National Air and Space Museum Archives

United States Supersonic Transport Program (Friedman) Collection

Summary

Collection ID:
NASM.1987.0130
Creators:
Friedman, Robert K.
Dates:
1960-1975
bulk 1962-1965
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
5.45 Cubic feet
(5 records center boxes) (1 flatbox)
Repository:

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
This collection is the files of Robert K. Friedman (Chief, FAA SST Support Division) on the development of commercial SST capability in the United States. The material consists primarily of technical and research reports, but also press releases, marketing procedures, proposals, assessment and evaluation reports on the entire SST program. The collection also includes material on foreign and U. S. military research, applications of supersonics and sonic booms and marketing and presentation material from Lockheed, Boeing, North American and Convair. This collection also has miscellaneous items including copies of the first FAA anti-hijacking poster, seven open reel audio tapes (one on SST program, six on hijacking), and a set of charts used for demonstration and training on management of aircraft design and procurement.

Biographical / Historical

Biographical / Historical
The United States' Supersonic Transport (SST) program was initiated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in 1963. The program aimed for a Mach 2+ aircraft capable of carrying c.300 passengers with intercontinental range. The US aimed to outstrip the British Aerospace/Aerospatiale Concorde and Soviet Tu 144 programs through the use of advanced technology and materials. By the late 1960s contracts had been let to prime contractors Boeing (airframe) and General Electric (engines) but the program was four to five years behind the European and Soviet efforts, which had graduated to supersonic flight testing while the US program had yet to pass beyond the mockup stage. In 1971 the slow pace of technical; development, environmental concerns, high costs, and questions over the commercial feasibility of the aircraft led Congress to cancel the program.

Administration

Immediate Source of Acquisition
Robert K. Friedman, Gift, 1987, 1987-0130, not NASM

Using the Collection

Conditions Governing Access
No restrictions on access
Conditions Governing Use
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests

Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Concorde, Production Airframe Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Concorde (Jet transports) Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Aeronautics -- Safety measures Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Aircraft industry Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Aeronautics, Commercial Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Aeronautics Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Airplanes -- Design and construction Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Aeronautics, Commercial -- United States Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Aircraft industry -- United States Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Supersonic transport planes Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
High-speed aeronautics Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Tupolev Tu-144 Charger Family Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Hijacking of aircraft Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Photographs Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Correspondence Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Publications Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Charts Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Audiotapes Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Posters Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Press releases Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Reports Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Friedman, Robert K. Personal Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
American Supersonic Transport Program Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Federal Aviation Administration Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Boeing Company Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
General Electric Company Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

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