San Diego Air & Space Museum acquires major aviation collection

The new collection is the largest component of the surviving archive of the Vought Aircraft companies which designed and built the famous F4U Corsair, F8U Crusader and A-7 Corsair II.

Museum’s Library & Archives houses the largest private nonprofit collection of its type in the nation.

San Diego, Calif. – March 5, 2016 –The San Diego Air & Space Museum recently acquired the Vought archive collection from the Vought Aircraft Heritage Foundation in Arlington, Texas, the Museum announced today. The San Diego Air & Space Museum’s Library & Archives houses the largest private nonprofit collection of its type in the nation.

The recently acquired collection is the largest component of the surviving archive of the Vought Aircraft companies. For 70 years, Vought was one of the prime contractors providing fighter aircraft to both the U.S. Navy and other naval forces around the world. Vought’s more famous aircraft designs include the F4U Corsair, the F7U Cutlass, the F8U Crusader and the A-7 Corsair II. Vought was also a major subcontractor for other prime contractors.

The collection was assembled over a 50-year history and spans the entire evolution of aeronautics, encompassing records well beyond those of Vought Aircraft. The collection includes a library and photography collection for virtually every aircraft designed or built around the world, from the earliest aircraft designs to gliders, helicopters, missiles, spacecraft and satellites.

The Vought collection acquired by the San Diego Air & Space Museum consists of hundreds of thousands of photographic images, as well as a broad spectrum of other technical reference material, currently housed in 500 storage containers on 30 pallets. It is one of the largest known privately held collections of aviation history.

In addition to the Vought archive, the San Diego Air & Space Museum also houses three other significant aviation company collections; the Convair/General Dynamics, Ryan Aeronautical, and Rohr/Goodrich.

For more information about the San Diego Air & Space Museum’s Library & Archives, visit: http://sandiegoairandspace.org/research/library-projects.

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The San Diego Air & Space Museum is California’s official air and space museum and education center. The Museum is an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution and was the first aero-themed Museum to be accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. Now showing: Da Vinci: The Ultimate Innovator, a special exhibition showcasing more than 90 robotics, machines and artworks from the greatest inventor of all time. The Museum is located at 2001 Pan American Plaza, Balboa Park, San Diego, CA 92101. The Museum and gift store are open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. with admissions until 4:30 p.m. Closed Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.