NASM 00129138, Bell P-39Q Airacobra Racer
Herbert J. Nash appears to have been an amateur photographer, aviation enthusiast, and airplane photograph collector and based in the New York City area. This collection consists of just over a thousand images collected from a variety of sources; most are from private sources (generally other aviation enthusiasts such as himself) but also from aerospace manufacturers, the United States Air Force (USAF), airlines, and the mail-order aviation photography provider Aeroplane Photo Supply. Many of the photographs—particularly those in the Boeing Model 377 Stratocruiser section—were likely taken by Nash himself.
The photographs are arranged in six subject groups: Aero Spacelines, Bell, Boeing B-52, Boeing C-97, Boeing 377, and Naval Aircraft Factory. Similar aircraft tend to be clumped together within a group, but that is not always the case. In 1984, all items in this collection were reproduced on the first side (Side A) of
The collection consists primarily of 2.75 x 4.5 inch black and white print photographs, but also includes some color photographs, a few color postcards, and a few three-view drawings. Approximately 95 percent of the images in this collection are less than 4 x 5 inches in size. Most photographs were taken in the United States, with a few likely taken in England (UK). Some photographs appear to have been taken in storage or salvage yards. Topics depicted reflect Nash's specific interests: Aero Spacelines (Aero Spacelines Mini Guppy, Aero Spacelines Pregnant Guppy, and Aero Spacelines Super Guppy); single-engine Bell fighters and racing conversions (Bell P-39 Airacobra Family, Bell P-59 Airacomet Family, Bell P-63 Kingcobra Family, Bell FM-1 Airacuda Family); the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress Family (Model 464); the Boeing C-97 Stratofreighter Family (Model 367); the Boeing Model 377 Stratocruiser Family; and various Naval Aircraft Factory models including the Naval Aircraft Factory N3N Family (XN3N-1, N3N-1, XN3N-2, XN3N-3, N3N-3), Naval Aircraft Factory PBN-1 Nomad, Naval Aircraft Factory SBN-1 (Naval Aircraft Factory version of the Brewster XSBA-1), Naval Aircraft Factory SON-1 Seagull (Naval Aircraft Factory version of the Curtiss SOC-3), Naval Aircraft Factory TS-1, Naval Aircraft Factory XP4N-1 (XP2N-1), Naval Aircraft Factory XP4N-2 (P2N-1), Naval Aircraft Factory XT2N-1, and Naval Aircraft Factory XTN-1. The Boeing Model 377 Stratocruiser section includes airliners in service with several airlines, including Pan American Airways (PAA), British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC), Transocean (TAL), Northwest / Northwest Orient Airlines, United Air Lines, and Rutas Aéreas Nacionales, S.A. (RANSA).
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at
No restrictions on access
Herbert J. Nash and Peggy Nash Tondu, Gift, 1982, NASM.XXXX.0616
Herbert J. Nash Aircraft Photograph Collection, Acc. NASM.XXXX.0616, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
Arranged, described and encoded by Melissa A. N. Keiser, 2021.
This series contains the original black and white and color photographs and ephemera which make up the collection. Item records with attached digital images will be added as materials are scanned and catalogued.
NASM 00129138, Bell P-39Q Airacobra Racer
Right side view of the modified Bell P-39Q Airacobra Racer "Juba" on the ground. The "Juba" flew in the 1946 Bendix Race.
Boeing Model 377 Stratocruiser
Left side view of Boeing Model 377 Stratocruiser (r/n N 74606) on the ground, May 19, 1968.
Boeing Model 377 Stratocruiser; Airlines, Airlines, Pan American Airways (Pan Am) (USA), 1950s
One-half left front view from above of Pan American World Airways Boeing Model 377 Stratocruiser in flight over San Francisco, California, coastline; circa 1951. Color postcard.
Boeing Model 377 Stratocruiser; Airlines, Pan American Airways (Pan Am) (USA), 1950s
Right side aerial view of Pan American World Airways Boeing 377 Stratocruiser "Clipper Southern Cross" (r/n N1030V) in flight; circa 1951. Color postcard.
Boeing Model 377 Stratocruiser; Airlines, Northwest Airlines (USA)
One half right front view of Northwest Airlines' first Boeing Model 377 Stratocruiser "701" (r/n N74601), in flight; circa 1950. Color postcard.
In 1984, the materials in this collection were photographed for reproduction on NASM Archival Videodisc 2. The "videodisc frame capture" images reproduced in this section are small 100 ppi RGB JPEG image files, 624 x 480 pixels each, created 2001-2003 by NASM Archives as still video frame captures of the NTSC video format output from an original copy of the videodisc. Each videodisc frame capture displays a black-edged white number in the upper left quadrant; the first two digits (00) are the videodisc chapter (not used on NASM videodiscs), the second set of five digits are the videodisc frame number. These numbers are an artifact produced by the videodisc player and do not appear on the original archival materials.
Includes the Aero Spacelines Mini Guppy, Aero Spacelines Pregnant Guppy, and the Aero Spacelines Super Guppy.
Includes models from the Bell P-39 Airacobra Family, Bell P-59 Airacomet Family, Bell P-63 Kingcobra Family, and the Bell FM-1 Airacuda Family.
Includes models from the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress Family (Model 464).
Includes models from the Boeing C-97 Stratofreighter Family (Model 367).
Includes models from the Boeing Model 377 Stratocruiser Family.
Includes the Naval Aircraft Factory N3N Family (XN3N-1, N3N-1, XN3N-2, XN3N-3, N3N-3), Naval Aircraft Factory PBN-1 Nomad, Naval Aircraft Factory SBN-1 (Naval Aircraft Factory version of the Brewster XSBA-1), Naval Aircraft Factory SON-1 Seagull (Naval Aircraft Factory version of the Curtiss SOC-3), Naval Aircraft Factory TS-1, Naval Aircraft Factory XP4N-1 (XP2N-1), Naval Aircraft Factory XP4N-2 (P2N-1), Naval Aircraft Factory XT2N-1, and Naval Aircraft Factory XTN-1.