The Charles Langmack Papers consists of textual materials, scrapbooks, and photographs concerning the life and military career of Charles Langmack and ranges from the 1920s-2002.
The first series, Textual Materials, documents Langmack's time in the U.S. Army Air Force, particularly his work with the Lockheed Aircraft Corporation in the 1940s. There are also a few folders of correspondence, which is a mix of personal and professional items. Charles and David Langmack's log books are also included this series. Some oversize items, including 2 organizational charts, a drawing of an unidentified aircraft engine, and a monthly roster of the 316th Bombardment Wing at Kadena Army Air Force Bases (Okinawa), date from Langmack's time in the military, particularly his time working with Lockheed. There are also 2 pilot's licenses for Langmack, dated 1929 - one of which is signed by Orville Wright.
The second series, Photographs, includes three hundred eight (308) loose photographs, ten negatives, and 3 photograph albums/scrapbooks with 522 photographs and ephemera. The photographs are also a mix of personal and professional. Some of the images have numbers printed on the front [ex: "S-2727"]. A majority of images have stamps on the reverse denoting which agency took the photograph, including Lockheed Corporation, Vega Corporation, and the United States Army Air Corps. Some photographs have brief handwritten captions, providing contextual information such as location, date, aircraft, or names. Duplication occurs. The photographs in Box Three, Folders 1-4 were originally stored in a black binders. They were removed due to preservation concerns but are stored in the original order.
The military-related photographs, found on the binder pages in Box Three, Folder 1-4 and loose in Folder 6, include images of aircraft crashes, some likely in the general vicinity of McChord Air Force Base (Washington) during World War II, and military personnel, including Langmack. There are also photographs of test flights for various aircraft, including Douglas XB-19 (XBLR-2), Lockheed (F-80) P-80A Shooting Star, and Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, and B-17 production at Vega Aircraft Corporation. There is also a photograph of aircraft inspectors working for the Lockheed Aircraft Corporation, circa 1940s.
There is a large amount of personal photographs, loose and in albums, which document the Langmack family from the 1920s to the 1990s, including family member portraits and casual snapshots. The snapshots among the loose images depict Charles and David's early aviation activities, including barnstorming in Oregon and their flying school, the Langmack's family farm in Oregon, vacation pictures, and several images of a replica Curtiss JN-4Can Canuck that Langmack built. There are also 47 oversized photographs, including 3 photographic collages. One of the collages also includes newspaper clippings about Langmack. Images depict Charles and David Langmack in or next to aircraft, aircraft in flight, and 2 feature aircraft flying in front of Mount Rainier (Washington). There is also a 1941 group portrait of the 17th Bombardment Group at McChord Air Force Base, California.
The 3 photograph albums contain photographs as well as ephemera, such as clippings, photocopies of documents, and correspondence that depicts all aspects of Langmack's life from the 1920s-1990s. The images in the first album include family photographs, military aircraft, vacation snapshots, commercial aviation, and Langmack's career in farming. The second album includes photographs of the Langmack brothers' flying school, barnstorming in Oregon, commercial and military aircraft, Randolph Field (Texas), and the family farm. The third album includes more images from the brothers' time as barnstormers, flight instructors and commercial pilots. Also included are numerous photographs, clippings, and ephemera about David's death in 1941.
The third series, Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum materials, includes a small amount of textual material originally donated to that museum. It includes a 1998 proposal for an aviation museum in the Albany [Oregon] Air Park, biographical information, a 2002 Oregon Aviation Hall of Fame featuring Langmack and a list of various aircraft flown by him, and one undated letter to Langmack from "Ole Mac" that discusses the rebuild of the Canuck.
The fourth series, Maps, includes 28 oversized maps. These are mostly sectional maps, but include other maps issued by the United States Government. In addition to the oversized maps, there are four Air Corps Map Books in the collection. Some of the oversize maps have hand written annotations on them, presumably written by Langmack, tracking routes and noting bases.
The first series, Textual Materials, documents Langmack's time in the U.S. Army Air Force, particularly his work with the Lockheed Aircraft Corporation in the 1940s. There are also a few folders of correspondence, which is a mix of personal and professional items. Charles and David Langmack's log books are also included this series. Some oversize items, including 2 organizational charts, a drawing of an unidentified aircraft engine, and a monthly roster of the 316th Bombardment Wing at Kadena Army Air Force Bases (Okinawa), date from Langmack's time in the military, particularly his time working with Lockheed. There are also 2 pilot's licenses for Langmack, dated 1929 - one of which is signed by Orville Wright.
The second series, Photographs, includes three hundred eight (308) loose photographs, ten negatives, and 3 photograph albums/scrapbooks with 522 photographs and ephemera. The photographs are also a mix of personal and professional. Some of the images have numbers printed on the front [ex: "S-2727"]. A majority of images have stamps on the reverse denoting which agency took the photograph, including Lockheed Corporation, Vega Corporation, and the United States Army Air Corps. Some photographs have brief handwritten captions, providing contextual information such as location, date, aircraft, or names. Duplication occurs. The photographs in Box Three, Folders 1-4 were originally stored in a black binders. They were removed due to preservation concerns but are stored in the original order.
The military-related photographs, found on the binder pages in Box Three, Folder 1-4 and loose in Folder 6, include images of aircraft crashes, some likely in the general vicinity of McChord Air Force Base (Washington) during World War II, and military personnel, including Langmack. There are also photographs of test flights for various aircraft, including Douglas XB-19 (XBLR-2), Lockheed (F-80) P-80A Shooting Star, and Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, and B-17 production at Vega Aircraft Corporation. There is also a photograph of aircraft inspectors working for the Lockheed Aircraft Corporation, circa 1940s.
There is a large amount of personal photographs, loose and in albums, which document the Langmack family from the 1920s to the 1990s, including family member portraits and casual snapshots. The snapshots among the loose images depict Charles and David's early aviation activities, including barnstorming in Oregon and their flying school, the Langmack's family farm in Oregon, vacation pictures, and several images of a replica Curtiss JN-4Can Canuck that Langmack built. There are also 47 oversized photographs, including 3 photographic collages. One of the collages also includes newspaper clippings about Langmack. Images depict Charles and David Langmack in or next to aircraft, aircraft in flight, and 2 feature aircraft flying in front of Mount Rainier (Washington). There is also a 1941 group portrait of the 17th Bombardment Group at McChord Air Force Base, California.
The 3 photograph albums contain photographs as well as ephemera, such as clippings, photocopies of documents, and correspondence that depicts all aspects of Langmack's life from the 1920s-1990s. The images in the first album include family photographs, military aircraft, vacation snapshots, commercial aviation, and Langmack's career in farming. The second album includes photographs of the Langmack brothers' flying school, barnstorming in Oregon, commercial and military aircraft, Randolph Field (Texas), and the family farm. The third album includes more images from the brothers' time as barnstormers, flight instructors and commercial pilots. Also included are numerous photographs, clippings, and ephemera about David's death in 1941.
The third series, Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum materials, includes a small amount of textual material originally donated to that museum. It includes a 1998 proposal for an aviation museum in the Albany [Oregon] Air Park, biographical information, a 2002 Oregon Aviation Hall of Fame featuring Langmack and a list of various aircraft flown by him, and one undated letter to Langmack from "Ole Mac" that discusses the rebuild of the Canuck.
The fourth series, Maps, includes 28 oversized maps. These are mostly sectional maps, but include other maps issued by the United States Government. In addition to the oversized maps, there are four Air Corps Map Books in the collection. Some of the oversize maps have hand written annotations on them, presumably written by Langmack, tracking routes and noting bases.
Dates
- 1920-2002
Creator
- Langmack, Charles J. (Former owner, Person)
Language of Materials
All materials are in English.
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open for research and is accessible in the Dahlberg Research Center by appointment. For more information contact us.
Conditions Governing Use
The Museum of Flight (TMOF) Archives is the owner of the physical materials in the archives and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. Written permission must be obtained from TMOF archives before any publication use. TMOF does not necessarily hold copyright to all of the materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from copyright owners. Consult repository for more details.
Extent
5.46 Cubic Feet (3 full-width letter size document boxes, 2 full-width letter size document box, 1 large flat box, 25 oversize maps in drawers, 1 legal-size folder)
Abstract
The Charles Langmack Papers contains textual materials, scrapbooks, and photographs concerning the life and military career of Charles Langmack (1907-1999). Langmack was an early Oregon aviator, and this collection equally documents both his civilian and military aviation careers.
Biographical Note: Charles Langmack
Born in 1907, Charles Langmack learned to fly in the early days of aviation, and first soloed in 1920, when he was only 12 years old. He spent the 1920s and 1930s giving flying lessons at a school he ran with his brother David. The land that they rented for the school eventually became the Albany (Oregon) Airport. He also participated in barnstorming events all over Oregon and Washington and flew for several local airlines.
In the 1930s Langmack joined the U.S. Army Air Corps and was assigned to a bombing squadron. At the onset of World War II, Langmack, by this time too old for active duty, initially spent time training British pilots to fly Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses. Langmack was then assigned to be a liaison for the Air Force with Boeing, Vega, and Lockheed. Langmack served as an Inspector and Acceptance Officer, and spent much of the war conducting test flights and training pilots. During his time at Lockheed he witnessed the fatal crash of Major Richard Bong, in North Hollywood, California while test piloting a Lockheed (F-80) P-80A Shooting Star.
Langmack served in the Air Force for 35 years, rising to the rank of Colonel. He was involved with 73rd Bombardment Group and the 5th Air Force at various points in his career, and also seems to have spent some time in Japan during the American Occupation. He retired from the Air Force in 1967, and moved back to his home state of Oregon to farm grass. Colonel Charles Langmack died in 1999.
Source:
Biography derived from collection materials.
In the 1930s Langmack joined the U.S. Army Air Corps and was assigned to a bombing squadron. At the onset of World War II, Langmack, by this time too old for active duty, initially spent time training British pilots to fly Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses. Langmack was then assigned to be a liaison for the Air Force with Boeing, Vega, and Lockheed. Langmack served as an Inspector and Acceptance Officer, and spent much of the war conducting test flights and training pilots. During his time at Lockheed he witnessed the fatal crash of Major Richard Bong, in North Hollywood, California while test piloting a Lockheed (F-80) P-80A Shooting Star.
Langmack served in the Air Force for 35 years, rising to the rank of Colonel. He was involved with 73rd Bombardment Group and the 5th Air Force at various points in his career, and also seems to have spent some time in Japan during the American Occupation. He retired from the Air Force in 1967, and moved back to his home state of Oregon to farm grass. Colonel Charles Langmack died in 1999.
Source:
Biography derived from collection materials.
Biographical Note: David Langmack
David was Charles' brother. Charles and David barnstormed together in Oregon. David died in 1941 in Canada, where he was stationed after traveling to Canada to join to Royal Canadian Air Force and fight in World War II in advance of the American entry into the war.
Source:
Biography derived from collection materials.
Source:
Biography derived from collection materials.
Custodial History
The bulk of the Charles Langmack Papers was donated by Charles C. Langmack, the son of Charles J. Langmack.
In April 2017 the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum (EASM) transferred a small amount of textual material about Charles J. Langmack to The Museum of Flight. This material was merged into the Charles Langmack Papers as an addendum and has been kept in the original order as received from EASM.
In April 2017 the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum (EASM) transferred a small amount of textual material about Charles J. Langmack to The Museum of Flight. This material was merged into the Charles Langmack Papers as an addendum and has been kept in the original order as received from EASM.
Accruals
No further accruals are expected.
Separated Materials
The following materials have been separated from the archival materials and are kept in Objects storage:
U.S. Army Air Forces tan uniform jacket
U.S. Army Air Forces olive uniform jacket
U.S. Army Air Forces khaki drab pants
Leather flight jacket
Long brown leather flight jacket
U.S. Army Air Forces olive officer's hat
U.S. Army Air Forces tan officer's hat
Two (2) U.S. Army Air Forces officer's hat emblem
Three (3) U.S. Army Air Forces khaki garrison cap
U.S. Army Air Forces olive garrison cap
U.S. Army Air Forces beige necktie
Silver eagle insignia pin
Olive drab flight helmet
Colonel insignia pin
Gold U.S. Army Air Forces pin
U.S. Armed Forces Reserve pin
U.S. Army Air Corps identification pin
Two (2) leather patches with painted silver eagles
Colonel shoulder insignia
U.S. Army Air Forces officer pin
U.S. Army Air Forces colonel pin
U.S. Army Air Forces Aviation branch lapel insignia
Command pilot wings
U.S. Army Air Forces 'Doolittle Raiders' patch
U.S. Army Air Forces 73rd Bomb Group patch
World War II Victory ribbon
American Campaign ribbon
American Defense Service ribbon
Army Commendation ribbon
Three (3) radio headset
Navigation computer case
Briefcase
Curtiss JN (Jenny) aircraft wheel
Lockheed P-38 Lightning control wheel
Berkshire brand magneto
Pressure sensor
Three (3) artillery shells
Dummy cartridge
Artillery cartridge
Hatbox
Processing Information
Many of the items in this collection were originally stored in binders. However, due to preservation concerns, the items have been removed and preserved in the original order. This includes:
- the Individual Flight Record (Box One, Folders 2 through 4) which is in the original reverse chronological order.
- the Army Air Forces Representative binders in Box Two, Folder 2 and 3.
- the loose photographs in Box Three, Folders 1 through 4.
- the Individual Flight Record (Box One, Folders 2 through 4) which is in the original reverse chronological order.
- the Army Air Forces Representative binders in Box Two, Folder 2 and 3.
- the loose photographs in Box Three, Folders 1 through 4.
- Air pilots
- Aircraft accidents
- Airplanes -- Cockpits
- Airplanes -- Design and construction
- Ashiya Air Base
- Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress Family
- Boeing B-17 Model 299 Flying Fortress ("XB-17")
- Boeing B-29 Superfortress Family (Model 345)
- Boeing Model 307 Stratoliner Family
- Boeing Model 80A
- Boeing XB-38
- Bong, Richard Ira, 1920-1945
- Boston (Mass.)
- Burbank (Los Angeles County, Calif.)
- Canada. Royal Canadian Air Force
- Cheju Island (Korea)
- Chicago (Ill.)
- China
- Consolidated PBY Catalina Family
- Curtiss C-46 Commando Family
- Curtiss JN-4Can Canuck
- Douglas B-18 Family
- Flight schools
- Fuji, Mount (Japan)
- Hudson River (N.Y. and N.J.)
- Japan
- Klamath Falls (Or.)
- Korea
- Kyushu Region (Japan)
- Langmack, David
- Lockheed
- Lockheed (A-28/A-29) Hudson (Model 14) Family
- Lockheed (F-80) P-80A Shooting Star
- Lockheed C-69 Constellation Family
- Lockheed XP-38 Lightning
- Lockheed XP2V-1 Neptune
- Manila (Philippines)
- McChord Air Force Base (Wash.)
- McGee Airways
- New York (State)
- North American P-51 Mustang Family
- Northrop A-17A (DA-209)
- Oki Islands (Japan)
- Okinawa Island (Japan)
- Oregon
- Pearson Field (Vancouver, Wash.)
- Peter the Great Bay (Russia)
- Portland (Or.)
- Rainier, Mount (Wash.)
- Randolph Air Force Base (Tex.)
- Russia
- Sado-shi (Japan)
- Saint Lawrence River
- Sioux City (Iowa)
- Stearman (1927) PT-17 Kaydet Family
- Stinson (Aircraft) SM-8
- Stunt flying
- Taiwan
- Test pilots
- Tokara Islands (Japan)
- Tsugaru Strait (Japan)
- United States. Air Force
- United States. Army Air Forces. Air Division, 1st
- United States. Army Air Forces. Bombardment Group (Medium), 17th
- United States. Army Air Forces. Bombardment Group, 447th
- Vega
- World War, 1939-1945
- Yalu River (China and Korea)
- certificates
- clippings (information artifacts)
- correspondence
- directories
- instructional materials
- lithographs
- logs (records)
- maps (documents)
- notes (documents)
- photocopies
- photograph albums
- photographic prints
- programs (documents)
- yearbooks
Creator
- Langmack, Charles J. (Former owner, Person)
- Title
- Guide to the Charles J. Langmack Papers
- Status
- Completed - Level 3
- Author
- L. Zaborowski, J. Parent, H. Kolesar
- Date
- 2014
- Description rules
- dacs
- Language of description
- English
- Edition statement
- 3rd Edition
Revision Statements
- November 2018: Finding aid migrated to ArchivesSpace.
- September 2019: New items found and integrated into collection
Repository Details
Part of the The Museum of Flight Archives Repository
Contact:
9404 East Marginal Way South
Seattle Washington 98108-4097
206-764-7874
curator@museumofflight.org
9404 East Marginal Way South
Seattle Washington 98108-4097
206-764-7874
curator@museumofflight.org