"THE 50TH YEAR: A SPECIAL REPORT" 1967 HISTORY OF NASA LANGLEY RESEARCH CENTER DOCUMENTARY 71464

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This NASA film from 1967, titled "The 50th Year," summarizes the history and achievements of the Langley Research Center from 1917 to 1967, highlighting its pivotal role in both aeronautics and space exploration.

0:00 Main titles. The film introduces the Langley Research Center, which has served the country's aeronautical and astronautical needs since 1917. 1:06 Paul Garber, a senior historian from the Smithsonian, explains that the center was named after Samuel Pierpont Langley, a pioneer in flight. The film also mentions the Collier Trophy , awarded for "greatest accomplishment in Aeronautics or Astronautics." NACA (National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics) and later NASA won this award eight times. 2:23 The first Collier Trophy for NACA was in 1929 for the development of the engine cowling , a streamlined sleeve that reduced drag and improved engine cooling, significantly increasing aircraft performance. 3:26 Following World War I, Langley built wind tunnels to test aircraft models, which led to improved airplane designs and the development of a spin tunnel to study aircraft characteristics. This facility was later used to test models for the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo manned spacecraft. 4:21 The film notes that from 1927 to 1937, all-metal, single-wing aircraft with retractable landing gear replaced the earlier biplanes. During this period, NACA also solved the problem of ice formation on aircraft, which earned them the Collier Trophy in 1946 . 5:33 The center's third decade was dominated by World War II, with programs focused on solving immediate issues with combat aircraft. 5:48 One such project was a series of ditching studies , which involved crash-landing a highly instrumented B-24 bomber in a river to improve pilot and crew survival. 6:24 Near the end of the war, Langley scientists began researching wing sweepback , an idea crucial for achieving high flight speeds. 6:56 This research paved the way for Captain Charles "Chuck" Yeager's historic flight in October 1947 , when he was the first person to fly faster than the speed of sound in the Bell X-1. 7:17 From 1948 to 1957, research continued on the "X" series of aircraft, most notably the X-15 Hypersonic research aircraft , which traveled at speeds over 4,000 mph, providing data on high-speed, high-altitude flight at the "fringes of space." 8:19 General James H. Doolittle, a former chairman of NACA, reflects on the dramatic transformation of aviation since 1917, highlighting the shift from simple "stick and wire" planes to complex, expensive modern aircraft with advanced features. He also predicts the future of aviation, mentioning supersonic transport, large-scale air cargo planes, and VTOL (Vertical Takeoff and Landing) aircraft. 10:47 The film highlights the impact of the Sputnik launch, which made getting men into space and returning them safely a top priority for Langley. 11:06 The film details Langley's dual responsibility in the 1960s to continue aeronautical research while contributing to space flight. A space task group formed at Langley later became the Manned Spacecraft Center. 11:32 President Kennedy awarded the Collier Trophy to the first seven astronauts , calling them a stimulus for future space exploration, including carrying the American flag to the moon. 12:35 The film lists other key Langley projects: the Echo satellite concept, studies on rendezvous and docking for the Apollo program, the initial design for a commercial supersonic transport, the HL-10 lifting body that could land like a conventional plane, and the development of the tilt-wing VTO aircraft. 13:32 Langley also conceived and managed the Lunar Orbiter series of moon-mapping craft, which surveyed safe landing sites for astronauts. 13:48 The film concludes by celebrating the center's 50th anniversary, acknowledging its growth from a small facility to a key player in NASA's national effort and emphasizing that its success is due to its "50 years of people."

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