Aviation

Hammondsport is the proud hometown of Glenn H. Curtiss, a legendary figure in early flight and the Father of Naval Aviation. It was here, between 1904 and 1915, that Curtiss collaborated with other aviation pioneers, including Alexander Graham Bell, to foster significant advancements in the field. In 1908, John Newton Williams achieved the first U.S. manned vertical lift with a Curtiss engine. The Curtiss School of Aviation, founded in 1910, witnessed Blanche Stuart Scott’s historic flight as the first woman to solo an aircraft in the U.S.

This wind tunnel complex was developed by the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NASA's predecessor) to serve the emerging need for supersonic research and development following World War II. The three-testing-section configuration covers Mach number .03-3.5 and utilizes a single common drive and two compressors.

The glider was the first heavier-than-air human-carrying aircraft to achieve controlled piloted flight. On his first successful flight, August 28, 1883, John Montgomery soared at about 600 feet. The Montgomery glider's success demonstrated aerodynamic principles and designs fundamental to the modern aircraft.