The Museum has acquired a significant archival collection documenting the China National Aviation Corporation (CNAC), assembled over several decades by Tom Moore.

CNAC was a Chinese commercial airline that operated alongside Allied forces in the China-Burma-India Theater during World War II. Its crews assisted in the evacuation of Hong Kong following the Japanese invasion in 1941 and later flew dangerous supply missions over the Himalayas, known as “the Hump,” after Burma was cut off in 1942. These flights were carried out in difficult weather with limited navigation and little margin for error.

Many CNAC pilots were American civilian aviators supporting Chinese and Allied operations before the United States formally entered the War. Their role is often compared to that of the American Volunteer Group, or “Flying Tigers,” who were active in the region during the same period.

The collection includes materials related to numerous CNAC personnel and operations, with particular depth in documenting individual pilots, crews, and support staff. One of the central figures represented in the collection is Emil Scott, Moore’s uncle, who flew for CNAC and was killed in early 1942 during a DC-2 transport flight carrying Allied officials from Kunming to Chungking. Moore’s interest in CNAC began in the early 1990s while researching his uncle’s wartime service and loss.

Over time, that research expanded beyond a single family history. Through contact with former CNAC personnel, their families, and other researchers, Moore gradually assembled a substantial archive documenting CNAC operations and the individuals connected to them. In 1999, he launched one of the first major websites dedicated to preserving the history of CNAC, which remains active today as a widely used reference for researchers and aviation historians.

To support this research effort, Moore assembled a physical archive of more than 40 boxes containing photographs, correspondence, operational records, oral histories, and research files related to CNAC personnel and operations. The website remains active at www.cnac.org.

The collection is now being processed into the Museum’s Library & Archives, where it will be preserved and made accessible for research. It strengthens the Museum’s existing holdings related to early American aviation activity in China while preserving the experiences of the individuals connected to CNAC for future research and interpretation.