Since the Wright brothers flew at Kitty Hawk in 1903, aviation pioneers have had to break both physical and psychological barriers to flight. In this historic aircraft gallery, individuals tried their best to claim their place in aviation history.
Fokker T-2
- The Fokker T-2 was the first airplane to make a nonstop flight spanning the North American continent in 1923, from New York to San Diego in just 27 hours. The success of the transcontinental flight can be attributed not only to the preparation and skill of the Air Service, but also to the design of the aircraft. The Fokker T-2 featured a fully cantilevered wooden monoplane wing spanning nearly 82 ft and a fuselage just short of 49 ft long.
- The Fokker T-2 was powered by a 420 horsepower Liberty V-12 engine and was capable of carrying heavy loads and could be adapted to carry more than 700 gallons of fuel to make the long-distance flight from coast to coast. The enclosed cabin could carry up to 10 passengers and their baggage. The Air Service transferred the T-2 to the Smithsonian Institution in 1924.
Douglas World Cruiser Chicago
- Douglas built five World Cruisers for the U.S. Army Aviation Service. Four of the planes, the Seattle, the Boston, the Chicago and the New Orleans, left Seattle April 4, 1924. The Seattle was lost during a Pacific storm over Alaska. The Boston made a forced landing in the mid-Atlantic. The other two World Cruisers were kept flying with the help of 15 extra engines, 14 extra sets of floats and duplicates of all the airframe parts, stashed at various sites around the world. The Chicago and New Orleans circled the globe and returned to Seattle Sept. 28, 1924. They flew 27,553 miles in 175 days with an average speed of 70 mph.
- The 1924 round-the-world flight remains one of the truly great achievements in aviation. Throughout the journey the crews prevailed against an endless series of forced landings, repairs, bad weather, and other mishaps that continually threatened the success of the flight. Further, it was a monumental logistical accomplishment. More than just an aviation milestone, the flight was an important step toward the goal of worldwide air transport in the decades to come. The Chicago was restored in 1971 and moved into Smithsonian in 1976.
Lockheed Vega
- This Lockheed Vega aircraft was designed and engineered by John Northrop in 1927. It was a key in the transition from frame and fabric to the aluminum monocoque design still used today. The Vega was among the first planes to use a drag-reducing engine cowl that made the Vega an overwhelming success. A long list of pilots set 34 world records in Lockheed Vegas. Among them were such well known aviators as Wiley Post and Amelia Earhart who relied on the smooth, aerodynamic design and rugged construction of the Vega.
- On May 20, 1932, Amelia Earhart accomplished her goal of flying solo across the Atlantic Ocean in her Lockheed Vega. She was the first woman to make a nonstop solo flight from Newfoundland and landed at Northern Ireland. She made the 2,026 mile flight in about 15 hours. This Lockheed Vega aircraft she used was the first airplane built by Lockheed. Amelia sold her Vega to the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia in 1933. The aircraft was displayed there until it was transferred to the Smithsonian Institution in 1966.
