presidents were virginia planters basically, and then one wealthy new englander. but jackson really initiates a period when what was then the west, which is tennessee, kentucky, and these southwestern states, begin to call the shots. and polk and johnson are both their democrats with a small d and believe in the privacy of the small man. that was really what tennessee presidents bring to the american political system. >> our cities tour staff recently traveled to nashville, tennessee to learn about its rich history. learn more about national and other stops on our tour at c-span.org. you are watching american history tv. all we can, every week and on c-span3. >> each week, american artifact takes years into historical sites across the country.

up next, we visit the smithsonian air and space museu. jeremy kinney is a curator who shows us some of the museum's prayer and one-of-a-kind artifacts. >> hello. we're going to go through a tour of some artifacts that really stand out in terms of the story of higher, faster, and farther. first, i would to talk about the museum overall. it has over 8 million visitors a year. looking at the story of flight in the atmosphere, where i work in, we are looking at 500 aircraft and helicopters. about 67 are on display in the national mall building. what supports these artifacts are up to 50,000 small and medium artifacts.

we're going to talk about the story of higher, faster, brother. a bit of a cliche in the history of aviation but has a real meaning. we look at the people who made this quest of flying in the third dimension a reality. the idea of flying to the highest altitudes, faster speed, longest distances tells us a lot about the technical development of the airplane and the reinvention of what the right brothers -- wright brothers did. only the smithsonian can tell the story. hymie, you see the -- behind me, you see the wright flyer. orville wright takes flight. the first time. at the end of the day, after four flights, oracle -- orville and wilbur alternate.

30 miles per hour. they usher in the aerial age. how they can to create that moment is very important. not only did they invent the airplane, they invent aeronautical engineering in the process needed to create actual flying machines. in 1899, the brothers, they are unmarried and owned a bicycle shop. they are mechanics. they no -- know tools and take interest in apply to pretty presses, bicycles, and building a flying machine. in 1899, they were at the smithsonian institution and after all the literature on point. -- ask for all the literature on flight. they learn about the secretary of smithsonian and the competitor. they learn about the conduit of

knowledge between aeronautical exterminators in europe and united states. what does them apart -- sets them apart is they break the problem down. they look at an airplane as a system of systems. structures, controls, aerodynamics. between 1899 and 1902, they start flying gliders. they had the gliders and in 1902, they have a controllable glider. wing warping. rather than using weight, to have a mechanical system where they can twist the wings. the brothers always compliment to each other as intellectuals and so they argued how they would control the airplane. one day in the bicycle shop, wilbur is talking to a customer and has an inner tube as a bicycle tire and is twisting it as he is talking to the

individual and he sees in his mind's eye, envisioning the three-dimensional technology and says if we start twisting the wings of the glider, he can control it and it will turn. -- you can control it and it will turn. they create the world's first wind tunnel networks to do the math -- first working wind tunnel to do the math. there ejaculated and -- they recalculated and designed wings table of -- capable of creating

lift. they are flying from to 30 seconds from the dunes of kitty hawk. they traveled there because it is one of the one spots that has consistent winds. in 1902-03, they add the last big part of the airplane. they then add the structure. you look at the control system, the wing warping. the last ingredient is the propulsion. they knowledge a reciprocating system. they create a horizontal force. they know they need that much power to generate the thrust of the propeller and if another -- they will have propellers on their machine. how do they work?

they go through existing data and that is not give them any answers. the same sort of intellectual it and take, the brothers are mash ing at each other and they realize it propeller is a rotating wing. they take their wind tunnel data, adapted to the designs of a propeller and designed to propellers capable of producing up to 60-70% thrust. you see the propellers on the back of the wings. pusher impellers. -- propellers. they wanted them to turn in opposite directions. taking their knowledge, you twist the belt of the power

system. you can see one of the trains -- chains twisted on the drive system. the propulsion system enables the brothers to go to kitty hawk in the late fall/early winter where they start their online program. they have a crash and on december 17, 1903, they fly this airplane hymie. -- behind me. that moment of getting behind -- into the air and looking at all the technology in terms of aluminum engine, spruce propellers, spruce structural members, metal fitting. that all comes together in the

system of the airplane. after those flights, a big wind comes up and tumbles and is demolished. they claim success, go back to dayton and ascended telegram to their father saying success. -- they send a telegram to the father saying success. by 1905, they are flying up to half an hour for long distances over huston prairie. the 03 flyer is forgotten. it goes through a flood. then, in 1926, a goes to england. during world war ii, it is stored west of london durintg

the blitz. it comes to 1948 when orville donates the wright flyer to the smithsonian institution and has been on display. 2003, the centennial of their first flight, this gallery is open to tell the story of making the first airplane and with it aeronautical engineering. what you see here is the original airplane. it has been restored and changed over the years. the fabric that you see here is not the original fabric from 1903. it has been applied in the same selling methods and construction of the 1903 -- sewing methods and construction of the 1903 plane. 1980's, this airplane underwent a restoration. the structural members, the engine, one of the propellers, all original.

the corner of the gallery, one of the original propellers. when it took its tumble, a crack input that propeller -- it cracked and flipped that propeller. the world war i gallery now. the airplane behind me is a spaz 13. this takes what the brothers created in 1903 and make it their own. this is a 1917 design and it is the highest performance french fighter of world war i. what that means is they can go 130 miles per hour. it is also just a large strut and wire breaks airplane. the tractor configuration with the engine propeller in the front, central fuselage, a french word, to buy plane wings -- bi-lane wings. more french influence. after the creation of the airplane, the wright brothers bring into the world.

the french run with it and take the lead as well as other nations. looking at this airplane, it is the epiphany of the strut and wire configuration. it has been improved and enhanced. the spaz 13 is a product of a french designer. he designed air racers. it is important in terms of air combat over france over the western front during world war i. it is the spaz 13 that enter service in may, 1917 that reflects the epiphany of french high-performance fighter design. it has a fast design. the fabric is covered. it is the engine, 220 horsepower v8 engine at the core. you see the radiator shutters. there is a be a engine underneath. it allows the air to flow over more efficiently. he adapts this by taking two of his engines and makes it into a

v8 and instead of having separate villages -- telling jurors -- pillingers and has cooling passages that allow improved cooling and more power. instead of a rotary engine doing 120 horsepower, you're looking at 220 horsepower. there is always a technological push and pull over the western front over world war i with what the germans have an advantage. the spad 13 is the french answer . it is not as maneuverable. it has beat and can dive away so they are going to take this airplane and develop new group fighter tactics in response to german fighter tactics. this first generation of significant airplanes and french squadrons. this becomes the highest performance airplane that has 30 caliber machines guns. dive, fly away, come back in the past that gives the french fighter squadron advantage. one of the major technological innovations in world war i for fighter aircraft is the creation of a gun sacred as her system. you can mount a machine gun in front of a pilot with a site and as you point the airplane, you can point the machine gets a hit your target. the problem is that you have a spinning propeller in the way. the creation of a mechanical linkage set up to a camera on the propeller shaft at the propeller blade crosses in front , it turns off the machine gun and that the propeller blade is passed, it turns back on. as i see something goes into 1918, the entry of the united

states into the war, you have american air service coming to the western front being equipped with french aircraft. there is not a frontline ready american writer. -- fighter for the conflict. it is built by one of the manufacturers contracted. the 22nd aero squadron was assigned this airplane. a young pilot painted the name of his fiancee. smith. he goes into combat and scores one aerial kill. some of the pilots should down at least five more so this is -- it flew with the first generation of american combat pilots. ray brooks and his error playing -- airplane after his the on state school -- fiancee's school. he did not want to have this airplane damaged and have a mechanic say we need to fix her. so he named her after a college. smith the fourth is in the 1980 -- 1918 camouflage. you also see small black squares with german crosses. does represent bullet holes shot through the fabric and combat -- in combat. the squares would have been applied by ground mechanics in the field. one of the interesting advantages of a strut and wire breaks that if it will goes to the fabric, it passes through the other side. the job of the mechanic is to patch that and restore the integrity and keep fighting. at the end of war one, in november, this airplane is set aside by the army air service and brought back to the united states. to display what type of aircraft americans flew, tired reforms french fighter, it is given to the smithsonian. it is not until the 1980's at the airplane is fully restored.

there is always a technological push and pull over the western front over world war i with what the germans have an advantage. the spad 13 is the french answer . it is not as maneuverable. it has beat and can dive away so they are going to take this airplane and develop new group fighter tactics in response to german fighter tactics. this first generation of significant airplanes and french squadrons. this becomes the highest performance airplane that has 30 caliber machines guns. dive, fly away, come back in the past that gives the french fighter squadron advantage. one of the major technological innovations in world war i for fighter aircraft is the creation of a gun sacred as her system. you can mount a machine gun in front of a pilot with a site and as you point the airplane, you can point the machine gets a hit your target. the problem is that you have a spinning propeller in the way. the creation of a mechanical linkage set up to a camera on

the propeller shaft at the propeller blade crosses in front , it turns off the machine gun and that the propeller blade is passed, it turns back on. as i see something goes into 1918, the entry of the united states into the war, you have american air service coming to the western front being equipped with french aircraft. there is not a frontline ready american writer. -- fighter for the conflict. it is built by one of the manufacturers contracted. the 22nd aero squadron was assigned this airplane. a young pilot painted the name of his fiancee. smith. he goes into combat and scores one aerial kill. some of the pilots should down at least five more so this is -- it flew with the first generation of american combat pilots. ray brooks and his error playing -- airplane after his the on state school -- fiancee's school.

he did not want to have this airplane damaged and have a mechanic say we need to fix her. so he named her after a college. smith the fourth is in the 1980 -- 1918 camouflage. you also see small black squares with german crosses. does represent bullet holes shot through the fabric and combat -- in combat. the squares would have been applied by ground mechanics in the field. one of the interesting advantages of a strut and wire breaks that if it will goes to the fabric, it passes through the other side. the job of the mechanic is to

patch that and restore the integrity and keep fighting. at the end of war one, in november, this airplane is set aside by the army air service and brought back to the united states. to display what type of aircraft americans flew, tired reforms french fighter, it is given to the smithsonian. it is not until the 1980's at the airplane is fully restored. input on display in the world war i gallery. if you look at this panel, you can see fabric from the original airplane on display.

the fabric you see here is not original. nonetheless, this is one of four remaining in the world. it tells the story of how the wright brothers original airplane was maximized and changed but was still essentially the same in terms of material and propulsion system. it is a formidable combat fighter of world war i. from the spad 13, we when i look at the air racer of the 1920's. behind me now is the curtis racer. this is an air racer. what is unique about it is that it is built by a national government, the united states that can beat international air

racing against the air forces of other countries to win a prize. the schnider cup. this technology is built in the name of performance making pursuit and fighter airplanes better. what resulted this grand spectacle of aviation. a military spec will -- spectacle. take notice that the u.s. army is on the tail of the air racer and you will see they are in bloodless campaigns against each other. they are promoting their own branch of service.

seeing if they can push the technology. it is a two for public relations and technical campaign they are waging. what results is an improvement of the airplane in terms of its high-speed technology. united states get and send to air racing in 1922 when they show up at the schnider trophy competition. this was an international event created by a french aviation competition. industrialist who is employed and -- influent and developed speed plane technology. there was the competition, even as early as the pre-world war i,

this becomes a high-stakes, high-speed competition between industrialist who is employed international aviation clubs of each country and then the military governments take over in the early 1920's. the curtis is the world's fastest airplane in the fall of 1925. this racer, with a run air service -- young air service pilot, wins the competition northeast of baltimore maryland. average of 230 miles per hour. next day, he breaks a world speed plane record of 240 miles per hour. this gets into the public eye. it shows the importance of the

military and military aviation overall. just two weeks before, the same each country and then the airplane, with wheels and tail skins installed, wins the pulitzer pro for -- trophy race. it is a national race hitting the army and navy and marine pilots against each other. an aerial army-navy football game. he flies the same airplane with a wheel installed to win the race at 248 miles per hour. jimmy doolittle and another man of the world's fastest men. he was faster than any wind in history. this belief in speed and the pushing of technology and justification of natural governments to encourage this development resulted in what we see here, the curtis rc3. look at the gold wings. you see the lines running between the fuselage, but as a brass radiator -- that is a brass radiator. you have the air traveling over

the profile of the wing. it is cooling the engine through the radiators. you see minimal struts and wires on the construction of it. it tightly fitting engine. you see a metal propeller. is a true innovation in terms of transitioning from wood to metal most important, it is a plywood fuselage built like a wooden boat and built with spruce. no longer in a struts and wires braces. hollow shell. that corporate a streamlined shape -- incorporates a streamlined shape. let's drag along the surface of the fuselage. -- let's drag -- eless drag along the surface of the fuselage. it is built for a high-speed environment. a virtual racetrack in the sky. it allows it to make a tight turn along the pylon. jimmy doolittle had a technology -- technique where he would start at one pylon and pull up and turn around another pylon to get speed. the short wingspan facilitated

that. if you are a spectator watching the race, you would see doolittle climbing, turning, and diving toward the pylons. you also hear the airplane and so this engine, the short stacks are working and making popping noises. the propeller is going supersonic at its tips. propellers of the first are not a cold devices that go supersonic. -- aeronautical devices that go supersonic. this airplane to me by at my level is an amazing thing to see. -- zooming by at eye level is an amazing thing to see. the next year at the schnider trophy race in virginia, every

palate comes in second -- a marine highlight comes in second -- pilot comes in second. it is restored by personnel there and returns the installation in the pioneers flight ellery received today. -- gallery where it is here today. jimmy doolittle becomes a famous test pilot, a certified aeronautical engineer. he races across the states. at the opening of world war ii for the united states when jim doolittle becomes a national hero as he leads the famous raid named after him against japan in april 1942. he was the medal of honor and goes on to become one of the leading bomber generals of world

war ii. the curtis racer is a fast airplane and it boosted the career of a pilot we are all going to know coming -- know, jimmy doolittle. now we will look at charles lindbergh. this airplane in may, 1927 flew 3600 miles from new york to paris. fun by charles lindbergh and unknown male pilot. his goal was to win for the

first nonstop flight from new york to paris. he wanted it joined the former country of france with united states. that was the dentist for the flight. what it represents in the history of aviation is part of the telling of the airplane and the transformation of the airplane from what the right brothers greeted and how it transition -- wright brothers created and how transitioned over time. he was an unknown pilot it was blind from st. louis to chicago. was thinking about if it was possible. building upon that idea, he he gets -- he trained people to fly it interacted with people in the aviation circle. he gets the backing to either purchase a long-distance airplane or to build one.

what happens, he ends up in san diego and meets the chief engineer and design a purpose built transatlantic airplane from new york to paris. he calls it the spirit of st. louis in honor of his backers in saint louis. this is a product of his vision. it is not necessarily the most advanced airplane.

it represents many of the known ideas of technology with some gambles. working with don hall through the spring of 1927, he creates this airplane. it is would wing -- owood wing, tubular steel frame work and innovation that emerged in world war i. a diversion from the wood bracing that we saw since the wright brothers. it still uses wires and framework like you would see

with the strut and wire braced. they know it works. it is also the basic design of the end to -- n2. this aircraft designed for one thing: play across the ocean with one pilot. -- flying across the ocean with one pilot. he makes the gamble, the lighter the airplane, more simpler. this is an airplane built for endurance. 450 gallons of gasoline which doubles the weight. 4000-5000 pounds. he learned how to handle the airplane. when it is finished in april 1927, the first thing he does is breaks the san diego to st. louis record. and he goes to new york which is the jumping off point to paris. this is where his choices going to play. you don't see a canopy on the airplane. you see a door on the side. he used a periscope that he would deploy to see forward or would swivel the tail to look out the side. what is in front of him are the oil and main deal tanks in the engine. -- fuel tanks in the engine. he is making his choices. look forward of the fuel tank area where it says spirit of st. louis, you see the radio engine. a cornerstone technology of what will become the aeronautical revolution. it is a radial engine cooled by the air. you see them sticking out there so they can be cooled at the air flows over them. it is a reliable engine. stays running for 33 hours. a conscious choice.

wood wings, externally braced. those are known technologies that work. the state-of-the-art is the engine and in front of the engine, aluminum alloy propeller. just like a right brother propeller -- wright brothers 'propeller. ready by the time lindbergh says he wants a metal propeller for the spirit of seamless and what he means is a standard steel standard pitch propeller. you can't change the angle of the blades, but if you need to change the pitch on the ground, you can listen the rings to change the pitch -- loosen the rings to change the pitch. gives you enough cruise efficiency. a compromise. in many ways, their plain overall is a copper to get him across the atlantic. the flight itself, he did not have advanced navigational tools like gps. he did have a compass and he had a method called dead reckoning where he would use the stars and maps to plot the past. he would fly the circumpolar

route. flight a much shorter distance over the curvature of the earth. gambles that he will fly this route and as soon as he gets to europe, he will figure out where he is. he does that over the course of a day and a half and he lands north of paris and is met by over 100,000 adoring fans, people cheering him on. at that moment, the unknown lindbergh, the flight technologist, enters into this legendary status as the supreme aviator of the world, especially in the united states. he becomes a household name. the growth of the aviation industry is seen as a result of what he has done in the flight even though it is an indication that things are moving along and he really exacerbates and improves the idea of the aviation industry. people want to learn to fly. by christmas, you could get a copy of the book of the flight. this pop-culture phenomenon becomes a result of the flight. america turns the page in terms of understanding the power of the airplane. in the wake of this flight to

paris, he returns with the spirit and is going to do a national tour through 19 27 -- 9027 were hundreds of thousands of americans will see him live. -- 1927 where hundreds of thousands of americans will see him live. then he goes to latin america. when you look at the front of the spirit, you see the flags of the nations that he visited during his tour. you also see some military at symbols from the army and marine units that he interacted with over the course of the tour. upon return of that flight in february in the spring of 1928, lindbergh is this beard of st. louis -- spirit of st. louis to the smithsonian. it stays on display throughout the history of the old national air and space museum and that is on display in 1926 with the opening of the national wall museum which has been on display ever since.

the artifact that you see behind me if the original spirit of st. louis. that is the original fabric, it is one-of-a-kind, original artifacts that makes the smithsonian aviation collection so important and why you need to see. lindbergh's flight from new york to paris is a very important moment in history of aviation. there are aviators and aircraft that paula that show how their plane involved in this idea of reinventing the airplane and pushing the higher, faster, farther equation that builds to a crescendo in 1930. a few months after lindbergh flight across the atlantic, on july 4, 1927, the first lock yvega takes the air. this is the result of a self-taught person. not being educated in engineering school, he has a feel for what in a pointed look like. what you see behind me is his idea of what a clean air flying machine looks like. no supporting braces or wires. you have an internally supported wing. you also see a plywood fuselage. taking the heritage of the curtis arthur c racer. a plywood fuselage that does not need the extra bracing. his idea of a clean airplane is in its bested -- manifested in this. it also has a radial engine installed in the front of the air plane. the problem with this engine, a cornerstone technology, we see on the spirit of technology -- louis and seeing it here, the

problem with this engine is that it is situated like a far pedal on the front of the fuselage. it is the equivalent of a multi-radiator on a car -- model t radiator on a car. it creates drag. do you have an exposed radial engine or do you cover the engine to get some sort of aerodynamic efficiency to clean up the disturbed air that drags? this is a fundamental question that is being investigated by the naca.

just a few months after the 4, 1927, thely airplane like the one you see behind me took to the air. this airplane is the result of .he pairing of the new company not being educated, he has a a clean air flying machine looks like. no supporting braces or wires. you have an internally supported wing. you also see a plywood fuselage.

taking the heritage of the curtis arthur c racer. a plywood fuselage that does not need the extra bracing. his idea of a clean airplane is in its bested -- manifested in this. it also has a radial engine installed in the front of the air plane. the problem with this engine, a cornerstone technology, we see on the spirit of technology -- louis and seeing it here, the problem with this engine is that it is situated like a far pedal on the front of the fuselage. it is the equivalent of a multi-radiator on a car -- model t radiator on a car. it creates drag. do you have an exposed radial engine or do you cover the engine to get some sort of aerodynamic efficiency to clean up the disturbed air that drags? this is a fundamental question

that is being investigated by the naca. young engineer, who is a 20 foot wind tunnel starts playing with the idea. it is designed to pretend that results in slowing air through to cool the engine while controlling the streamline of the air on the outside. that technology is what makes the vega such an important aircraft and maximizes the ability to fly 165 miles per hour at cruise in the ability to fly passengers, the original design of the airplane. the naca wins the trophy, he takes it and puts it on the airplane and also thinks about, this is a highway in airplane -- high wing airplane, but where you put the landing gear? you have the big rubber tires and wheels that create drag.

his idea, i will put tents on the tires so there are teardrop streamlined wheel tents. you have to have fixed landing gear, but why do we make them as streamlined as possible. -- don't we make them as streamlined as possible? this becomes known as a high-performance airplanes and it is taken by several individuals like amelia ehrhardt who the spring of 1932 flies this airplane across the atlantic ocean. the first woman to fly across

the atlantic nonstop. in august of 1932, she flies nonstop across the united states. she is becoming this leading aviator in the united states flying a vega. after she flies nonstop across the united states, she sold her airplane to the frequent institute. -- franklin institute. in 1966, it became available to the smithsonian institution and entered the collection. the vega because the airplane of toys for record breakers. 1941, wiley post, he started flying. he chooses the vega. his characteristic white and blue. he flies around the world.

he doesn't in a daze. -- does it in 8 days. he doesn't all but himself and 7.5 days. -- he then goes across the world in 7.5 days. uses the jet stream. he gets additional 120 miles per hour on the jet stream. he is also the first individual to experiment with the pressure suit. the vega is the choice of aviators who want to push the limits of not only speed and distance, but also altitude. this is amelia ehrhardt care for us to read vega -- ehrhardt's characteristic red vega. it is another airplane where she disappears trying to fly around the world. it become synonymous with high-performance, long-distance aircraft that important aviators choose. this is still a would airplane. -- wood airplane. the performance is being pushed

seeming counterintuitive for what the airplane is. it is looking towards the future in terms of its shape and if we look at this very dynamic 1926-34 period of innovation. it is one of the first to represent the future and how their plane will become modern. their pilots like amelia ehrhardt and wiley post, a ramped up the spectacle of flight. enthusiasm for flights across the ocean and world.

the next airplane is an example of a commercial airliner that embodies new innovations that enabled airplane to fly higher, faster, and further. it is called one of the first modern airliners and is one of the first modern airplanes overall it is introduced in 1933. it reflects his heritage of reinventing the airplane after world war i. it has all metal construction. there has been a significant transition from strut and wire breaks instruction to the construction of the vega and now, you're looking at an all metal airplane. you make these aircrafts bigger.

engine pods on them. and you have jet airliners of the 1950's. we are looking at the beginning of that with this airplane in which the late 1920's and early 1930's, boeing company, they want to build upon this new aircraft design called the b nine bomber. they want to develop that into a commercial airliner. the 247 is the result of that which embodies all metal construction, but also the idea of the streamlined design. yet incorporated in airplane to go faster. the unveiling of the 247, 170 miles per hour airplane able to carry 10 passengers. that is a jump over the board -- ford tri motor. caring people longer distances. compresses the 27 hours of

transcontinental flight time across the united states into 19.5 hours. here's another element that plays into the equation, the vast distances of united states pushed the development of commercial aircraft. by 1933, you have an airliner capable of flying faster than the most advanced army pursued airplanes. -- pursuit airplanes. that shift the knowledge and perception of what these airplanes can do. the united aircraft and transport organization is a pair

company of boeing aircraft. it also owns preston woody pensions. they also owned several airlines including united airlines. so boeing does these airplanes and under the corporate umbrella, they go through the united aircraft transport company. other airlines don't have this airplane available. what results is be twa under jack fry asked other aircraft manufacturers, we want a replacement for the ford trimester. -- tri motor. what results is a winning it for the d.c. airline. as the 247 starts, it has some innovations built into it which are quite conditional. six pitch propellers. a forward sloping wind frame and the result of the need to compete with the dc series of airlines from douglas, you have what results in the 247 d model. what i mean by that is hydraulic mechanisms that change the blade

pitch as the colors are rotating. it increases the cruise to 188 miles per hour. the 247 can't compete. after 1935, it becomes the preeminent modern airplane of the 1930's. there's a very interesting story in which the dc and 247 get into a race in the fall of 1934. this australian millionaire sponsored a long-distance race connecting great britain to australia, melbourne.

it is 11,300 miles. they want to see who can win. at the end, a douglas dc 2 and a boeing 247, come in second and third. they show how american aeronautical technology has surpassed and jumped ahead of european technology it is the ability of those airplanes and the dc flies and make stops, and the 247 flown by a flamboyant pilot, they come in third. a 92 hour flight, they make stops and get lost and have engine trouble it is the airplane here that made the flight and it is part of the story in which the international

press says, the united states has jumped ahead in aeronautical technology, and we catch up -- how do we catch up? after the race, because back into the net airlines inventory and goes out of service and has several owners. in the early 1970's, it is given to the smithsonian from united airlines and it is restored and the view that you see here on the right side is in its united airlines markings during the race. on the other side are the markings the airplane cover had during the mcroberts and race. -- mcrobertson race. with the creation of the air and space museum in 1976 and the opening, this would put on display in the air transport gallery to show the story of the first, crucial moment of the

modern airplane, in this case, an airliner appearing in the 1930's. the boeing 247 d we were discussing was state-of-the-art in 1933. it epitomized the technology that would become the modern airplane and something, gets bigger, but it is the aircraft that we know in terms of the structure and shape, especially in terms of jet airliners today. the airplane behind me, a very different airplane that emerged in the late 1950's. a research plan. ne.pla beginning with the dell x1, the airplane designed to investigate supersonic flight. there's this new generation of aircraft created through the naca, voting airplanes just for

investigating aerodynamic phenomenon or some sort of aeronautical challenge that could be overcome fundamentally. x1 was the supersonic machine. mach 1, mach 2. it is the x15 program that investigates the hypersonic regime, speeds beyond mach 4. looking at the partnership between industry, the military, u.s. air force, the primary benefactor in the national advisor to midi which quickly -- which transitions into nasa, this program investigates the hypersonic regime and does this by testing this aircraft as an aerospace plane. here is a vehicle designed to

transition from the earth atmosphere into space. there are 3 x15's built. you're looking at a vehicle that in its present form, designed for the hypersonic regime. that means, it has to be a vehicle that can find the atmosphere it has traditional controls that allow it to maneuver in the atmosphere, but also needs a new system. if you look at the nose of the aircraft, there are two holes in front of the white rectangle. those are reaction controls. at the aerodynamic ability goes away, the use reaction controls to control the aircraft. this is a true aerospace plane designed as an arrow -- research

plane. the idea is to do this and make the aircraft survived. it is more the shape of the fuselage. you don't see a big fat wing. a very compact structure. the tail is to facilitate control and hypersonic. the air traveling over the surface of this vehicle was estimated to be up to 1200 degrees. height. that wanted the creation of a new material to make the aircraft out of. it is a nickel alloy, these are space-age materials and put into an aerospace plane. the pilots were pressurized suits like astronauts. this is a concurrent program

with the mercury, gemini and apollo program. the last element is the reaction motors. this is not an airplane designed to take off and land from the ground. it is designed to be carried by a b-52 bomber inverted into a mothership. carried up to 40,000 feet, dropped in the pilot would engage the rocket engine and do whatever he needed to do. beginning in 1959, scott crossfield, the north american research engineering test pilot is the first flight with the x15. same working fly, how it can fly and by the mid-1960's, you have a flight program that is influenced and encouraged. the space program developed this program.

these aircraft are operating in flown over at the edwards space base. by the mid-to late 1960's, x15 flights are pushing the regime in terms of flying 67 miles high or about 3400 feet or at a high speed of mach 6. the pallets of these vehicles are primarily nasa pilots or air force pilots. -- pilots of these vehicles are primarily nasa pilots or air force pilots. these are missions pushing people to believe that this is the way into space. is this what will be developed to make this transition? you have to think, when this airplane or supplies in 1959, --

-- flies in 1959, the idea of higher, faster, further is being symbolized through the x515. this was flown by scott crossfield and a number of nasa test pilots. including neil armstrong who was employed as a nasa research test pilot. something he was proud of. this was an alternate path that another type of vehicle was chosen for. in a lot of ways, this was an alternate pathway that never happened, but the knowledge of the technology of designing a hypersonic vehicle in which, the

x 15 holds the record as the fastest man carrying vehicle to this day, the x15 is still a symbol of what might be the next plateau in terms of hypersonic flight. there are many individuals, especially nasa today, believe hypersonic travel is possible and there is research in unmanned hypersonic engines and they see these as a direct result of this work of this research airplane, the x 15. i hope you have enjoyed this look at some of the one-of-a-kind fast breaking aircraft to illustrate this game of higher, faster, and further at the collection of the smithsonian. you can choose other examples, but i feel these illustrate the ideas of pushing the envelope, reinvention as well as looking

at the spectacle to have people get excited about seeing these and that touches upon the ways of experiencing flight. we have our pilots and engineers to create the aircraft, we have passengers on airliners and we are also capable of watching and reading and learning about these stories about aviation that have shaped and transformed our world. in looking at these artifacts, that is one of the primary roles of the smithsonian to preserve these artifacts and share them with the american public and the rest of the world. in many ways, that has resonated with our visitors in terms of our success and in terms of us telling these stories and try to present these in new ways to share that, to show the different levels of experience as well as the importance of the technology. in many ways, the museum has grown from a celebration of technology in these important milestones to show how society and culture has been affected as

well as how, and rivers, has affected the technology itself. this is what has been exciting to talk about my take on this it to share that with visitors. >> you can watch this or other american artifacts programs any time by visiting our website. u.s. house historian and house curator joined associate in arian of the senate presentation about the u.s. capitol page program, using a variety of images they discuss research into the program, recent acquisition of artifacts and historic milestones, such as the first african-american page and women pages.