The Reinhard Airport Mural at St. Louis Traveling Display.
A great place to begin your visit within the Travis Air Museum building is at the "Aviation...An American Triumph" traveling display. This multi-panel exhibit gives an excellent pictorial overview of man's aviation adventure: From Greek mythology to man's conquest of space.
"The Beginnings" (1500 B.C. - 1800 A.D.)
- Recorded in Ancient Greek mythology, the wings of Icarus melted when he flew too close to the sun.
- Documented as the first flying devices, a giant 600-foot Chinese dragon kite is built to celebrate the enthronement of the Emperor.
- Leonardo da Vinci, Renaissance aviation conceptual genius, designs triangular parachutes, human-propelled kites, and a flying machine.
- "The Century of the Soft Machines" (19th Century)
- Invention of the hot air balloon by the Montgolfier brothers.
- John C. Wise flies his balloon, the Atlantic, from St. Louis to Henderson, N.Y., discovering the jet stream and setting a new distance record.
- Transitioning from hot air to gas balloons, a growing knowledge of wind currents and aerial navigation emerges.
- At the St. Louis World's Fair, a dirigible propelled by a gas engine marks the world's first controlled flight.
"The Century of the Soft Machines" (19th Century)
- Invention of the hot air balloon by the Montgolfier brothers.
- John C. Wise flies his balloon, the Atlantic, from St. Louis to Henderson, N.Y., discovering the jet stream and setting a new distance record.
- Transitioning from hot air to gas balloons, a growing knowledge of wind currents and aerial navigation emerges.
- At the St. Louis World's Fair, a dirigible propelled by a gas engine marks the world's first controlled flight.
"Heavier than Air" (Early 1900s)
- The Wright Brothers innovated flight by designing air-framed wings.
- Entering the Golden Age of Aviation, public attention focused on speed records, altitude, and distance flights.
- Traveling 3,610 miles, Charles Lindbergh's famous non-stop flight from New York to Paris in the Spirit of St. Louis took 33.5 hours.
"Air Armadas Over the World" (World War II)
- During World War II, the U.S. positions itself as a world leader in aircraft design and production.
- Dramatic expansion of aircraft production to approximately 110,000 planes per year is portrayed.
- Features the placement of 1,400 bombers escorted by thousands of fighter craft in Europe.
- Werner Von Braun develops the V-2 Rocket, and Einstein sees his theories employed in condensing explosives into the atomic bomb.
"Postwar Surge" (World War II to 1975)
- Speed of sound barrier broken by test pilot Chuck Yeager on October 14, 1947.
- First turbo jet engine flight in 1942.
- Development of modern commercial aviation systems and communication networks occurs during this period.
- Advanced fighter craft designed by McDonnell Douglas and General Dynamics is featured.
"Air World of Today" (1970s and 1980s)
- Panel features Supersonic aircraft by McDonnell Douglas and General Dynamics. During this period, more military aircraft came from St. Louis-based companies than anywhere else in the world.
- Concorde, the first Supersonic passenger airliner, debuted in 1976.
- {St. Louise is the home of the Lambert Mural from which this seven panel traveling display originates.} Many individuals contributed to the growth of St. Louis as an aviation center. From the field's namesake, Major Albert Bond Lambert, to the depicted Colonel Leonard L. Griggs, Jr., Lambert stands ready to serve the traveling public.
"Man's Conquest of Space" (1960s to the Future)
- The Atlas Rocket by General Dynamics is the first launched vehicle for U.S.-manned space program.
- Portrait of James S. McDonnell, legendary aircraft and spacecraft pioneer.
- The Mercury space capsule, first U.S. manned orbiting spacecraft, designed and built by McDonnell Douglas.
- On July 20, 1969, Astronaut Neil Armstrong becomes the first man to set foot on the moon.
- Launch of the first space shuttle, Columbia, marks a new era in space flight.
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Travis AFB Visitors Center (707) 424-1462 • Travis AFB Information (707) 424-1110
Jimmy Doolittle Air & Space Museum (707) 424-5605 • Gift Shop (707) 424-4450
Copyright 2006 • Travis Air Museum • All Rights Reserved • Created by Classic Insight • Site Map
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