First Airplanes
These two brothers built and flew the first airplane.
Who are the Wright Brothers?
This service, delivering letters by airplane, helped drive aviation development in the 1920s.
What is air mail?
The Pima Museum has three big buildings full of planes from this war.
What is World War II?
Jets don't have propellers. They use these instead.
What are jet engines?
Big planes today have these computer screens instead of old dials in the cockpit.
What are digital displays (or screens)?
These two materials, along with wire, were the main materials used to build early airplanes.
What are wood and fabric?
During the 1920s-1930s, airplanes began carrying these people in addition to mail and cargo.
Who are passengers?
Small, fast planes that fought other planes in the sky are called these.The Pima Museum has this many hangars dedicated entirely to World War II aircraft.
What are fighter planes?
This famous black plane at the museum could fly super fast and super high.
What is the SR-71 Blackbird?
This Boeing aircraft at the museum represents the newest generation of commercial airliners.
What is the Boeing 787 Dreamliner?
This is what pilots wore to protect their eyes and face when flying in open cockpits.
What are goggles and leather jackets (or scarves)?
This famous female pilot flew solo across the Atlantic Ocean in 1932.
Who is Amelia Earhart?
Big planes that carried bombs are called these.
What are bombers?
This is what happens when an aircraft flies faster than the speed of sound.
What is breaking the sound barrier (or creating a sonic boom)?
Modern aircraft use these lightweight materials instead of just metal.
What are composite materials (or carbon fiber)?
This is the name of the Wright Brothers' famous first airplane.
What is the Wright Flyer?
This is approximately how many passengers early commercial airliners could carry in the 1930s.
What is 10-20 passengers
The B-17 Flying Fortress had this many engines to help it fly.
What is four?
The SR-71 Blackbird was painted this color to help it fly high and fast.
What is black?
The Pima Museum sits on this many acres of land: 8, 80, or 800?
What is 80 acres (accept 127 for total campus)?
This is where the Wright Brothers flew their first airplane.
What is Kitty Hawk, North Carolina?
These were added to aircraft in the 1930s to allow pilots to fly safely in bad weather and at night.
What are navigation instruments and radio equipment?
War planes were painted in these patterns to hide them from enemies.
What is camouflage?
Jets can fly much faster than old propeller planes. Some can fly faster than this speed.
What is the speed of sound (or supersonic)?
This is approximately how many aircraft are displayed at the Pima Air and Space Museum.
What is about 400 aircraft?