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  • Gordon Bennett Balloon Trophy

    This Gordon Bennett Balloon Trophy was awarded to the U.S. in 1928 for winning it for the third successive year when Capt. William E. Kepner and Lt. William O. Eareckson flew 460.9 miles in a free balloon from Detroit, Mich.The first Gordon Bennett Balloon Trophy Race was won in 1906 by two

  • Gen. Billy Mitchell's Congressional Gold Medal

    This is the Congressional Gold Medal awarded posthumously to Gen Billy Mitchell in 1946. This medallion, the only one of its kind, was sculpted by Erwin F. Springweiler and struck by the Philadelphia Mint.The inscription on the front of the medallion reads: BRIGADIER GENERAL WILLIAM MITCHELLThe

  • Glenn Hammond Curtiss: Aviation Pioneer

    Like his main competitors the Wright brothers, Glenn Curtiss was involved in bicycling before he became interested in aviation, first racing bicycles and later motorcycles. Curtiss developed a successful motorcycle business in Hammondsport, N.Y., for which he designed and built relatively light and

  • Gliding Pioneer: Otto Lilienthal

    Otto Lilienthal remains the most famous of the glider experimenters. He built his first glider in 1891, and within the next five years, this brilliant German made more than 2,000 glides. His experiments were publicized throughout the world, providing inspiration to others, including the Wright

  • Gnome N-9

    The French Gnome engine was one of the most important designs in early aviation, and a main source of aircraft power for the Allies in World War I. First appearing 1909, this engine type was developed into several models and used throughout the war. The 9-cylinder model on display at the museum is

  • G-3 Target Glider

    The McCook Field Engineering Section developed a series of target gliders in the 1920s, including the G-3. In December 1922 J.A. Roche designed the first model, the GL-1, as a target for anti-aircraft gunners of the U.S. Army Coast Artillery. These early targets were the first and only gliders

  • General Electric J47 Turbojet

    The J47 was developed by the General Electric Co. from the earlier J35 engine and was first flight-tested in May 1948 as a replacement for the J35 used in the North American XF-86 Sabre. In September 1948 a J47 powered an F-86A to a new world's speed record of 670.981 mph. More than 30,000 engines