“Barron Hilton Pioneers of Flight”
Opening: July 28, 2025; National Air and Space Museum, Washington, D.C., Gallery 208
“Barron Hilton Pioneers of Flight” celebrates the golden age of aviation in the 1920s and 1930s. In these two decades, daring pilots pushed boundaries, set records and blazed new trails in the air. While Charles Lindbergh’s and Amelia Earhart’s solo transatlantic flights made the globe seem smaller, U.S. military personnel garnered the support of the American public through public demonstrations of aeronautical technology. Women and African Americans created their own opportunities to enter aviation in greater numbers, which proved everyone could participate and excel in aviation. Flying became synonymous with not just adventure, but also experimentation and equality.
Highlights include:
Ryan NYP Spirit of St. Louis: Charles Lindbergh increased the wingspan of a standard Ryan M-2 by 10 feet and redesigned the fuselage and wing cellule to compete for an aviation prize. In 1927, in this little monoplane, Lindbergh made the first nonstop flight between New York and Paris. And he did it solo. The Spirit of St. Louis made its final flight from St. Louis to Washington, D.C., the following year, when Lindbergh presented the aircraft to the Smithsonian Institution. As part of the museum’s renovation, the Spirit of St. Louis was moved from “Boeing Milestones of Flight Hall” to “Barron Hilton Pioneers of Flight” to give it a more prominent and accessible place for visitors to view it and to protect it from direct sunlight, better preserving it for generations to come.
Amelia Earhart’s Lockheed Vega: Amelia Earhart purchased this 5B Vega in 1930 and called it her “Little Red Bus.” In 1932, she flew this airplane nonstop and alone across the Atlantic Ocean, becoming the first woman to do so. Later that year, flying the Vega, Earhart made the first solo, nonstop flight by a woman across the United States.
Goddard 1935 A-Series Rocket: Robert H. Goddard tried to launch this liquid-fuel rocket in 1935 to demonstrate its capabilities to his supporters Lindbergh and Harry Guggenheim. Goddard donated the complete rocket to the Smithsonian Institution in 1935.
Douglas World Cruiser Chicago: Determined to attempt a global flight, the U.S. Army Air Service commissioned four aircraft to do it: the Seattle, the Chicago, the Boston and the New Orleans, together known as the World Cruisers. The Chicago was one of only two World Cruisers to successfully complete their flight around the world, and the first one to accomplish the feat.
Curtis R3C-2: The U.S. Army and Navy commissioned this high-speed air racer in 1925. As the R3C-1, piloted by Lt. Cyrus Bettis, it won the 1925 Pulitzer Trophy Race. That same month, Army Lt. James H. “Jimmy” Doolittle piloted this airplane, adjusted to be flown over water and redesignated the R3C-2, to victory in the 1925 Schneider Cup Race.
Black Wings Book: William J. Powell was a Black engineer and aviator who vigorously promoted aviation to the African American community. Dedicated to Bessie Coleman, Powell’s 1934 book Black Wings entreated Black men and women to become pilots, aircraft designers, business leaders and visionaries in the field of aviation.
“Explorer II” Gondola: Explorer II carried Capt. Albert Stevens, Capt. Orvil Anderson and an assortment of scientific instruments to a world record altitude of 72,395 feet (22,066 meters). The 1935 flight represented a successful venture between government, military and civilian scientific interests.
Children’s Hangar: Hands-on activities and interactive displays offer a haven for young visitors. Using a tactile puzzle, young visitors can “fly” model planes through aerobatic flight patterns like airshow and test pilots. Another interactive allows visitors to rotate story blocks, mixing and matching illustrations and text to create their own “air-minded” stories.
Children’s Storytime Area: Educational, animated films play in the story-time area outside the children’s hangar. Each Pilot Pal clip is designed for children and is under one minute in length.
Sponsors: Barron Hilton/Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, Michael J. Weir and Mirian Graddick-Weir
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SI-160-2025