Seminar on Contemporary Science, Technology, and Culture

 

Thursday, May 20, 4:00 pm ET

 

The 2020-2021 Contemporary History Seminar concludes on Thursday, May 20, 4pm ET on Zoom. Register in advance.

The speaker will be:

 

Larry Burke

Aeronautics Curator, National Air and Space Museum

 

The Emergence of the Military Aeroplane:

Developing Aviation in the pre-World War I U.S. Military

 

 

Any new tool must go through a period where its new owner learns how to use it – both in the narrow sense of how to use it without causing damage to the work, the tool, oneself, or innocent bystanders, as well as in the broader sense of when it is appropriate to use that tool and when not. This is all the more true of a new invention, such as the airplane, that is truly novel, and not just an improvement on what has gone before.  From the very public acceptance tests of the Wright Brothers’ airplane at Ft. Meyer in 1908 and 1909 to the eve of U.S. entry into World War I, the U.S. Army, Navy, and Marine Corps each sought their own answer to the broader question of how best to use the airplane in warfare (doctrine), even as small groups of servicemembers struggled to learn how to use the airplane in the narrower sense (practice). Dr. Burke’s talk (based on his forthcoming book) will examine how each of the services sought to develop aviation doctrine and practice during this period, and why they developed as they did in each service.

 

For further information, please contact: Matt Shindell at 202-633-5897; ShindellM@si.edu

 

Please register in advance for this talk.

 

Before the talk, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. The link you receive should not be shared with others; it is unique to you.

 

 

Matthew Shindell, Ph.D. (he/him) | Space History Curator

Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum

P.O. Box 37012, MRC 311 | Washington, D.C. 20014-7012 | 202-633-5897