Hey Randy Foster.,if you are the Flight Engineer...

Then you should be looking at your Boeing 707 instead of a camera. This is what our planes looked like in 1968.

A university of Texas student. A volunteer at CRSM.

INFORMATION ABOUT CR SMITH MUSEUM

UPCOMING EVENTS:

1/31/15 - 5/9/15. Family/Children's Exhibit - Run! Jump! Fly! Adventures in Action - Get active with this heart pumping, action exhibit! 

3/14/15.  Saturday at the Smith - Professional Women in Aviation History Program - Beginning at 11:30AM  

American Airlines C.R. Smith Museum

4601 Hwy 360 @ FAA Rd

Fort Worth, TX 76155

P: 817-967-1560

F: 817-967-5737

Email: info.crsmithmuseum@aa.com

Standard Hours of Operation: Tuesday - Saturday | 9AM - 5PM, CST

CLOSED: Sundays & Mondays

MUSEUM ADMISSION

Museum Members: No Charge (Show your membership card to Giftshop personnel)

American Airlines Employees - No Charge (Show your ID to Giftshop personnel)

Non-members:

Adult - $7

Senior Citizens 65+: $4

Military (with ID): $4

Students (with ID): $4

Children 2-17: $4

Infants 0-23mths: No Charge

Mailing:

PO Box 619617 - GSWFA MD 808

DFW Airport, TX 75261-9617

I took this picture of the museum in July of 1999.

 Hundreds of American Airlines
 employees, retirees and executives gathered today for the dedication and
 opening of a $1.9-million addition to the American Airlines C.R. Smith
 Aviation Museum.  The 10,000 square-foot "Hangar" showcases and shelters the
 restored Douglas DC-3 Flagship Knoxville, originally operated by American
 during the 1940s.

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Jess- a great A&E mechanic at Nashville, TN

I worked with Jess for 5 year as a A&E   mechanic.  He is wearing AA mechanic's Uniform.

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A Cleveland RACER...

A fantastic little AIRCRAFT I built along with 4 other Students getting our A&E mechanics licence.

After the first year of racing we learned a lot about SPEED... WE REBUILT and had a WINNER.

More than a decade ago, we pulled the DC-3 into it's new hangar. .

The “star” and centerpiece of the C.R. Smith Museum is its lovingly restored 1940 Douglas DC-3, Flagship Knoxville......Here we are installing the RIGHT WING.

John checking out a Museum visitor in the flight Simulator.

PRESIDENT of AMERICAN

CR

SIR

MR CR calling Douglas.

These are the ladies that welcomes you to the Movie.

A good photo with the DC-3 sitting out side in the weather.

But money was raised to build the beautiful hangar we now have.

Trim tabs are

Elevators are interchangeable.....Notice the trim tabs.

Right Wing, being installed on DC-3 after entering the brand new Hangar...

Photo By Randy Foster

Flight Engineer John Guthrie helping install the right wing of our DC-3. It was necessary to remove it due to the size of the Three.  After the aircraft entered hangar the South wall was then installed....

Flight Engineer Randy Foster

Crew Uniforms for 2015

December 5, 2014 at 12:28 PM | by JetSetCD | Comments (0)

It seems American Airlines is on the cusp of releasing their updated uniform designs to debut in 2015, on both AA and US Airways crew as the companies continue their merger.
The process began way, way back in January 2013; that's nearly two years of work before actual garments were available to preview. In the meantime, the designers, duo KAUFMANFRANCO, were also working on their seasonal runway collections; it's in their Fashion Week credo that they share their raison d'être and a sense of what to expect from the AA uniforms: "We deliver clothes that are deceptively understated but when you take a closer look at them, they are actually quite complex, not based on decoration but on the cut, fabric and detailing.”

An excellent MAP of the CR Smith Museum for self TOURING

HAVE A GREAT TIME IN THE MUSEUM....QUESTIONS??? ASK THE FRONT DESK.

The DOUGLAS DC-3

By May 10, 1935, Arthur Raymond had produced "Douglas Aircraft Report No. 1004." This report outlined performance and other characteristics of the developing transport, and would be used for the initial engineering of the airplane.

Soon after C. R. Smith read the report he telephoned Donald Douglas with a proposal. Smith had decided what kind of airplane American needed. He was looking for a larger and more comfortable airplane than his Condors or Fords, and better than the Boeing 247. He also wanted something bigger than the DC-2. Smith wanted to give his customers safe, comfortable, and reliable transportation, and his Condor "Sleepers" and Fords simply did not measure up to these standards. The airplane Smith was looking for had been described in Raymond's report.

At first, Douglas did not react strongly or positively to Smith's proposal. He was reluctant to take on a new design and the associated headaches. The DC-2 was in full production with 102 machines already manufactured, and another 90 orders on the assembly line.2 A new model would mean new tooling and starting over another gamble.

But WOW it worked...

Make sure NO WATER IN FUEL !!!

This AA Mechanic is checking for water ..

We always checked after each fueling for water in the DC-3 fuel system....  As you know water

is heavy that fuel. So we look for H2O. in the bottom of the jar.


                                                        Gasoline  6.30 lbs per gallon

                                                          Water    8.25 lbs per gallon

A beautiful CLOCK located in the personal belongings of OUR MR CR SMITH.

I happened to have met  Mr C.R. several times while he was president. He would always stop by the cockpit and shake hands with the 3 of us crewmembers.  Signed F/E  Randy Foster

A group of American A ADVANTAGE employees enjoyed the CR Smith today Feb. 19,2015

Shown below are two AA mechanics pulling the cold engine 12 blades before engine start..

This procedure is used on all recips on the first start of the day.....The reason to pump the oil back to the crank case....This will prevent the engine rfrom locking UP on engine START.

This is the MOVIE that is shown all day in the CR Smith Museum... It is shown on the hour and on the half hour. Listen for the call for gate 1-A.

It's for the hangar floor.... !!!! ASK THE FRONT DESK FOR A COPY ...!!!!

You must find my brick.....Randall Foster......It's next to GRADY MURPHY..The best of the best.

Yes BUY a brick for hangar floor..

Tim the great

Lauren training one of our college students.

Thanks a lot JAY.

A new Lady in our ranks in the gift shop.

Hello Betty

Drop by and shop.SAYS JUDY

One of OUR own sales Ladies in the gift shop.

A GREAT PROGRAM

Eagle Aviation Camps 2015!

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Sign up today and get the early bird rate!

Take off with us at 2015 Eagle Aviation Camp! A limited group of students will have the unique opportunity to experience the world of aviation through our Eagle Aviation Camps. Meet aviation professionals, tour facilities, perform experiments and activities and learn what it takes to be an aviator! Click here for

Flagship Knoxville, Flying the FLAG.

The American Airlines Flag flown over the cockpit each time it departed and arrived at a station.

The co pilot was responsible for installing THE A.A FLAG. !!!........   Check list complete

John Travolta's Boeing 707-138.....N707JT.

We wonder why John had his airplane Painted with Quantas colors...Quantas was the first owner of the special ordered 707-138
John flew these Colors around the world..

The Wright 3350 that was on our DC-7.See the wheel in first 3 rd. of photo.. That is a P.R.T. Power Recovery turbine.

Turbocompounding added about 550 horsepower at take-off power and 240 horsepower at cruise settings over a similar non-turbocompounded R-3350. These power increases were achieved with a weight penalty of about 500 pounds. Operation of the PRTs is fully automatic.

Shown in photo below is the TAIL WHEEL on OUR DC -3 airplane in the CR Smith HANGAR.

DC-3 - Tail Wheel locking/unlocking

LOCKED for Take off and LANDING ONLY.
 The DC 3 was Towed  backwards.

TWO A.D.F.Antennas

The ADF is an Automatic Direction Finder. It will do exactly what its name says. The ADF automatically points in the direction of the NDB (Non-Directional Beacon) you tune in — roughly the same way a kid will continually to point to his favorite toy store while you try to drive past it.

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See the AIRFOIL ROOF LINE.....

Come and make a walk around.

Foster his "first name" A Flight Engineers operated this panel below.....A Boeing 707-300

See the AIRFOIL ROOF

HISTORIC AMERICAN AIRLINES AIRCRAFT ------  Past and Present

Ford Tri-Motor

The Ford Tri-Motor represents an early step toward the "modern airliner." Its unusual corrugated metal skin gave it strength and three engines gave the aircraft a degree of safety not found in earlier passenger aircraft. The Ford Tri-Motor was used by American Airways on its southern transcontinental route.

Curtiss Condor

The Curtiss Condor was an U. S. Army Air Corps bomber turned airliner. Though slow, the Condor was the most luxurious airliner of its time. American used both day and sleeper versions of the Condor. The sleeper configuration even included a "honeymoon suite."

Douglas DC-3

The Douglas DC-3 revolutionized the air transportation industry when American Airlines introduced it in 1936. Built at the request of American's president C.R. Smith, the DC-3 was the first airliner able to operate at a profit carrying only passengers. The DC-3 was the primary aircraft of all major airlines in the United States during the late 1930s and early 1940s.

Covair 240

In the years immediately following World War II, American Airlines searched for an aircraft to replace the Douglas DC-3. The twin-engine, forty place CV-240 (hence the "240" - 2 engines, 40 passengers), fit the bill. Designed to American's specifications, the CV-240 included such features as integral air stairs, which reduced the amount of ground equipment needed to service the aircraft.

Douglas DC-6

The Douglas DC-6 was American's answer to the Lockheed Constellations of TWA. The DC-6 proved to be an outstanding aircraft and was the backbone of the American fleet in the late 1940s and early 1950s. The DC-6 was the last piston powered aircraft American used; both passenger and cargo versions of the DC-6 served into the early 1960s.

Boeing 707

In January 1959, American Airlines entered the jet age by introducing non-stop, jet-powered transcontinental service with the Boeing 707. The sleek four-engine aircraft represented as dramatic an advance in aircraft technology as the Douglas DC-3 had more than twenty-five years earlier. The 707 was a huge success for American and cut coast-to-coast travel time from eight hours to just over five.

Lockheed L-188 Electra II

While the Boeing 707 brought the jet age to large cities, the turbo-prop L-188 Electra II brought jet power to smaller stations. Introduced just months after the larger Boeing, the Electra II was utilized on American's short and medium-haul routes including flights from Love Field. The basic Electra II design was eventually adapted by the U.S. Navy as the P-3 and EP-3 patrol aircraft.

Boeing 727

American Airlines first introduced the Boeing 727 in April 1964. It was the first three-engine aircraft American used since the Ford Tri-Motor of the 1930s. Because the 727 is capable of operating from smaller airports such as LaGuardia and Washington-Reagan, American Airlines has operated at least one model of the 727 for nearly forty years.

Boeing 747

The massive Boeing 747 was the world's first jumbo jet. American Airlines first introduced the 747 in March 1970. While American used the 747 to carry passengers for only a few years, it served as an all-cargo aircraft for longer. This oversized aircraft was capable of carrying oversized cargo such as one of San Francisco's famous streetcars.

Douglas DC-10

In March 1966, American Airlines issued a request to Douglas for a "Jumbo Twin" airliner. After studying American's request, the McDonnell Douglas company responded with a suggestion that American's large twin be enlarged further to a much more capable three-engine design. American agreed and the DC-10 was born. American Airlines was the first U.S. airline (beating United) to operate the DC-10. This wide-body airliner entered American's fleet in 1971 and was used on American's long haul routes. Well-liked by its crews, the last American Airlines' DC-10 was retired on November 22, 2000.

McDonnell Douglas MD-80

The MD-80 is the backbone of the American Airlines fleet. American flies more than 270 MD-80 series aircraft and is the world's largest operator of the type. The first American MD-80 was delivered on May 12, 1983. The introduction of the MD-80 in the mid-1980s allowed American to rapidly expand its route system and fleet. In 1984, American operated a fleet of 244 aircraft by 1997 that number had grown to 649 aircraft, 250 of which were MD-80s.

Boeing 757

American Airlines added the Boeing 757 to its fleet in 1989. The 757 shares the same fuselage width as the earlier Boeing 707 and in many ways the 757 is really a much more efficient, twin-engine 707. Seating 176 passengers in a two-class configuration, American's 757s are used mostly on medium-haul or high-density routes. Behind the MD-80, the 757 is the second most numerous aircraft in American's fleet (American operates 102 Boeing 757s).

Boeing 777

Also known as the "21 Century Jet," the Boeing 777 is the queen of the American Airlines fleet. Capable of operating non-stop from DFW to London or Tokyo, the 777 has replaced both the DC-10 and MD-11 as American's premier long-haul aircraft. Flown in a three-class configuration, American Airlines' 777 offer passengers such amenities as individual video screens and full-flat reclining seats in first class.

Boeing 737

The 737 first took to the skies in 1965. Boeing has continued to improve the basic 737 design and today the 737 is the most commonly used airliner in the world. American Airlines operates one of the largest and newest versions of the 737, the -800 model. American's 737-800 aircraft are equipped with today's most advanced avionics including a Heads-Up-Display (HUD) for both pilot and co-pilot, making these aircraft some of the safest in the world.

Canadair CRJ-700

Our CRJ-700 jet offers a smooth, quiet ride and features rich leather seating with adjustable headrests in a two-by-two seating arrangement. Designed to American Eagle's exact specifications, these jets offer air travel on longer flights and more heavily traveled routes between key cities in the American Eagle network. In 2010 Eagle configured our CRJ-700s with a First Class cabin and service. American Eagle offers customers the same level of outstanding service they experience in an American Airlines First Class cabin when flying this state-of-the art aircraft.

Embraer 145

This sleek twin-engine regional airliner has opened new possibilities for American Eagle. The performance of the pure jet-powered RJ-145 is unmatched by any turbo-prop, allowing it to fly higher, faster, farther and quieter than its propeller driven competition. The RJ-145 range has allowed Eagle to introduce much longer point-to-point routes than were practical with either the Saab 340 or the ATR-72 for example, DFW to Milwaukee.

Boeing 767

American introduced the twin-aisle Boeing 767 family of jets into its fleet in 1982 with the B767-200. Then came the Boeing 767-200 Extended Range 9ER) in 1985 and the Boeing 767-300ER in 1988. American today flies the B767-200 on its transcontinental markets and the B767-300ER to Europe and Latin America.

McDonnell Douglas MD-11

The McDonnell Douglas MD-11, with a range of more than 6,000 miles, entered American's fleet in 1991 as its long-haul international aircraft to supplement and replace the McDonnell Douglas DC-10. A good passenger/cargo airplane, the MD-11 was retired from the fleet in 2001.

Fokker 100

This small 87-seat aircraft was purchased by American for use in its short-haul domestic markets and can be considered the precursor to the Regional Jet. It was built by Dutch aircraft manufacturer Fokker. It was in the AA fleet from 1992 through 2004.

Lockheed Electra L-188... She was the last of the PROPS that flew for American Airlines..