Interview Summary Engineer Sydney Baker is interviewed about his life and his decade-spanning career in the aviation industry. He discusses his work at Vickers-Armstrongs in the 1940s and 1950s and his subsequent engineering jobs with Canadair and the Boeing Company. Projects discussed include the AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System) program, the AOA (Airborne Optical Adjunct) program, and guided missile development. He also shares his experiences as a Museum of Flight docent and his restoration work...

Overview

The Ray McPherson Boeing Test Pilot Collection documents the career and personal life of test pilot Ray McPherson. The collection contains visual materials, audiovisual materials, and textual documents that date from 1941 to 2010. These documents bring to light McPherson’s work in engineering and testing aircraft for the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) and the Boeing Company.

Interview Summary In this two-part oral history, Vietnam War veteran Jerry Coy is interviewed about his 40-year career in military and commercial aviation. In part one, he discusses his service in the United States Air Force from the 1960s to the 1980s. He describes his experiences as a forward air controller and McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II pilot during the Vietnam War and discusses his other assignments in the United States and abroad. Topics discussed include his personal background, his combat tours...

Interview Summary Aeronautical engineer Herb Phelan is interviewed about his career in the aviation industry and his involvement in several aircraft restoration projects. He discusses his work with various aviation companies and his career at Boeing, circa 1950s-1990s. Projects discussed include the 727, 747, SST (Supersonic Transport), Minuteman III missile, and the AWACS program. He then discusses his restoration work on the Boeing Model 80A, the B-17F Flying Fortress, and the B-29 Superfortress. All three...

Scope and Contents

This series contains posters depicting aviation-related topics pertaining to all branches of the United States Military. This includes the planes, missiles, bases, Naval vessels, airboarne warning and control systems (AWACS), The Blue Angels, and The Thunderbirds.

Depictions of planes that are from manufacturers, like Lockheed, that are not explicitly military can be found in the Aircraft series.