Scope and Contents
Scope and Contents
This collection consists of blueprints, a manual, newspaper articles, brochures and photographs of airships and balloons during the early part of the 20th century, usually relating to Gampper's career. The airships included are the Roma, the Wingfoot Express, and the Pony Blimp at Commercial Air Syndicate.
Biographical / Historical
Biographical / Historical
Frederick K. Gampper, Jr., began his aviation career in 1917. During the late 1910s and early 1920s, Gampper worked for the dirigible department at Goodyear Rubber Company where he was a supervisor of dirigible construction in Key West, an airship pilot, and trained other pilots for Goodyear. After his stint at Goodyear, Gampper helped raise stock for the Commercial Airship Syndicate, LTD., which would have been the first commercial airship airline in the United States. The night before the commencement of the company's schedule began, however, a storm destroyed the airship. Gampper's dirigible balloon pilot's license was no. #53, his Spherical Balloon Aero Club of America license was no. #655.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
James M. Gampper and Frederick K. Gampper III, gift, 1993, 1993-0062, NASM
National Air and Space Museum Archives
14390 Air & Space Museum Parkway
Chantilly, VA 20151
NASMRefDesk@si.edu
