Film and Audio Archives
Overview
The Museum holds more than 1500 titles of films, video tapes (some commercial), phonograph records, audio tapes (reel-to-reel, cassette, and cartridge), film strips, viewing discs, and CD-ROMs.
Fees and usage policies may be viewed at Moving Image Usage Form [PDF]. To request usage of one or more of our moving images, you may print and submit the form to the Museum. For further information, please contact us.
Sample Collections
Doak 16 (VZ-4) Film Collection A set of eleven reels of both black and white and color 16mm film recording the test flights of the Doak Model 16 (US Army designation VZ-4) vertical takeoff and landing experimental aircraft of the late 1950s
Ryan XV-5A Vertifan Film Collection A set of four VHS videotapes containing color footage from the Ryan Aeronautical Company of the experimental and demonstration flights of the XV-5A vertical takeoff and landing aircraft for the US Army
Ryan X-13 Vertijet Film Collection Fourteen video sources in VHS and ¾ U-MATIC formats containing color footage of the Ryan X-13 vertical takeoff and landing experimental jet fighter during its days of flight testing and demonstration flights
Convair XF2Y-1 Seadart Film Collection Donated by Seadart test pilot B.J. Long, footage includes out-takes, flight and sea surface taxi testing, and progress reports of the Skate and Seadart program
Convair XFY-1 Film Collection Thousands of feet of film and video footage of the XFY-1 "Pogo" VTOL experimental fighter and its development. Convair test pilot James F. "Skeets" Coleman is featured in much of the footage.
Ryan XFR-1/XF2R-1 Fireball Film Collection From the Ryan Aeronautical collection comes video footage of a fighter aircraft which, for a short time, took up the slack between the age of reciprocating and jet engines. The Ryan XFR-1 "Fireball" and the XF2R-1 model 29 "Dark Shark" had both and for a brief time served in the naval air arm shortly following World War II.
American Airways Film Collection Mid-1930s promotional film illustrating the American Airways system operations of the day. A history lesson of comparison between a fledgling system of more than 60 years ago that operated the Curtiss T-32 Condor airliners and Model U Stinson transports, and the commercial air giant of today, American Airlines. Black and white only.
United Airlines "Airliner" Film Collection Footage of Douglas DC-3 transports of United Airlines and Pan American Martin Model 130 China Clippers. Part of the United Airlines informational classroom film of the mid 1930s, "Airliner"
Convair Airliner Film Collection Thousands of feet of film and video tape covering the history of Convair's Airliner production history, spanning the time from the Convair 240 program to Convair 990 production and testing. Included in the collection are bright color airline livery of the Fifties and Sixties
American Volunteer Group (AVG) Film Collection Three separate films and videotape of the famed American Flying Tigers in China prior to and during the Second World War. Images in both black & white and color. Silent only. No captions.
F3F-2 San Diego Air & Space Museum Restoration A recorded history from discovery at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean to the delivery flight of a Grumman F3F-2. Underwater scenes of the discovery and recovery of the aircraft have been cataloged and numbered. The restoration of the aircraft covers a period of from 1990 to 1994. The restoration was undertaken at the San Diego Air & Space Museum. VHS-C videotape format.
Japanese Aviation in the Second World War Film Collection Comprises 106 video tapes containing material from Japanese-produced theatre release motion picture dramas and documentaries, and video tapes shot during ceremonies in the 1990s involving Pacific War veterans of both the Imperial Army and Navy. Most scenes, many containing actual aircraft, ships, submarines, vehicles, trains, etc. have never before been seen outside Japan. Production years include the early period of the Pacific War to the present. Critics believe that the very best of these productions were filmed between 1941 and 1945. It is believed by various Asian film collectors that the San Diego Air & Space Museum contains the largest collection of Japanese-produced films relating to the Pacific War outside of Japan. Japanese language only. No subtitles.
Charles A. Lindbergh Biography Film Collection Several thousand feet of film and videotape from various sources, including the Ryan Aeronautical Corporation, record the life and times of Charles Lindbergh during his early days as a pilot.
Mexican Aviation Heritage Film Collection Thousands of feet of film transferred to videotape containing aviation- related theatre release motion pictures of both the adventure and comedic genre. The latter features famous Mexican comedian Continflas. Collection also includes two documentaries about the 201 st Squadron of the Mexican Air Force, and its involvement in the Pacific Theatre during the Second World War.
Parachute Film Collection Films and videotape comprising over three hours of NASA drogue chute tests, aircraft crew egress procedures, and parachute tests in San Diego
Consolidated PBY Catalina Film Collection Motion picture film and videotape telling the story of one of the PBY Catalina patrol bomber. Footage includes a feature entitled Building the PBY Record Breakers, designed to promote and sell the aircraft. Film documents the production of the aircraft from design to finished product, including record- breaking historic flights.
Lighter-than-Air (LTA) Film Collection Footage consists of lighter-than-air sky ships from the 1800s to the Zeppelins of the Twentieth Century. Included is footage of the airships Akron and Macon and the construction of their giant hangars at Lakehurst, New Jersey.