Univ of Illinois
1917 Technical Notes, School of Military Aeronautics, U of Illinois, Paul Mantz-H.Clyde Balsley
This artifact resides in our Private Collection, yet we welcome inquiries from restorers, museums, or serious enthusiasts. Please email us with the name of the artifact at Curator@AeroAntique.com.
This original, historical document is a collection of Technical Notes assembled by the instructional staff of the School of Military Aeronautics at the University of Illinois in June 1917 for its new curriculum in preparation for America's entry into World War I. This volume was given to air racer and movie stunt pilot Paul Mantz in 1939 by Horace Clyde Balsley. Balsley was one of seven American pilots to join France's Lafayette Escadrille and was the first American shot down in WWI. Paul Mantz was a technical advisor to Amelia Earhart and won 3 Bendix Trophies. Mantz died during the filming of the 1965 The Flight of the Phoenix.
The Notes cover most every aspect of aeronautics that were known at the time. There are a few torn pages, but most of the book is in exceptional condition given its age.