The Museum is once again participating in the Midwest Regional Fly-in which will be hosted by the St. Louis Downtown Airport (CPS) on May 24.. Supporters of the Fly-in include the Greater St. Louis Air & Space Museum, the Gateway Chapter No. 64 Experimental Aircraft Association, Wings of Hope, the Illinois Pilots Association, Ideal Aviation, Jet Aviation/Mid-Coast, St. Louis University/Parks College of Engineering & Aviation, Airport tenant businesses, and various other organizations and companies.

The Fly-in will host ultralights, powered parachutes, light sport aircraft, warbirds. Antiques, and classic airplanes. In addition, the second annual "Wheels and Wings" show featuring vintage and classic cars and bikes will be a major event. Various vendors and exhibitors as well as food stands will be in abundance. The EAA will be providing Young Eagles flights. There will be a Plane Wash by members of Alpha Eta Rho. Dramatic demonstrations of radio controlled model aerobatics will be presented throughout the day.

The Museum will celebrate the Golden Anniversary of the McDonnell F-4 "Phantom II" during the Fly-in. The Phantom II made its first flight on 27 May 1958 from Lambert Field, the home of McDonnell Aircraft Company. In October 1979, the USAF took delivery of the last F-4 built in St. Louis--more than 21 years after the first flight and after a production run which set a record for U.S. supersonic aircraft. Some 5,057 Phantom IIs were produced in St. Louis, and an additional 138 were built under license in Japan for a total run of 5,195. We will highlight the Phantom's 50 years with displays of artifacts, models, and photographs. Many of the individuals who designed, built, tested, and flew the airplane will be in attendance.

For more information, visit http://stlouisdowntownairport.com.

TO BE A WORLD-CLASS MUSEUM FOCUSING ON ALL
ASPECTS OF AEROSPACE HISTORY

The St. Louis region has been associated with aerospace progress for nearly a 180 years beginning with patented inventions for balloon propelling devices in 1830 and balloon ascensions beginning in 1836. Balloon flights continued throughout the remainder of the 19th century, the most notable being the record flights of John Wise in 1859 and 1879.

The organizers of the famed 1904 St. Louis World's Fair offered $100,000 in prizes for aeronautical contests, drawing numerous dirigibles, gliders, and airplanes to St. Louis. Large-scale aircraft manufacturing began during World War I when 450 Curtiss "Jenny" training planes were built by St. Louis Aircraft Company. Robertson Aircraft Corporation and School of Aviation were established in 1919. The 1923 National Air Races, held at Lambert Field, were acknowledged to be the greatest event of their kind.

In 1926, Charles Lindbergh was the Chief Air Mail Pilot and Instructor for Robertson. Lindbergh left Robertson at the end of that year to prepare for the most famous airplane flight ever made: his solo, New York to Paris flight in the "Spirit of St. Louis" in 1927.

Following the Lindbergh flight, Lambert Field was greatly expanded, aircraft manufacturing grew, Parks Air College was established, airlines were started, and the St. Louis area became a major aviation center. The region continued to support major aerospace activity through large-scale military aircraft production, airline and airport expansions, and research which led to America's first astronauts orbiting Earth in St. Louis-built Mercury and Gemini space capsules.

• The first manned balloon flight in St. Louis occurred in 1836.
• A dirigible made the first controlled flight in St. Louis at the 1904 World's Fair.
• Glenn Curtiss made the first St. Louis airplane flight in 1909.
• The first parachute jump from an airplane took place over Jefferson Barracks in 1912.
• The world's first commercial airliner (Benoist Flying Boat) was produced in St. Louis in 1913 and flight tested at Creve Coeur Lake.
• Scott Air Force Base has been an active military air base since it was developed in 1917.
  Established in 1920, Lambert-St. Louis International Airport is one of the oldest major airports in the U.S.
• The first major aviation school in the U.S. was Parks Air College (now Parks College of St. Louis University), established in 1927.
• Over 3000 military planes were made in St. Louis during World War II.
• In 1946, McDonnell's FH-1 "Phantom" was the first jet powered airplane to take off and land on an aircraft carrier.
• America's first astronauts orbited Earth in St. Louis-made Mercury and Gemini spacecraft.
• St. Louis was the headquarters of the X Prize Foundation which provided the organization leading to the sub-orbital flights of SpaceShipOne.

To preserve this vast aeronautical heritage, the Saint Louis Aviation Museum was incorporated in July 1982 as a not-for-profit Missouri corporation, and federal tax-exempt 501(c)(3) status was granted in May 1983. The Air & Space Museum continues as a Missouri charitable corporation operating in Illinois.

The fundamental purpose of the Greater St. Louis Air & Space Museum is education. The region's substantial contributions to the development of aerospace will be preserved and displayed for the enjoyment and enlightenment of future generations. Besides the static exhibits, an active education program will be conducted on-site and in area schools.

Our Mission is to Serve the public through:

• Preservation and display of historic air and space craft and artifacts
• Educational programs to foster the spirit of flight in today's youth and in future generations.

1941 Meyers O.T.W. Bi-plane once owned by Nikki Caplan, world famous St. Louis balloonist.

Public participation is vital to the success of the Greater St. Louis Air & Space Museum. The talents and skills of many individuals are needed to accomplish the various tasks in sustaining and expanding the Museum.

The Museum will include indoor and outdoor display areas, hands-on exhibits, classrooms, meeting rooms, a gift shop, offices, a library, and an auditorium. Exhibits will emphasize aerospace vehicles, equipment, and personalities so important to the aerospace heritage of the St. Louis region

Help make it happen. Click here for an application to join the Museum.

Fig. 1. Thomas W. Benoist (1874-1917)

Thomas Wesley Benoist, born in Irondale, Missouri in 1874, was a successful automotive businessman in St. Louis when he was exposed to the brand-new world of aeronautics at the great Louisiana Purchase Exposition (popularly known as the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair). At the Fair, Benoist was a participant in the aeronautical activities by virtue of being among the sponsors of noted balloonist John Berry's unsuccessful attempt to win the $100,000 Grand Prize of the Aeronautical Contests with a novel helicopter-like lighter-than-air flying machine. In addition, he had the opportunity to view the grounds from a tethered spectator balloon at 1000 ft. altitude, and to witness glider demonstration flights (Fig. 2) made by William Avery, a protégé of Octave Chanute.

AEROSCO

While continuing to pursue his automotive career (including invention of an improved storage battery for automotive use), Benoist found himself increasingly absorbed with thoughts of aviation. By mid-1908, he and a partner had opened the Aeronautical Supply Company (known as AEROSCO), the first supply house in the country devoted to the sale of aeronautical parts and supplies. Initially, AEROSCO dealt only with the raw materials needed by aeronautical experimenters, e.g., bicycle wheels, motorcycle parts, piano wire, and various kinds and forms of wood. Before long, AEROSCO was marketing complete kits from which the purchaser could assemble one of the successful airplane types of the day, such as the Wright Flyer, Curtiss biplane, Bleriot-type monoplane, the Farman biplane, and so on. Also included in AEROSCO's catalog was an extensive list of contemporary aviation books.

To this point, Tom Benoist's involvement in aviation had been limited to business aspects. That changed on September 18, 1910 at Kinloch Field in St. Louis, when Benoist made his first flight as a pilot, flying a Curtiss-type biplane (Fig. 3) he had purchased from its builder, Howard Gill. Benoist was soon flying exhibitions around the Midwest and south with his Gill-Curtiss. Ironically, an injury sustained during one of these exhibitions kept him from scheduled participation in a major international aviation meet (only the second such meet in the U.S.) in mid-October. Benoist recovered quickly, however, and on December 22, 1910 became the first St. Louisan to be granted a pilot's license by the Aero Club of America.

Early in 1911, Benoist established facilities for a flying school (AEROSCO Flying School, later Benoist School of Aviation) at Kinloch Field, and began instructing students in March. The widespread reputation established by the AEROSCO supply house enabled the school to attract students from all around the country. At this same time, after having bought out his partner in AEROSCO, Benoist relocated his supply company to a larger facility in suburban St. Louis and renamed it Benoist Aircraft Company to reflect the growing emphasis of the concern on manufacturing and marketing airplanes of its own design.

Fig. 2. William Avery about to launch Chanute glider demonstration at 1904 St. Louis World's Fair

Fig. 3. Benoist making his first flight, in Gill-Curtiss, Kinloch Field, September 18, 1910

The first such design was Benoist's own version of the Gill-Curtiss biplane he'd been flying. Known simply as the Benoist Biplane, it was typical of the many Curtiss biplane copies being built and flown throughout the country at the time. The pilot and passenger sat on the leading edge of the lower wing, with the engine and pusher propeller located behind them; the elevator was supported ahead of the wings, while vertical and horizontal tail surfaces were supported aft of the wings. Curtiss-type "floating" ailerons were located between the wing planes, extending beyond their tips. Benoist employed this airplane type for student instruction and for exhibition flying throughout 1911.

Both the school and the manufacturing operation were highly successful, and Benoist airplanes and pilots were soon appearing around the country.

Fig. 4. Three-view of Type XII School Plane ("Headless")

Benoist's First Original Airplane: the Type XII

Benoist's new biplane, identified as the Type XII (for 1912, its intended year of introduction), was his company's first original design. Co-designed with Antony Jannus (who had joined Benoist in November, 1911 and would soon become Benoist's chief pilot), the Type XII was a very rugged dual-control biplane of conventional "pusher" arrangement, but with all rudder and elevator surfaces at the rear of the machine (Figs. 4, 5). In the terminology of the time, this was known as a "headless" configuration. A number of novel features were incorporated into the Type XII to facilitate its shipment and setup for exhibition flying, and also to enable it to effectively absorb rough treatment in the course of instructional use. Recognizing the impact on the airframe of rough landings, Benoist designed a simple landing gear that would absorb and cushion loads while transmitting strain to the heavy engine supports (and away from the wings).

Key to the system was the mounting of landing wheels on stub axles supported by semi-elliptical steel springs rather than rubber bungee shock absorbers. To protect tail surfaces from landing damage, skids were extended rearward from the main landing gear to a point aft of the airplane CG. Mindful of the needs of exhibition work, Benoist developed wings made up of completely interchangeable sections to facilitate assembly, disassembly, crating and shipping. The control surfaces of the Type XII, including the between-plane ailerons, were another unique development. Constructed with spring steel ribs, the surfaces were "warped" rather than deflected on hinges. This approach reportedly improved control effectiveness while requiring less control pressure. Power for the machine was provided by a six-cylinder, two-cycle, 75 hp Roberts engine (then widely used as a marine powerplant).

With Tony Jannus piloting, a Benoist Type XII participated in a headline-gathering event on February 29, 1912, when Capt. Bert Berry (son of the balloonist John Berry) made the first-ever parachute drop from an airplane in flight, over Jefferson Barracks in suburban St. Louis (Figs. 6, 7). Continue article