San Diego Air & Space Museum

Artifact Collection

CAT Posters

The history of Civil Air Transport (CAT) is exceptional and atypical in aviation history. Formed after World War II in China by General Claire L. Chennault and Whiting Willauer, the airline used surplus aircraft from the war, such as the C-47 Dakota and the C-46 Commando, airlifting supplies and food into war-ravaged China beginning in 1946. The San Diego Air and Space Museum has two posters advertising commercial flights for CAT in our collection. These posters show the unique nature of this intriguing airline. CAT started to operate scheduled passenger services, beginning with international flights to Hong Kong, then to Japan, Korea, the Philippines and Thailand, as well as domestic routes within Taiwan.

Convair Flying Car Registration

This registration card is from the Convair Model 118, which was built by Consolidated Vultee Aircraft (later Convair) In the mid-1940’s as an attempt to enter into the post-war aviation boom with a mainstream flying car.

Curtiss Model F Flying Boat Model

Hanging on display in the World War I gallery is a very detailed model of the Curtiss Model F flying boat. It is a two-place, single engine pusher biplane flying boat developed from Curtiss’ first successful flying boat, the Model E. The Museum's Curtiss flying boat is a 1/4 scale, scratch built model.

Dirigible Artifact Collection

Large dirigible airships graced the skies for nearly four decades, from the turn of the century to the late thirties. During that period they were extensively used for both transportation and as as weapons of war.

Distinguished Flying Cross Society Short Snorter

The Museum's artifact collection houses a rare short snorter donated by the Distinguished Flying Cross Society (DFC) and is remarkably well preserved for its age.The name "short snorter" comes from the tradition that if you signed a short snorter and that person could not produce it upon request, they owed you a dollar or a drink (a “short snort”), or a drink that was less than a full shot, as alcohol and aviators did not mix well.

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