National Air and Space Museum Archives

United States Supersonic Transport Program Collection [Vierling]

Summary

Collection ID:
NASM.XXXX.0144
Creators:
Vierling, Bernard J.
Dates:
1952-1979
Languages:
English
.
Physical Description:
11.99 Cubic feet
(11 records center boxes)
Repository:

Scope and Contents

Scope and Contents
This collection consists of the files of Bernard J. Vierling (Deputy Director, FAA Office of SST Development, 1965-69; Acting Director, 1969-71). The material consists primarily of in-depth documents, brochures, reports, and studies pertaining to the SST proposals from Boeing, Lockheed, and associated bid contractors General Electric and Pratt & Whitney. Also included is material on sonic boom research, congressional funding, private funding, and congressional and civilian antagonists, such as Senator Proxmire and Dr. Shurcliff, as well as the Anglo-French Concorde and Russian Tu144 SST programs. The collection also includes newsletters, executive committee papers, executive board activities and minutes of meetings, financial reports, awards, banquet programs, and photographs pertaining to Vierling's involvement the National Aviation Club from 1952 through 1972.

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
Bernard J. Vierling?, Gift, unknown, XXXX-0144, unknown

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

More Information

General

General
NASMrev


Keywords

Keywords table of terms and types.
Keyword Terms Keyword Types
Sonic boom Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Supersonic transport planes Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Concorde (Jet transports) Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
High-speed aeronautics 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
Tupolev Tu-144 Charger Family 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
Concorde, Production Airframe Topical Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Programs Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Photographs Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Minutes Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Newsletters Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Financial records Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Reports Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Brochures Genre Form Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid
Vierling, Bernard J. 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
United Aircraft Corporation. Pratt & Whitney Aircraft Division Corporate Name Search Smithsonian Collections Search ArchiveGrid

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