could no longer be ignored. According to NASA archives, what Ide described as “a holocaust of records” had been reached by Hitler’s laboratories under Hermann Goering and his Ministry of Aviation. Ide further predicted that Germany’s refinement of liquid-cooled engines for their fighter aircraft would make the next battle of powers merely a “war of workshops.” Jack Ide’s claims were corroborated by others. On January 7, 1939, the Albany Times Union heralded Capitol Hill’s reaction to NACA’s submissions as written by Ide and a more familiar household name, by John J. Ide, [NACA’s] official European advisor, recently returned from Europe, where he conferred with Lindbergh, it was intimated in high official quarters, will confirm those of Lindbergh and supplement them in detail.” Ide and Lindbergh had articulated the “urgent necessity of the United States’ expanding its research laboratories and technical facilities to match
INTEL ON BRITISH AIRCRAFT FROMAVISIT BY IDES IN 1927
EUROPEANSWERE CAPTIVATED BY THEWRIGHT BROTHERS’ SUCCESS ANDWASTEDNO TIME IN ADAPTING THE TECHNOLOGY FORMAIL TRANSPORT AND ADVANCEDMILITARY APPLICATIONS. ‘ i itt t l f ll t i i f l i i l . i li i i i l of A i ’ i ili i . i l l ’ PTING THE TECHNOLOGY FORMAIL TRANSPORT .
“Lucky Lindy.” “Secret reports of Col. Charles A. Lindbergh, baring Nazi Germany’s climb to world aviation supremacy, were hailed on Capitol Hill tonight as ‘invaluable’ to plans for perfecting America’s air defenses against totalitarian threats… a first-hand report
‘30s his committee struggled unsuccessfully to gain meaningful financing and national support. Domestic politicsmired potential growth of America’s aeronautics capabilities. This was starkly contrasted by the unlimited funding afforded by other countries for their military engineers. Undaunted, Ide patiently continued to gather information about foreign aircraft. He attended aviation exhibitions all over Europe – Paris, Stockholm, Berlin, Milan, Rotterdam, Vienna and Geneva – and photographed . ,
LEFT: HINDENBERG IN PROGRESS AT FACTORY. PHOTO BY JOHN JAY IDE ABOVE: JACK IDE DESIGN OF A 1917 TOURING CAR. IDE WOULD LATER DESIGN PLANES AS WELL.
research facilities including the Guidonia Wind Tunnel and Isotta
Germany’s steady progress and to recapture for this nation the world air supremacy.” The evidence was irrefutable and demanded action. Funds were finally approved in anticipation of wartime and a national emergency. Thanks in large part to Ide, NACA became “an essential industry” and its work was recognized for its productive and patriotic nature. --- Suzanne Clary is the president of the Jay Heritage Center in Rye, New York. WESTONMAGAZINEGROUP.COM 169 *
Fraschini High Altitude Engine Laboratory in Italy. One of the most startling photos in an album he created for NACA shows Mussolini examining a plane at Litterio Airport in Rome. With overwhelming evidence in hand, Ide issued a clear warning toNACA in January of 1937. The gravity of America’s vulnerability
everything from fuselage to propeller. He amassed a critical cache of diagrams and test results related to innovations in aerodynamic design, fuel burning and metallurgy experiments. In addition to documenting public areas like airports, Ide gained inside access to factories in Brussels and a Zeppelin plant in Germany. He captured images of
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