Aeronautics Research Guide

Art
Associations Societies
Education
General
Libraries and Archives
Museums
Other Resources
Smithsonian Resources
U.S. Government

The Smithsonian Libraries and Archives' Aeronautics Research Guide is a select list of resources for students, teachers, and researchers to learn about aeronautics. It is complimented by our Astronomy Research Guide and our Earth and Space Sciences Research Guide.

Art

Armstrong Flight Research Center This image library contains images from the current and historic flight research programs and projects flown at what is now known as Armstrong Flight Research Center.
World War I Modeling: Information about creating W.W.I aircraft models, including numerous illustrations.

Associations Societies

Airlines for America: Timely information about the air transportation industry.
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics: Overview of the principal organization serving the aerospace profession. Its primary purpose is to advance the arts, sciences and technology of aero- and astronautics.
The Ninety-Nines International Organization of Women Pilots

Education

Franklin Institute Flights of Inspriation
Pan American Historical Foundation
NASA STEM Engagement: Free nationwide program in aerospace education.

General

Air Times: Virtual museum of the airline industry.
Aviation Home Page: Commercial site for aviation products and information.
NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS): Index to NACA technical reports on aeronautics.
National Air and Space Museum's (NASM) Aeronautics Division: Division responsible for the collecting and historical research at the National Air and Space Museum.
Warbird Registry: Index of historical military aircraft.

Libraries and Archives

George Palmer Putnam Collection of Amelia Earhart Papers
National Air and Space Museum Archives Division
Royal Aeronautical Society Library: Oldest aerospace library in existence.
San Diego Air and Space Museum Library: Library/Archives for the San Diego Air and Space Museum Library.

Museums

Air Heritage, Inc.: Features active restoration shop and displays from the beginning to the present civilian, commercial and military aircraft.
Aviation Museum of Santa Paula: Museum located in Santa Paula, California that showcases antique, experimental and ultralight aircraft.
Aviation Museums of the World: Listing of aviation museums around the world - commercial site.
Beechcraft Heritage Museum: Museum located in Tullahoma, Tennesee,dedicated to Beechcraft Aircraft.
College Park Aviation Museum
International Women's Air and Space Museum: Museum located in Cleveland, Ohio is dedicated to preserving the achievements of women in aviation and aerospace and promoting education of women's aviation history.
National Soaring Museum: Museum located in Elmira, New York is dedicated to preserving the heritage of motorless flight.
Planes of Fame Air Museum: Museum located in Chino, California and Valle, Arizona. The museum is dedicated to the preservation, perpetuation and exhibition of historical aircraft, and to the people who devoted their lives to flight.
Seattle Museum of Flight: Largest flight museum on the West coast.
Tillamook Air Museum: Museum is located in Tillamook, Oregon in a WWII blimp hangar. The museum showcases combat aircraft.
Virginia Air and Space Center: Overview of a leading air and space museum.
Western North Carolina Air Museum: The museum is located in Hendersonville, North Carolina. This museum preserves the aviation heritage of North Carolina.
Wings of Eagles and National Warplane Museum: A museum located at the Elmira-Corning Regional Airport in Horsehead, New York. The museum showcases from aircraft from the Golden Age of flight after WWI through the Vietnam era.
Wings of Honor Museum: Located in Walnut Ridge, Arkansas, this was the first bone yard for aircraft. This is where all of the WWII aircraft were returned.

Other Resources

Aeronautics Timeline: NASA history of aeronautics and astronautics timeline.
Aerotech News & Review: Focuses on the aerospace and defense industries - commercial site.
Air Force History Index: Searchable index of 550,000 U.S. Air Force historical documents maintained by the Air Force Historical Research Agency (AFHRA).
Proceedings of the United States Naval Institute (1874-1923) via Internet Archive: Full text access through the Internet Archive to journal published by and for U.S. Navy professionals and interested civilians.
Tuskegee Airmen: History and photos of the African American WWII pilots.
Women in Aviation: Resource center listing educational, historical and networking information for and about women in avation.