronics and Communications (24 cubic feet)
General
Electronics and communications equipment; also related topics such as air traffic control, navigational aids, and radar.
Avionics
Avionics equipment by manufacturer.

Education (42 cubic feet)
Type Recognition
Aircraft recognition training programs and materials, both U. S. and foreign (predominantly World War II). Includes various aircraft spotter's guides and information on WWII's National Model Building Program.
Schools
General topics; also specific aviation schools (predominantly U.S.) Training Guides Documents used for training.

Events, Air Expositions, Meets, Races, and Shows (42 cubic feet)
By Date and Location
Information organized by date (1868 to the present) and location of event; includes assorted ephemera such as brochures, programs, advertisements, and tickets.
By Subject
Information dealing with broad categories of flights or events, for example: transatlantic, around-the-world, and altitude attempts.

Awards and Trophies (12 cubic feet)
Specific awards and trophies by name; also general topics pertaining to many awards.

Equipment (54 cubic feet)
General
Assorted aviation-related general equipment topics; includes the Brodie System, specialized tractors and trucks, and general information on markings, insignia and camouflage.
Clothing, Flight Gear, and Insignia
Information on clothing and related flight gear, and the insignia used on them (both U.S. and foreign). Does not include pressure suits and g-suits, which appear in a separate subseries below.
Oxygen
Information on oxygen equipment.
Parachutes
Information on the history of parachutes; also some specific types.
Pressure Suits and G-Suits
Information on pressure suits and g-suits.
Instruments
Instruments by type (altimeter, compass, air speed indicator, etc.) and by manufacturer. Also includes general topics such as instrument illumination, lubrication, and testing.

Space History (270 cubic feet)
Topics related to space exploration, astronomy, missiles, rocketry, or remotely piloted vehicles. Also includes technologically related programs and vehicles that were designed to function entirely within the Earth's atmosphere.

General Aviation (12 cubic feet)
Non-commercial civil aviation.
General
General topics such as aerial refueling, aerobatic flying, and business aviation.
Regional
General aviation by state; also some information on general aviation in other countries.
Uses of Aircraft
Agriculture, advertising, fire fighting, insect control, meteorology, and tourism.

Government (12 cubic feet)
National and international government agencies and regulations.

Arts and Literature (12 cubic feet)
Aviation and space exploration as depicted in art, literature, motion pictures, radio, and television; also includes aircraft nose art.

Military (84 cubic feet)
International
Military aviation by country (non-U.S.); includes general information on aces.
USA
U.S. military aviation, including selected Air Force bases and units, basic information on aircraft carriers, and military flight demonstration teams.
Armament
Guns, bombs and bombing, bombsights, ammunition, gun mounts, gun turrets, gun sights, chemical warfare, anti-aircraft guns and accessories.

Wars (12 cubic feet)
Aviation's role in various wars and conflicts, from the 1914 Mexican Punitive Expedition through Desert Shield/Desert Storm.

Museums (144 cubic feet)
General
Non-Smithsonian aviation and space museums around the world, by name.
Smithsonian
Basic information on the National Air and Space Museum, and related past and present Smithsonian Institution facilities and exhibits. Researchers seeking detailed information on the history of the Museum or its past exhibits should contact the Smithsonian Institution Archives.

Models (9 cubic feet)
Various types of scale aircraft models and related topics; also wind tunnel test models.

Safety (15 cubic feet)
Includes basic information on topics such as accident investigation, safety equipment, medicine, rescue, survival training, noise abatement, and windshear.

Miscellaneous (33 cubic feet)
General
Very small subseries of miscellaneous topics such as natural flight (birds and insects), preservation of air and space craft, sonic booms, and toys.
National or Regional Histories
Documents regarding aviation history within specific regions.
Navigation
Air navigation history, equipment, and systems.
Photography
Aerial photography history and equipment.
Engineering
Engineering related to specific types of aircraft systems, such as landing gear, rotors, materials, tires, seats, and wings. Also information on wind tunnels.