National Air and Space Museum, Archives Division

Arthur Nutt Collection

Accession No. 1987-0115, 1988-0055, 1988-0059


NASM ref no. 9A00825

National Air and Space Museum
Smithsonian Institution
Washington, DC

Mark Kahn

© Smithsonian Institution, 2001



Historical Note

Arthur Nutt was an aeronautical engineer specializing in engine design. Born in New Rochelle, New York in 1895, Nutt graduated from the Worcester Polytechnic Institute in 1916 with a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering and received an honorary doctorate from the Institute in 1941. Shortly after graduation, he was hired by the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Corporation (CAMCo) and started in the assembly department. As a motor engineer and eventually, chief motor engineer, Nutt was responsible for the development of the Curtiss D-12, V-1400, and R-1454 aircraft engines. After the merger of CAMCo and the Wright Aeronautical Corporation in 1930, Nutt went to work for Curtiss-Wright as vice president of engineering. He remained there for fourteen years until 1944 when he left to become director of aircraft engineering for the Packard Motor Car Company. He stayed with Packard until 1949 when he started and headed his own engineering sales firm, Arthur Nutt and Associates. In 1951 he joined the Lycoming Division of AVCO Manufacturing Corporation as vice president of engineering. Upon his retirement from Lycoming in 1959, Nutt stayed active in numerous civic and church activities. He was also a member of a number of professional organizations, most notably the Society of Automotive Engineers and served as its president in 1940. Nutt was inducted into the Aviation Pioneers Hall of Fame in 1978. He died in Boca Raton, Florida in 1983.




Scope and Content Note

This collection consists of the personal papers of Dr. Arthur Nutt. These papers relate to his career as an aeronautical engineer with the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company, Wright Aeronautical Corporation, Packard Motor Car Company, Arthur Nutt and Associates, and the Lycoming division of AVCO Manufacturing Corporation. The material includes correspondence, photographs, reports, manuals, handbooks, test data, brochures, speeches, and scrapbooks. Included are biographical and autobiographical materials (notes, news clippings, articles, and photographs) compiled by Nutt in an unsuccessful attempt to publish his autobiography. These files were also used by Nutt to answer queries from researchers.

The collection is arranged into two broad series. First, is the material pertaining to his professional life. This includes Nutt's correspondence, official reports, photographs (mainly of aircraft engines and aircraft), corporate publications (brochures, handbooks, instruction books, manuals, and parts lists), aircraft engine blueprints, aircraft engine proposals, test data, speeches, magazines, and newsletters. The second series contains papers gathered mainly for Nutt's personal use and interest. Of special interest are Nutt's logbook, scrapbooks, and notes for his autobiography.

Nutt's papers are arranged both alphabetically by manufacturer and then chronologically. Correspondence, photographs, reports, speeches, and notes (except miscellaneous biographical notes without dates) are organized by the latter method. Corporate brochures, handbooks, instruction books, manuals, blueprints and test data are grouped alphabetically by corporate name, then by date (and by aircraft engine type when applicable). Magazines, newsletters, and newspapers are also arranged alphabetically by title of publication and then chronologically.




Series and Subseries Organization



SERIES I -- Professional Materials
  • Correspondence
  • Reports
  • Photographs
  • Handbooks, Instructions, Manuals, and Parts Lists
  • Blueprints, Curves, Proposals, Specifications, and Test Data
  • Brochures
  • Speeches Presented by Dr. Nutt
  • Magazines
  • Newsletters
SERIES II -- Personal Materials
  • Biographical Notes
  • Autobiography
  • Miscellaneous



Series I: Professional Materials

This series contains Nutt's correspondence, official reports, photographs (mainly of aircraft engines and aircraft), corporate publications (brochures, handbooks, instruction books, manuals, and parts lists), aircraft engine blueprints, aircraft engine proposals, test data, speeches, magazines, and newsletters. Nutt's papers are arranged alphabetically by manufacturer and then chronologically. Correspondence, photographs, reports, and speeches are organized by the latter method. Corporate brochures, handbooks, instruction books, manuals, blueprints, and test data are grouped alphabetically by corporate name, then by date (and by aircraft engine type when applicable). Magazines, newsletters, and newspapers are also arranged alphabetically by title of publication and then chronologically.


Box  Folder 

1 1 Correspondence, 1915-16
2 Correspondence, 1916
3 Correspondence, 1917
4 Correspondence, 1932
5 Correspondence, 1937
6 Correspondence, 1939
7 Correspondence, 1940
8 Correspondence, 1941
9 Correspondence, 1942
10 Correspondence, 1944
11 Correspondence, 1945
12 Correspondence, 1946
13 Correspondence, 1948
14 Correspondence, 1955
15 Correspondence, 1956-57
16 Correspondence, 1958
17 Correspondence, 1959
18 Correspondence, 1960
19 Correspondence, 1966-68
20 Correspondence, 1971-72
21 Correspondence, 1973
22 Correspondence, 1974
23 Correspondence, 1975
24 Correspondence, 1976
25 Correspondence, 1977
26 Correspondence, 1978
27 Correspondence, 1979
28 Correspondence, 1980
29 Correspondence, 1981
30 Correspondence, Nutt and Hugo T. Byttebier, 1962-79
31 Correspondence, Nutt Patents, 1925-44

2 1 Report by Nutt on European trip, August 1 -- November 1, 1934
2 Comparison of European and American Aircraft Engines, A. Nutt, circa 1935
3 Report by Nutt on European trip, October 8 -- December 4, 1936
4 Report by Nutt of visit to aircraft manufacturers, May 19 -- June 17, 1943
5 Current Trends in Aircraft Power Plants, A. Nutt, April 15, 1944
6 Propulsion Methods for Future Transports, A. Nutt, April 19, 1955
7 Some Factors Affecting This Nation's Energy Supply, A. Nutt, December, 1956
8 Recent Efforts and Experiments in the Construction of Aviation Engines, National Advisory Committee on Aeronautics (NACA) Technical Note #12 (translation), Schwager, September, 1920
9 Report on Description & Development Testing of Wright SGIV-1800 Engine to July, 1934, Wright Aeronautical Corporation, July 30, 1934
10 Long Range Cruising Analysis and Control, Frank B. Lary, August, 1944
11 Matching the Characteristics of Helicopters and Shaft Turbines, D.N. Meyers and Z.M. Ciolkosz, Society of Automotive Engineers, January 12-16, 1953
12 Principles and Applications of Bypass Turbojet Engines, George Wislicenus, Society of Automotive Engineers, April 18, 1955

3 1 Photographs, Curtiss aircraft engines, 1913-28 (folder 1 of 3)
2 Photographs, Curtiss aircraft engines, 1913-28 (folder 2 of 3)
3 Photographs, Curtiss aircraft engines, 1913-28 (folder 3 of 3)
4 Photographs, Curtiss aircraft engines, 1916
5 Photographs, Curtiss aircraft engines, 1917

4 1 Photographs, Curtiss aircraft engines, 1918
2 Photographs, Curtiss aircraft engines, 1919
3 Photographs, Curtiss aircraft engines, 1920
4 Photographs, Curtiss aircraft engines, 1921
5 Photographs, Curtiss aircraft engines, 1922
6 Photographs, Curtiss aircraft engines, 1923
7 Photographs, Curtiss aircraft engines, 1924
8 Photographs, Curtiss aircraft engines, 1925
9 Photographs, Curtiss aircraft engines, 1926
10 Photographs, Curtiss aircraft engines, 1927
11 Photographs, Curtiss aircraft engines, 1928
12 Photographs, Curtiss aircraft engines, 1928-41 (folder 1 of 3)
13 Photographs, Curtiss aircraft engines, 1928-41 (folder 2 of 3)
14 Photographs, Curtiss aircraft engines, 1928-41 (folder 3 of 3)
15 Photographs, Curtiss aircraft engines, 1929
16 Photographs, Curtiss aircraft engines, 1930

5 1 Photographs, Curtiss R-6 aircraft engine (dirigible), 1921
2 Photographs, Curtiss dynamometer labs, 1930
3 Photographs, Curtiss Conqueror aircraft engine, 1931
4 Photographs, first Wright Cyclone aircraft engine built by Lycoming (division of AVCO Manufacturing Corporation), March, 1951
5 Photographs, Lycoming, LTC1A aircraft engine, 1954
6 Photographs, Lycoming metallurgical laboratory equipment, 1954
7 Photographs, Lycoming DUKW (hydrofoil), 1959
8 Photographs, Packard Motor Car Company aircraft engine facilities, March 1, 1947
9 Photographs, Packard Motor Car Company turbofan aircraft engines, 1947
10 Photographs, Packard Motor Car Company XJ-41 aircraft engine, 1947-49
11 Photographs, Packard Motor Car Company supersonic wind tunnel, 1948
12 Photographs, Wright Aeronautical Corporation SGV-1800 aircraft engine,1934
13 Photographs, Wright Aeronautical Corporation aircraft engines, 1939
14 Photographs, Wright Aeronautical Corporation Cyclone aircraft engine [no date]
15 Photographs, Wright Aeronautical Corporation Tornado II aircraft engine [no date]
16 Photographs, miscellaneous aircraft engines

6 1 Photographs, Curtiss aircraft, 1916
2 Photographs, Curtiss aircraft, 1917
3 Photographs, Curtiss aircraft, World War I era
4 Photographs, Curtiss aircraft, 1919
5 Photographs, Curtiss aircraft, 1920
6 Photographs, Curtiss aircraft, 1921
7 Photographs, Curtiss aircraft, 1922
8 Photographs, Curtiss aircraft, 1923
9 Photographs, Curtiss aircraft, 1924
10 Photographs, Curtiss aircraft, 1927
11 Photographs, Curtiss aircraft, 1929
12 Photographs, Curtiss aircraft, 1930
13 Photographs, Curtiss Racers, 1920-26
14 Photographs, Curtiss Bleecker helicopter, 1930
15 Photographs, Curtiss aircraft, miscellaneous
16 Photographs, Dornier Do.X, 1932
17 Photograph, Wright Air Development Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, November, 1955

Handbooks, instructions, manuals, and parts lists are arranged alphabetically by manufacturer and model, then chronologically.


7 1 The Curtiss Standard JN4-B Military Tractor Hand Book, Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Corporation, 1917
2 Instructions -- Curtiss Model K-6 Engine, Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Corporation, June, 1919
3 Instructions -- Curtiss Model K-6 Engine, Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Corporation, April 1, 1920
4 Instructions -- Curtiss K-12 Engine, Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Corporation, June, 1919
5 Curtiss Handbook on Setting Up and Caring for the Curtiss Aeronautical Motor -- Motor OX, Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Corporation, 1916
6 The Curtiss Standard Model OX5 Aeronautical Motor Parts List, Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Corporation, 1917
7 The Curtiss Standard Model V-2 Aeronautical Motor Hand Book, Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Corporation, 1917
8 The Berling Magneto -- Care and Maintenance, Ericsson Manufacturing Company, 1916
9 Lycoming Operator's Manual -- Model GSO-480-A Series Aircraft Engines, Lycoming Division -- AVCO Manufacturing Corporation, April, 1956
10 The Perfect Starter Aeroplane Model, The Motor-Compressor Company, 1916
11 Wright Aircraft Engines -- Complete Instructions for their Installation, Operation and Maintenance, Wright Aeronautical Corporation, 1921
12 Installation Manual for Wright Aircraft Engines, Wright Aeronautical Corporation, 1934
13 Instruction Book for Curtiss Conqueror Engines, Wright Aeronautical Corporation, January, 1934
14 Instruction Book for Wright Cyclone Engines (Models R-1820-F and GR-1820-F), Wright Aeronautical Corporation, August, 1934
15 Overhaul Manual for Wright Cyclone Engines, Wright Aeronautical Corporation, 1934
16 Operation and Service Manual -- Wright Cyclone 9, Wright Aeronautical Corporation, 1934
17 Instruction Book for Wright Whirlwind Engines, Wright Aeronautical Corporation, August, 1934
18 The Wright Turbosupercharger, Wright Aeronautical Corporation, March, 1944
19 Wright Anti-Detonant Injection System, Wright Aeronautical Corporation, April, 1944

Blueprints, curves, proposals, specifications, and test data are arranged alphabetically by manufacturer and model, then chronologically. No complete set of drawings for engines or aircraft were found in the Collection.


8 1 Curtiss test data -- OX-2 aircraft engine, 1916
2 Curtiss data comparisons -- OX-5 aircraft engine, 1917
3 Curtiss data curve -- V2-3 aircraft engine, 1917
4 Curtiss test data -- K-12 aircraft engine with Zenith carburetor, 1919
5 Curtiss data -- aircraft engine model C-18, 1922
6 Curtiss blueprints -- D-12 aircraft engine, 1923
7 Curtiss-Wright specification -- Cyclone aircraft engine, model R-1820-82WA, September 23, 1948
8 Curtiss-Wright specification -- Cyclone aircraft engine, model R-3350-85, September 6, 1950
9 Wright data curves -- Conqueror and Cyclone aircraft engines, 1932-33
10 Wright curves and specifications -- Cyclone aircraft engine, 1935
11 Wright specification -- Cyclone aircraft engine, models R-2600-20 and 22, October 1, 1940
12 Wright proposal -- SGV-1800 aircraft engine for military service in the U.S. Army Air Corps, October 12, 1934
13 Wright blueprints -- SGV-1800 aircraft engine, drawing no. 49931, 1934
14 Wright curves and specifications -- SGV-1800 aircraft engine, 1934-35
15 Wright blueprints -- SGV-1800 aircraft engine, drawing no. LS-2580, 1935
16 Wright specifications -- SGV-1800 aircraft engine, 1935
17 Wright specifications -- SR-1510 aircraft engine, 1934-35
18 Wright specification -- Tornado aircraft engine, model R-2160-5, March, 1941

9 1 Curtiss and Wright Characteristics and curves -- aircraft engines, 1917-30 (folder 1 of 3
2 Curtiss and Wright Characteristics and curves -- aircraft engines, 1917-30 (folder 2 of 3
3 Curtiss and Wright Characteristics and curves -- aircraft engines, 1917-30 (folder 3 of 3

Brochures are arranged alphabetically by manufacturer and model, then chronologically.


10 1 American Amateur Aviation, circa 1911
2 AVCO Shock Tubes, AVCO, 1956
3 Caproni Aeroplanes, Caproni Aeroplanes, circa 1920
4 Curtiss Aeronautical Motors -- Dependable Power, Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Corporation, 1915
5 Curtiss Model OX-2, Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Corporation, 1916
6 Curtiss Training Camps, Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Corporation, circa 1916
7 Curtiss, Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Corporation, circa 1925
8 Curtiss and Associated Companies, Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Corporation, 1929
9 Gnome Engines, General Vehicle Company, 1917 [Incomplete]
10 D-12 and Conqueror Engines -- Their Use of Nickel Alloy Steel, The International Nickel Company, Inc. [no date]
11 The Lycoming Story, Lycoming division, AVCO Manufacturing Corporation, January, 1954
12 Splitdorf Model 80 -- Dixie Magneto -- 20th Century Ignition, Splitdorf Electrical Company, 1916
13 The Story of Wright Aero, Wright Aeronautical Corporation, 1928
14 First Name in Aviation É a brief History of the Wright Aeronautical Corporation, Wright Aeronautical Corporation, 1942
15 Curtiss Challenger Engine -- 185 H.P., Wright Gipsy Engine -- 90 H.P., Wright Aeronautical Corporation [no date]
16 The New Altitude Whirlwinds, Wright Aeronautical Corporation [no date]
17 Zenith, The Zenith Carburetor Company, 1915

Speeches presented by Nutt are arranged chronologically.


10 18 The Future of Standardization in the Aeronautical Industry, circa 1944-49
19 Matching Powerplants to Helicopters, Spare and Replacement Parts -- Army Aircraft Symposium, Hotel Statler, St. Louis, Missouri, May 10-12, 1954
20 Propulsion Methods for Future Transports, SAE Golden Anniversary Aeronautic Meeting, Hotel Statler, New York, New York, April 19, 1955
21 Building Safety into Aircraft Engines, 43rd National Safety Congress and Exposition, Conrad Hilton Hotel, Chicago, Illinois, October 17, 1955 [photographs included as part of presentation]
22 Can this Country Maintain its High Technical Position?, 1956
23 Lycoming's Place in the Aircraft Industry, YMCA, April 12, 1956
24 Economic Application of Quality Control in Aircraft Manufacture, regional meeting of the New England chapters of the American Society of Metals, May 10, 1956

Magazines and newsletters are arranged alphabetically by title of publication and then chronologically.


10 25 Aerial Age Weekly, Aerial Age Company, Inc., vol. 14, no. 12, November 28, 1921
26 Aeronautics, Aeronautics Press, Inc., vol. 7, no. 5, November, 1910
27 Aviation, The Gardner, Moffat Company, Inc., vol. 13, no. 11, October 23, 1922
28 OX5 News, OX5 Aviation Pioneers, June, 1975 -- December, 1981

11 1 Technical Data Digest, U.S. Government, Central Air Documents Office, Navy-Air Force, vol. 14, no. 17, 1949
2 Trade Winds, Wright Aeronautical Corporation, vol. 5, no. 2, February, 1940 and vol. 7, no. 5, May, 1944
3 The Wright Engine Builder, Wright Aeronautical Corporation, vol. 2, no. 4, October, 1922


Series II: Personal Materials

This series contains biographical material gathered mainly for Nutt's personal use and interest. Included are Nutt's notes for his autobiography, newspaper clippings, newspapers, and miscellaneous materials such as his pilot's logbook and scrapbooks. The notes are arranged chronologically while newspapers are organized alphabetically by title of publication and then chronologically.


Box  Folder 

11 4 Biographical notes, 1915
5 Biographical notes, 1920
6 Biographical notes, 1923
7 Biographical notes, 1924
8 Biographical notes, 1925
9 Biographical notes, 1927
10 Biographical notes, 1928
11 Biographical notes, 1930
12 Biographical notes, 1931
13 Biographical notes, 1932
14 Biographical notes and photograph, 1933
15 Biographical notes, 1934
16 Biographical notes, 1935
17 Biographical notes, newspaper clippings, and photograph, 1936
18 Biographical notes, 1937
19 Biographical notes, 1938
20 Biographical notes and photographs, 1939
21 Biographical notes and correspondence, 1940
22 Biographical notes, 1941
23 Biographical notes, 1943
24 Biographical notes, newspaper clippings, and photograph, 1944
25 Biographical notes, 1945
26 Biographical notes, 1946-49
27 Biographical notes and photographs, 1951
28 Biographical notes, newspaper clippings, correspondence, and photograph, 1954-55
29 Biographical notes and photographs, 1957-58
30 Biographical notes, press releases, and photograph, 1959
31 Biographical notes, newspaper clippings, and photograph, 1961-64
32 Biographical notes and newspaper clippings, 1965-66
33 Biographical notes and newspaper clippings, 1968 and 1970
34 Biographical notes, 1973-74
35 Biographical notes, 1975
36 Biographical notes on William B. Birren
37 Biographical notes and correspondence on Charles B. Kirkham
38 Biographical notes, alumni magazine The Journal, and photographs from Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 1928-79
39 Biographical notes, reports, and correspondence on U.S. government investigation of Wright Aeronautical Corporation, 1943

12 1 Autobiography -- correspondence between Jean Welch (Nutt's daughter) and Robert B. Meyer, Jr. (curator for National Air and Space Museum), 1984-85
2 Autobiography-- draft with photographs
3 Autobiography -- correspondence, photographs, corporate newspaper, corporate magazine, articles, newspaper clippings, notes and notebook, awards, and dinner program
4 Autobiography -- correspondence, photographs, press releases, university newspaper, notes, Nutt pilot's identification card (and photocopies of Nutt pilot's license, application and student permit), Worcester Polytechnic Institute commencement programs

Miscellaneous materials include pilot's logbook, scrapbooks, menus, and newspapers.


12 5 Pilot's logbook for Nutt, license no. 7378, 1925-29
6 Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Corporation logbook [cover only]
7 Telephone Directory, Wright Aeronautical Corporation, September, 1944
8 The Curtiss D-12 Aero Engine, Hugo T. Byttebier, Smithsonian Annals of Flight no. 7, Smithsonian Institution Press, National Air and Space Museum, Washington, D.C., 1972

13 1 Scrapbook -- contents include correspondence, telegrams, newspaper clippings, articles, and photographs, 1912-39
2 Scrapbook -- contents include correspondence, telegrams, newspaper clippings, articles, and photographs, 1939-41

14 1 Scrapbook -- contents include correspondence, telegrams, newspaper clippings, articles, congratulatory letters and cards for Nutt's second marriage, and photographs, 1940-49
2 Menus -- dinner in honor of Leonard S. Hobbs, New York City, March 25, 1958 and Trianon Palace Versailles, Paris, France, June 8, 1940

15 1 The Curtiss Fuselage, corporate newspaper, Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Corporation, January 11, 1919
2 St. Louis Post-Dispatch, international aviation meeting section, Pulitzer Prize Race, September 30, 1923
3 St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Rotogravure picture section, Pulitzer Prize Race, September 30, 1923
4 St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Pulitzer Prize Race, October 7, 1923
5 Wright at the Moment, Wright Aeronautical Corporation, October 6, 1944