Collection Contents
Series I:
Commercial Uses of Fowler Designs
1920-1966
Physical Description: 16 folders
Series Scope and Content Summary
This series documents the commercial use of Fowler's designs, specifically the Fowler flap. Included are photographs that
illustrate the use of the flap on various airplanes in different modes of extension. Items of note include a negative of the
first working model of a Fowler variable area wing constructed in 1920, photographs of the first experimental airplane using
a Fowler flap, the Canuch and other early experimental planes. This series also includes a limited number of press releases,
correspondence, and technical reports of tests on Fowler flaps.
Access Note
Access to negatives is restricted.
Box/Folder 1/1-16
Commercial Uses of Fowler Designs
1920-1966
Series II:
Fowler-Designed Aerodynamic Flow Control Devices
1932-1970
Physical Description: 61 folders
Series Scope and Content Summary
This series is comprised primarily of National Advisory Committe for Aeronautics (NACA) technical notes and test reports,
many of which contain blueprints and/or photographs. The series includes photographs depicting various flap installations,
as well as newspaper clippings and correspondence, such as correspondence with NASA Ames Research Center concerning scheduled
tests of Ames Fowler Model propellers. Items of note include photographs of boundary layer control gloves, and a letter from
The Smithsonian Institution National Air Museum with a photograph of a Fowler airplane model on display at the museum.
Arrangement
The series is arranged according to its original order into six subseries: Boundary Layer Control, Flaps, Ailerons, Ducted
Fans and Deflected Slipstream, Dragulator, and Miscellaneous.
Box/Folder 1/17-56, 2/1-21
Fowler-Designed Aerodynamic Flow Control Devices
1932-1970
Series III:
Original Fowler Aircraft Designs and Data
1927-1966
Physical Description: 42 folders, 6 tubes
Series Scope and Content Summary
This series contains Fowler’s original research, data and designs, documented by blueprints, reports, and charts. Also included
are original drawings, also known as lofts. In addition, this series includes test reports by Fowler and by the University
of Washington Aeronautics Laboratory regarding tests performed on Fowler-designed models. Items of note include photographs
of full-size mockups of containerized air cargo planes, as well as photographs showing the "correct" method of handling cargo
containers on the Fowler sky-truck. Of special interest are drawings and photographs of special uses Fowler proposed for
the sky-truck such as a mobile surgical unit during World War II. Also of note are photographs of test models of the Fowler
flap dating as early as 1927.
Access Note
Access to the drawings is restricted due to limited processing, and requires special permission from the Director of Special
Collections & Archives.
Box/Folder 2/22-41, 3/1-22
Original Fowler Aircraft Designs and Data
1927-1966
Tube 1-6
Original Fowler Aircraft Drawings
n.d.
Series IV:
Air Cargo Reports and Data
1937-1979
Physical Description: 15 folders
Series Scope and Content Summary
This series contains materials documenting air cargo transport, including articles, reports by Fowler, blueprints, and photographs
of the Fowler-designed air cargo transport container and sky-truck. One item of note is a drawing of an air cargo container
titled "Future Air Freighter for Carrying Express and Mail," indicating an unrealized use of Fowler’s sky-truck and air cargo
containers. A model of the air cargo container is owned by the SJSU Department of Aeronautics and is housed at the Mineta
International Airport in San José.
Box/Folder 3/23-37
Air Cargo Reports and Data
1937-1979
Series V:
Miscellaneous Reports
1940-1969
Physical Description: 27 folders
Series Scope and Content Summary
This series contains reports and blueprints, and includes the minutes of the second meeting of the Technical Subcommittee
of the Prototype Aircraft Committee.
Box/Folder 3/38-42, 4/1-18, 5/1-4
Miscellaneous Reports
1940-1969
Series VI:
Aircraft Conversion Reports and Data
1958-1980
Physical Description: 20 folders
Series Scope and Content Summary
This series is primarily comprised of technical reports. Many of the reports include folded blueprints. Also included is
a small amount of correspondence related to the technical reports.
Box/Folder 5/5-24
Aircraft Conversion Reports and Data
1958-1980
Series VII:
Aircraft Models
n.d.
Physical Description: 8 items
Series Scope and Content Summary
This series contains models of airplanes equipped with Fowler flaps, as well as a few working models of aircraft devices by
Fowler. Some of the airplane models are on display in the Special Collections Reading Room.
On display
Four Airplane Models
n.d.
Boxes 10-11
Airplane Models and Aircraft Device Models
n.d.
Series VIII:
Publications
1928-1974
Physical Description: 104 folders
Series Scope and Content Summary
This series is primarily comprised of materials published by NASA and the precursor organization, NACA. Also included in
this series is Fowler’s seminal 1948 book on flaps, entitled
Fowler Flaps for Airplanes: An Engineering Handbook (1948). This series is organized by publisher in the following order: NACA, NASA, and Other Publishers. In addition, the
NASA publications are organized by type. NACA and NASA publications are arranged alpha-numerically. Other publishers are
arranged alphabetically by author surname.
Box/Folder 5/28-41, 6/1-49, 7/1-20
NASA Publications
1959-1974
Box/Folder 7/21-36
Other Publications
1928-1974
Series IX:
Additional Images
n.d.
Physical Description: 2 boxes
Series Scope and Content Summary
This series contains images that were originally in frames, as well as oversized images and slides. Many of the images were
used to illustrate Fowler's text on airplane flaps. In addition, there are photographs and lithographs of commercial airplanes
that incorporate the use of the Fowler flap. There are also approximately 150-35mm slides depicting aircraft and aircraft
models from WWII to the 1960s, as well as a caricature drawing of Fowler riding on an airplane wing model.
