EMBLEM S O F

E XPLOR ATION
Logos of the NACA and NASA

Monographs in Aerospace History, no. 56

Joseph R. Chambers
Mark A. Chambers
 E MBLEMS OF
E XPLOR ATION
Logos of the NACA and NASA

Monographs in Aerospace History, no. 56

Joseph R. Chambers
Mark A. Chambers

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Office of Communications
NASA History Program Office
Washington, DC 20546

NASA SP-2015-4556
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Chambers, Joseph R.
Emblems of exploration : logos of the NACA and NASA / by Joseph R. Chambers and Mark A. Chambers,
National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Office of Communications, Public Outreach Division,
History Program Office.
pages cm.(Monographs in aerospace history ; #56)
Includes bibliographical references.
1. United States. National Aeronautics and Space AdministrationInsignia. 2. United States. National
Aeronautics and Space AdministrationMedals. I. Chambers, Mark A. II. Title.
TL521.312.C438 2015
629.4027dc23
2015019236

This publication is available as a free download at http://www.nasa.gov/ebooks.

Contents

C H A P T ER 2
Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v
Maturity and Pride, 19411957 21
Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix

Zenith of the NACA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

C H A P T ER 1
An Official Insignia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Wings of Eagles, 19151940 1 The Modified Standard Emblem . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Applications of Standard and Modified Wings. . . . . 25
Beginnings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Building Emblems25
The Langley Memorial Aeronautical Laboratory . . . . 2 Aircraft Markings29
The First Wings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Insignia and Deception 40
Emblems at the Flight Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Employee Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Aircraft Markings4 Lapel Pins 41
The Shield9 Service Pins43
Ground Crews and Equipment 9 Badges45
Birth of the NACA Wings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Retirement Plaques49
Applications of the NACA Wings . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Publications and Correspondence 49
Building Emblems12 Miscellaneous Applications51
Publications and Correspondence 19 The NACA Seal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
John Victory: No NACA Insignia . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Anticipating the Future. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

iii
iv Contents

C H A P T ER 3 C H A P T ER 6
A New Agency, 19581959 57 Back to the Future, 1992Today 105

Search for a New Logo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Rebirth of the Meatball . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105

The Vision Begins 58 The Wormball. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
The NASA Seal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Overdue Recognition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
The Path to Presidential Approval 62 The Designer Passes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
The NASA Insignia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 The Swoosh. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
The Red Wing 67 Applications of the Meatball . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Applications During Transition. . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 Buildings and Exhibits 115
Aircraft116
Space Shuttle119
C H A P T ER 4
Service Pins122
Fly Me to the Moon, 19601974 75 Distinguished Service Medal 122
Honor Award Certificates 124
Insignia and Seal: Onward and Upward . . . . . . . . 75 Retirement Plaques124
Criticism75 Internal Newsletters125
Applications of the Logos. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78 Publications125
Aeronautics78 Miscellaneous Applications. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Human Spaceflight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82 The NACA/NASA Centennial . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Publications88

C H A P T ER 7
C H A P T ER 5 Summary 129
Controversy, 19751991 89

The NASA Logotype . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89 About the Authors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131

The New Insignia. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 The NASA History Series. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Implementation92 Index. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
The Shuttle Emblems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .93
Applications of the Logotype. . . . . . . . . . . . . .93
Buildings94
Aircraft96
Space Shuttle98
Satellites102
Publications and Correspondence 103
Anniversary Logos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Preface

In 1992, Jerry C. South, Jr., a NASA researcher at the In the summer of 1992, Chambers interviewed
NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia, several key participants involved in the design pro-
posed a challenge to A. Gary Price, Head of the Office cess, reviewed correspondence, studied documents and
of External Affairs at Langley. The new administrator technical reports, and obtained relevant material from
of NASA, Daniel S. Goldin, had recently made a deci- the NASA photographic archives at Langley. The story
sion to reinstitute the well-known meatball insignia that emerged from his efforts was reported to Price and
as part of his effort to revitalize the Agency. South had his organization, which in turn sent samples of some
knowledge of some aspects of the origin of the emblem of the documented results to NASA Headquarters for
that had been designed 34 years earlier in 1958, and official review.2 Unfortunately, the results of the study
he pointed out that the details of the conception and were never published.
history of the logo had never been documented. Since In 2012, Chambers father, Joseph R. Chambers,
Prices organization was the designated Langley focal discovered the 20-year-old notes that had been accu-
point for such historical information at the time, South mulated by Mark and decided to pursue the story with
suggested that the topic would be an excellent project the intention of formally documenting the details to
for External Affairs.1 Mark Chambers, the coauthor of the fullest extent possible. By that time, many of the
this publication, worked for Price and was assigned the key participants of the events that had occurred almost
task of researching the genesis of the emblem, includ- 55 years earlier had passed away, and much more
ing interviewing key individuals known to be essential research was required to fill in the blanks.
to the NASA meatball story. After the completion of additional research and
new interviews, a lecture on the evolution of the NASA
seal and insignia was presented to Langley staff and

1 South, J. C., Jr., Meatball Logo Based on Wind Tunnel

Model, The Researcher News, Langleys in-house newsletter, 2 Chambers, Mark A., History of the Red V in the NASA
NASA Langley Research Center, 14 August 1992, p. 2. Meatball, NASA History Office File 4542, 31 July 1992.

v
vi Preface

the public in 2013, to good reception.3 The presenta- the photographs showing early applications of NACA
tion was then followed by overview articles in News logos have deteriorated beyond repair with age or have
& Notes, the NASA History Program Offices quar- disappeared from archival collections. On the other
terly newsletter.4 As interest in the topic continued hand, the majority of textual records at NARA have
to grow, and with the encouragement of the NASA been preserved in excellent physical condition and thus
Headquarters History Program Office, the authors provided invaluable information for this effort.
expanded the story of the NASA emblems to include As might be expected, surprises occurred in the
additional research and discussion of the logos used by review of the NACA data. For example, it was found
NASAs predecessor, the National Advisory Committee that the NACA operated for its first 25 years without
for Aeronautics (NACA). an official insignia and for almost 40 years without a
The expansion of the effort to document the com- seal during an age noted for heraldry and organiza-
plete account of the design, evolution, and applications tional emblems. The historical data gathered to date do
of the NACA and NASA emblems was deemed par- not permit identification of the designer of the origi-
ticularly appropriate in recognition of the 100th anni- nal NACA logo. Fortunately, archived information did
versary of the NACA/NASA in 2015. The centennial permit identification of precise dates and descriptions
celebration includes numerous historical reviews, sym- of changes that occurred during the evolution of the
posia, and media coverage that will benefit from the NACA insignia and seal.
material herein. Documentation of the design, evolution, and appli-
Research on the NACA emblems was especially cations of NASA emblems proved to be a less difficult
challenging. The history and evolution of the sym- task. Key individuals and agencies involved in the
bols had not been documented prior to the current design process were identified, the symbolism of cer-
research. Tracking down official documents and pho- tain elements was determined, changes that occurred
tographs for the period 19151958 required extensive over the years were documented, and examples of
investigation of current archives at NASA Centers applications were selected. Research on the NASA
and trips to the National Archives and Records logos also produced unexpected results and findings.
Administration (NARA) at College Park, Maryland, For example, the background behind the design of the
where many of the documents and photographs of the red slash exhibited in the NASA insignia revealed an
NACA laboratories are stored. Unfortunately, some of undocumented association with previously classified
research activities. Also surprising was the unwilling-
ness of organizationsespecially flight research oper-
3 Chambers, Joseph R., Wings, Meatballs, Worms and ationsto follow directives regarding the application
Swooshes, Lecture presented at NASA Langley Research
and modification of logos.
Center Colloquium Series, 9 July 2013, http://www.
youtube.com/watch?v=uLRMNNQiE0Q&feature=youtu.be The material presented herein is organized chrono-
(accessed on 11 August 2014). logically and covers the subject from the first days of the
4 Joseph Chambers, The NASA Seal and Insignia, Part 1, NACA in 1915 to the current-day situation of NASA.
News & Notes of the NASA History Program Office, 30,
no. 2 (2013), pp. 1115; and The NASA Seal and Insignia, Inputs from historical archivists at the current NASA
Part 2, News & Notes, 30, no. 3 (2013), pp. 14. Back Centers have contributed a significant amount of
issues of News & Notes are available at http://history.nasa. material on the logos of the NACA and NASA at their
gov/histnews.htm.
 Preface vii

specific Centers. Particularly valuable information on Discussions in each chapter refer to certain NACA
the chronology of the NACA and NASA logos and the laboratories and NASA Centers as they existed in spe-
participation of the U.S. Army is alsodiscussed. cific time periods before and after the establishment of
This publication has two primary objectives regard- NASA in 1958. For the readers information, the loca-
ing the NACA and NASA logos. The first objective tions and name changes of the sites through the years
is to provide, to the extent possible, detailed informa- are as follows:
tion about the designers and design processes for the
emblems. The second objective of the discussions is Hampton, Virginia: Langley Memorial
to briefly illustrate the applications of these respected Aeronautical Laboratory (LMAL 19201948);
and admired insignias and seals within the cultures of Langley Aeronautical Laboratory (LAL
each agency. For this task, photographs and descrip- 19481958); Langley Research Center (LaRC
tions are used to exemplify applications to buildings; 1958present)
equipment; aircraft and spacecraft; correspondence
and documents; and personal memorabilia such as Moffett Field, California: Ames Aeronautical
pins, awards, and retirement plaques. Laboratory (AAL 19391958); Ames Research
In view of the hundreds of thousands of photo- Center (ARC 1958present)
graphs that might have been used to illustrate appli-
cations of the NACA and NASA logos, the authors Cleveland, Ohio: Aircraft Engine Research
took on the imposing task of reducing the candidates Laboratory (AERL 19421947); Flight
to an acceptable number of examples for this publica- Propulsion Research Laboratory (FPRL 1947
tion. Within this necessary constraint, we chose photo- 1948); Lewis Flight Propulsion Laboratory
graphs that illustrate especially important and interest- (LFPL 19481958); Lewis Research Center (LRC
ing activities. We humbly apologize to all for omission 19581999); John H. Glenn Research Center
of other favorite projects and facilities. (GRC 1999present)
Over the course of their histories, the NACA and
NASA have developed a wide variety of emblems Edwards, California: Muroc Flight Test Unit
representing each agencys illustrious exploration of (19471949); High-Speed Flight Research
aerospace missions. Hundreds of individual mission Station (HSFRS 19491954); High-Speed Flight
emblems and patches came about with the beginning Station (19541959); Flight Research Center
of human spaceflight activities that will not be covered (FRC 19591976); Dryden Flight Research
herein. This publication concentrates on the rich and Center (DFRC 19761981); Ames-Dryden Flight
interesting history of the conception and implemen- Research Facility (19811994); Dryden Flight
tation of the world-famous NACA and NASA seals Research Center (DFRC 19942014); Armstrong
and insignias that have been displayed for decades on Flight Research Center (AFRC 2014present)
aeronautics and space research vehicles and facilities,
as well as those proudly worn by flight research pilots, Wallops Island, Virginia: Pilotless Aircraft
astronauts, and the dedicated employees of these two Research Station (PARS 19451958); Wallops
world-class organizations. Station (WS 19581974); Wallops Flight Center
viii Preface

(WFC 19741981); Wallops Flight Facility Merritt Island, Florida: Launch Operations
(WFF 1981present) Center (LOC 19621963); Kennedy Space
Center (KSC 1963present)
Houston, Texas: Manned Spacecraft Center
(MSC 19631973); Johnson Space Center (JSC
1973present)
Acknowledgments

Special thanks go to William P. Barry, NASA Chief Benjamin A. Goddin, and James T. Berry. Graphics
Historian, for providing the encouragement and specialists Stanley H. Husch, William B. Kluge, and
mechanism for this undertaking. Within the NASA James H. Cato provided valuable information regard-
Headquarters History Program Office, Stephen J. ing current NASA graphics standards, aircraft insig-
Garber served as contract manager for NASA, and Jane nia, and additional graphics support.
H. Odom and Colin A. Fries provided valuable doc- We are deeply appreciative of the support contrib-
uments from the archival collection at Headquarters. uted by individuals at other NASA Centers. Thanks
At the Langley Research Center, Mary E. Gainer pro- are extended to historian Robert S. Arrighi of the
vided photographs, documents, and support within her NASA Glenn Research Center, who provided unique
responsibilities for preserving Langleys artifacts and photographs and documents on the career and per-
documenting its history via the site http://crgis.ndc.nasa. sonal life of James J. Modarelli as well as examples of
gov/historic/Larc, which is available for public viewing. applications of the logos at the Center. At the NASA
Her intern, James R. Baldwin, provided photographs Ames Research Center, historian Glenn E. Bugos,
of current Langley buildings. H. Garland Gouger, photo archivist Lana L. Albaugh, and archivist April
Susan K. Miller, and the staff of the Langley Technical D. Gage contributed photographs and information
Library provided invaluable documents and informa- on design efforts for the NACA and NASA emblems
tion, especially for the early NACA days. Langleys and examples of applications of logos at Ames. Glenn
photo archivist Teresa L. Hornbuckle contributed per- also provided documents obtained during his visits to
sonal research efforts and access to previously unpub- the National Archives and Records Administration
lished photographs in the Langley collection, and Gail (NARA) facility at San Bruno, California. Historians
S. Langevin provided access to the Langley Historical Christian Gelzer and Peter W. Merlin of the NASA
Archive Collection. Katrina L. Young of Langleys Armstrong Flight Research Center provided valuable
Awards Office provided extensive documentation on comments and photographs that added great value to
NASA medals and other awards. Langley employees the effort. Special thanks to Peter for his substantial
contributing artifacts included Tracey E. Redman, contribution of photographs and comments.

ix
x Acknowledgments

Many active and retired NASA personnel provided legendary career. Scott Sacknoff, publisher of Quest:
the foundation for the technical discussion and per- The History of Spaceflight Quarterly, also provided
sonal anecdotes presented in this work. Sincere thanks graphics and valuable comments.
to Langley retirees Jerry South, Jr.; A. Gary Price; Roy Charles V. Mugno, Director of the Army Institute
V. Harris, Jr., P. Kenneth Pierpont; Jack W. Crenshaw; of Heraldry, and Paul J. Tuohig, senior research ana-
Harry W. Carlson; A. Warner Robins; and Owen lyst, shared detailed records of the interactions of their
G. Morris; Ames retirees Victor Peterson, Leroy L. agency with the NACA and NASA during the design
Presley, Vernon J. Rossow, and William C. Pitts; and evolution of the seals and insignia. Their inputs were a
Johnson Space Center retirees Roger Zwieg and Robert key contribution to the success of this effort.
M. Payne. Helene Katzens permission to use a photo- Thanks to the anonymous reviewers who exam-
graph of her husband Elliott Katzen is also appreciated. ined the draft for accuracy, content, and readability.
The staff of the NARA facility at College Park, Their comments and suggested changes resulted in a
Maryland, was of tremendous assistance, providing greatly enhanced publication. Finally, the authors wish
access and guidance for finding original documents to thank Yvette Smith of the NASA History Program
and photographs from its NACA collection. Particular Office as well as Chinenye Okparanta, Jennifer Way,
thanks go to NARA archivists David A. Pfeiffer of the and Michele Ostovar of NASAs Communications
Textual Reference Branch and Holly Reed of the Still Support Services Center for their outstanding work in
Pictures Branch. Brian Nicklas of the Smithsonian editing and layout.
National Air and Space Museum also provided insight- The authors were honored to have interviewed
ful comments and photographs. Aviation enthusiast principal participants Robert T. Jones and James J.
Jennings Heilig contributed graphic support. Special Modarelli before their passing. Although the details
thanks to Keith Yoreg and his mother Janette Davis of memories of events that had occurred over 34 years
for their gracious contribution of the photograph of earlier at the time of their interviews had begun to
Orville Wrights badge and to James J. Modarelli, Jr., fade, the discussions and information they provided
for providing materials and anecdotes on his fathers were priceless.
CHAPTER 1

Wings of Eagles, 19151940

Beginnings Despite the fact that President Woodrow Wilson

did not favor Walcotts proposal, the untiring efforts
Following the first controlled heavier-than-air flight by of Walcott and a small group of scientists and mili-
the Wright brothers in 1903, a relative lack of interest tary officers finally moved Congress to take action.
in further development and applications of this rad- Congress created a rider to a 1915 Naval Appropriations
ical new capability existed within the United States. Act to create a new aeronautical advisory committee to
Meanwhile, visionary individuals in Europe took the organize and direct aeronautical research and develop-
lead in furthering technologies and accelerating expe- ment for the nation. The Advisory Committee, which
riences with applications of new flying machines. was created on 3 March 1915, reported directly to
When World War I began in 1914, France had 1,400 the President, who personally appointed its members
airplanes; Germany had 1,000; Russia had 800; Great with no salaries. The legislation gave birth to a new
Britain had 400; and the United States had only 23.1 agency initially named the Advisory Committee for
The loss of U.S. momentum and leadership in human Aeronautics, similar to an established advisory group
flight did not, however, go unnoticed by a small group in England. The Committee originally consisted of 12
of American scientists, politicians, and public figures. members, with 2 members from the Army, 2 from the
In 1913, Charles D. Walcott, the new Secretary of Navy, and 1 each from the Smithsonian Institution,
the Smithsonian Institution, attempted to stimulate the National Bureau of Standards, and the Weather
Congress into creating a new agency for aeronautical Bureau. An additional 5 members were selected from
research and oversight. the engineering and scientific communities. At its first
meeting, the group proclaimed itself the National
Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA).
1 J. C. Hunsaker, Forty Years of Aeronautical Research,
Smithsonian Report for 1955, p. 243.

1
2 C HAP TER 1 Wings of Eagles, 19151940

The Langley Memorial Aeronautical to McCook Field in Ohio, while retaining an aviation
Laboratory training mission at Langley Field. The Navy also aban-
doned its role at the new site and moved its testing of
The rider that established the NACA also included the seaplanes to Norfolk, Virginia.
potential for future establishment of an aeronautical
research laboratory. In 1916, Walcott and Army and
Navy leaders discussed a proposal to establish a joint The First Wings
Army-Navy-NACA experimental field and proving
ground. After extensive debates over potential sites for Although Kahn had overall leadership for the detailed
the research laboratory, the War Department procured design of the Army buildings at Langley, the NACA
1,650 acres of land in 1917 near Hampton, Virginia, contracted with the architectural firm of Donn &
for the combined use of the Army, Navy, and the Deming of Washington, DC, for the design of its labo-
NACA in aeronautical operations and research.2 The ratory building on 13 June 1917.4 Construction efforts
site was named Langley Field in honor of early flight by the J. G. White Engineering Corporation for the
pioneer Samuel Pierpont Langley. The NACA began NACA laboratory building began on 17 July 1917 with
construction of the first civilian research laboratory excavation. The building was completed in 1918 and
there in 1917. Originally known as the Field Station of construction of the first NACA wind tunnel began.5
the Committee, it was renamed on 11 June 1920 the The LMAL officially dedicated its laboratory in con-
Langley Memorial Aeronautical Laboratory (LMAL).3 junction with the completion of its atmospheric wind
World-famous architect Albert Kahn of Detroit, tunnel on 11 June 1920. By 1924, the NACA buildings
Michigan, was chosen by the Army to design the gen- included the original laboratory building (by then an
eral layout of the property, the flying field, and the administration building), an atmospheric wind tunnel
Army Air Service buildings at Langley Field in 1917. with a 5-foot test section, the worlds first variable-den-
The construction process proved to be a tremendous sity wind tunnel, two temporary buildings serving as
challenge because of the isolated locationcomplete dynamometer labs, and a small airplane hangar at the
with swarms of mosquitoes, outbreaks of influenza, Langley flight line.
inadequate housingand poor relations between the William I. Deming and his team designed the
Army and the NACA. Delays in construction of facili- LMAL building with Doric columns, a projecting cor-
ties and bickering between the intended organizations nice, and limestone door surrounds. An engraving of
led to the Army transferring its research organization a circular symbol containing stylized versions of the

2 The NACAs initial share of the property was only 5.8 acres 4 Letter from John F. Victory, NACA Special Disbursing
but as the research facilities multiplied in ensuing years, Agent to Donn & Deming, Architects of Washington, DC,
the War Department released more land and, by 1939, the dated 13 June 1917. (Record Group 255, NARA Textual
NACA occupied 28 acres. Reference Branch, College Park, MD)
3 Letter from John F. Victory, Assistant Secretary of the 5 Donn & Deming was also responsible for the design of the
NACA to Langley Memorial Aeronautical Laboratory, building housing the wind tunnel.
Subject: Change of Laboratory Name. 16 June 1920.
(Record Group 255, Textual Reference Branch, NARA
College Park, MD)
 CHA P TE R 1 Wings of Eagles, 19151940 3

F I G U R E 1-1.

The Langley Memorial Aeronautical Laboratory in 1924.

The building in the foreground housed administration
and services. The building at the upper right contained
an atmospheric wind tunnel and the building immediate-
ly to its left was the worlds first pressurized wind tunnel.
The two temporary buildings in the upper left were
engine dynamometer labs. The NACA also operated
research aircraft and an airplane hangar on the flight line
at Langley Field. (NASA L-01375)

letters NACA with eagle-like wings on either side The original NACA building underwent numerous
was located directly above the main entrance when the renovations through the years, including side additions
laboratory opened in 1920. Similar winged logos were in the 1940s. In 1958, the new NASA organization
popular within many other military and civil organiza- continued to use the building for its Langley head-
tions at the time. The symbol on the first NACA build- quarters, but moved its administrative offices across
ing was apparently the first use of a winged emblem Langley Field to the main NASA campus in the 1960s.
by the NACA. The descriptive words Research NASA transferred the building to the U.S. Air Force
Laboratory were engraved directly below the winged in 1977. Today, the facility is known as the General
symbol. This layout appeared in original blueprints for Creech Conference Center. The original NACA logo,
the building as submitted by Deming for the approval however, still remains embossed above the words
of the NACA.6 Our research did not reveal a formal Research Laboratory.
directive by the NACA to Donn & Deming for the
winged NACA symbol, and we conclude it is possi-
ble that the designers of the architectural firm were
responsible for the first logo used by the NACA.7
words Walcott Building above the cornice of the doorway,
but he suggested that the words Research Laboratory be
6 Record Group 255, Box 78, Folder 21-1, NARA. Textual
retained as a designation of the type of building. His firm
Reference Branch, College Park, MD.
supplied a blueprint of the potential changes to the NACA.
7 In 1928, William I. Deming was asked to address a possible No further action took place on the renaming proposal.
NACA desire to rename the building in honor of Charles Record Group 255, Box 79, Folder 21-3, NARA Textual
D. Walcott. He examined the possibility of inscribing the Reference Branch, College Park, MD.
4 C HAP TER 1 Wings of Eagles, 19151940

F I G U R E 1- 3.

Close-up view of the NACA symbol. (NASA L-02056)

Emblems at the Flight Line

AIRCRAFT MARKINGS
In addition to the emblem exhibited on the NACA Research Laboratory building,
F I G U R E 1-2. many other logos were in evidence in the flight research organization. The symbols
all appeared without evidence of formal directives and varied considerably during
Entrance to the Langley Research Laboratory as it the early 1920s. The markings appeared on ground equipment and working clothes
appeared in early 1928. The first example of a winged worn by mechanics during daily flight operations.
symbol used by the NACA was engraved directly above A small cadre of researchers at the LMAL under the direction of Edward P.
the buildings name. (NASA L-02056) Warner, Chief Physicist of the LMAL, began planning a series of studies to correlate
wind-tunnel and in-flight results for aerodynamics even before the research labo-
ratory was formally dedicated. In 1919, research flights began when the Army Air
Service loaned two Curtiss JN-4H Jenny aircraft to the NACA for its embryonic
studies. Although Warners team added extensive instrumentation to the Jennies,
the aircraft largely retained their original military markings with the exception of
individual aircraft identification numbers. No special NACA logos were adopted at
the time, setting a precedent that existed through most of the NACA yearsthat
is, aircraft on temporary loan from the military carried no special NACA markings.
The first evidence of a winged emblem on an NACA aircraft occurred in 1923
on a U.S. Air Service de Havilland DH-9 biplane obtained by the NACA for use as
a passenger airplane. The airplane, obtained on loan from the Armys McCook Field
in Dayton, Ohio, arrived at Langley in 1922, and the rear cockpit was modified
 CHA P TE R 1 Wings of Eagles, 19151940 5

F I G U R E 1- 4.

The NACA research airplane group in 1922 appears in standard military color schemes of the day with individual identification numbers added
by the NACA. The aircraft on the far left is a Vought VE-7 and the others are Curtiss JN-4H Jennies. The second airplane from the right has been
fitted with an auxiliary fuel tank on the upper center wing and tank-like sand containers on the lower wing for studies of roll response after the sand
was released from one side. The Jenny on the right has been modified to use two identical wings with ailerons and a single cockpit enclosure for
studies of improved performance. The aircraft were finished in yellow-gold linen with olive-green engine areas and vertical rudder stripes of (front-
to-rear) blue, white, and red. (NASA L-00272)

by the NACA staff with an enclosed cabin in which tographs of the airplane are of low resolution and
two passengers could be accommodated in a face-to- do not permit the details of the emblem to be read.
face position.8 The aircraft carried a winged emblem Examination of photographs of all other de Havilland
of interest forward of the cockpit on both sides of the aircraft flown at McCook Field during the period did
fuselage. Unfortunately, the only two existing pho- not show such an emblem.9 It appears, therefore, that

8 Eighth Annual Report of the National Advisory Committee 9 Telephone and e-mail correspondence with Brett A. Stolle,
for Aeronautics 1922 Including Technical Reports Nos. Manuscript Curator of the National Museum of the United
133 to 158. 1 January 1923. States Air Force, Wright Patterson AFB, OH, 19 August 2014.
6 C HAP TER 1 Wings of Eagles, 19151940

F I G U R E 1- 5.

A rather illegible winged

emblem was displayed
on this de Havilland DH-9
used for transportation by
the NACA at Langley in
1923. Note the enclosed
rear cockpit used by pas-
sengers. (NASA L-00503)

F I G U R E 1- 6.

This 1929 photograph

of the Fairchild FC-2W2
owned by the NACA
displays a winged symbol
on the fuselage similar
to that carried earlier by
the de Havilland DH-9.
Unfortunately, the words
are unreadable. (NASA
L-03546)
 CHA P TE R 1 Wings of Eagles, 19151940 7

F I G U R E 1-7.

The words identifying

the FC-2W2 as a NACA
aircraft are legible in this
photograph taken during
an entry in the Langley
Propeller Research Tunnel
in 1929. (NASA L-03778)

the emblem was applied to the DH-9 by NACA per- clarification beyond the operational usage of the air-
sonnel after it arrived at Langley. The general arrange- plane. Finally, since the aircraft was used solely for
ment of the emblem appears similar in some respects transporting passengers, no research reports on its use
to what would become the NACA wings insignia a were written. Fortunately, further research on another
decade later. NACA transport aircraft of the period provided a
The results of attempts to decipher the words of breakthrough in the mystery.
the emblem carried by the NACA DH-9 were very After three years of flying the DH-9 for transpor-
disappointing. The low-resolution photographs defied tation of personnel, the NACA replaced it by purchas-
attempts at enhancement using current computer soft- ing its first airplane, a more comfortable 46 place
ware and image enhancement methods. In addition, Fairchild FC-2W2 transport, in 1928. The transport
exhaustive searches within the archival NACA collec- initially appeared with what looks to be the same logo
tions of NASA and NARA did not provide additional as that carried earlier by the DH-9but once again
8 C HAP TER 1 Wings of Eagles, 19151940

F I G U R E 1- 8 .

Illustration of the NACA

emblem carried on the FC-
2W2 transport. (Contribut-
ed by Jennings Heilig)

only a few low-resolution flight-line photographs are probably carried the same marking. The DH-9 and the
available and the details of the words on the emblem FC-2W2 were the only two NACA aircraft to have car-
are beyond recognition. ried this insignia, and the emblem was removed from
Fortunately, the Fairchild was used for research each vehicle during service in 1926 and 1930, respec-
purposes as well as its transportation duties. The air- tively.11 After these brief appearances, this particular
plane was tested in the Langley Propeller Research logo was never used again by the NACA.
Tunnel (PRT) in December 1929 for a project man-
aged by Fred E. Weick to measure the aerodynamic
drag of the airplanes components and the effectiveness
of NACA engine cowl concepts to reduce drag and
improve engine cooling.10 Close-up photographs were 11 The DH-9 (serial number AS 31839) was referred to as
taken during the tunnel entry. Nine of the ten photos Aircraft 9 at Langley and used for transportation of NACA
personnel passengers (including Dr. George Lewis of
taken were of poor quality, but one was of sufficiently Headquarters) and as a courtesy aircraft for the Air Service
high resolution to permit identification of the graphic at Langley Field from 1923 to 1924. It was then completely
modified by the NACA and re-entered service in 1926
elements and the words. The elements of the logo with the designation DH-4M2 and was subsequently
consisted of a shield with wings on either side. In the used for tests of a propeller dynamometer concept. After
picture, the words on the emblem are (top to bottom) the conversion, it no longer carried a NACA emblem. See
W.D. Grove and M.W. Green, The Direct Measurement
National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics of Engine Power on an Airplane in Flight with a Hub Type
and Langley Field, VA. Dynamometer, NACA Report No. 252, 1927. The FC-
Comparison of the general features of the logo 2W2 was used primarily for transportation of personnel
between Langley and destinations such as the Washington,
with that of the DH-9 indicates that the earlier aircraft DC, Anacostia Naval Air Station, and the Naval Operations
Center at Norfolk. It was also used for specific research
studies including cowl tests, icing tests, and propeller brake
testing. After the tests in the PRT were completed in late
10 William H. Herrnstein, Jr.: Full-Scale Drag Tests on 1929, the airplane was repainted and the NACA emblem
Various Parts of the Fairchild (FC-2W2) Cabin Monoplane. was removed. Daily logs of the usage of both airplanes are
NACA TN 340, May 1930. archived in the Langley Historic Archives.
 CHA P TE R 1 Wings of Eagles, 19151940 9

THE SHIELD
In 1928, John F. Victory, Executive Secretary of the
NACA, requested approval from the Secretary of
Commerce for the design of a standardized symbol for
use on the tail surfaces of the airplanes procured by the
Committee.12 The marking consisted of a shield with
red and white vertical stripes beneath a blue header upon
which the NACA number of the specific airplane was
marked in silver. The designer of the shield emblem is
unknown, but shield symbols were common for many
organizations of the day and represented strength
and unity. The proposal was approved by the Office
of the Director for Aeronautics of the Department of
Commerce and became the first systematic marking
for NACA aircraft. The type of arrangement by which
NACA aircraft were assignedpurchased, temporary,
or permanent loandictated the markings applied.

GROUND CREWS AND EQUIPMENT

Winged insignias also appeared on ground support
equipment and uniforms worn by the NACA flight
research organization at Langley. Photographs of the
1920s show some commonality of logos for certain
applications. Examples include a Ford truck modified
with a Huck starter for NACA aircraft that carried a
winged symbol with the letters NACA across the span
of the emblem. The same logo adorned the back of cov-
eralls worn by ground crew members. There is no evi-
dence, however, that the emblem was common between
aircraft and ground activities in the early 1920s.
The first NACA research aircraft were housed in
a double-roofed hangar next to hangars of the Army F I G U R E 1- 9.
Air Service adjacent to the main runways at Langley
Field. These original hangars were identifiable by the The standardized marking for NACA-owned aircraft appears on the vertical tail of a
Fairchild XR2K-1 aircraft designated NACA 82 in this photo in 1940. The original black
and white photograph on the bottom has been computer enhanced (colorized) to more
12 Letter from John F. Victory to the Secretary of Commerce
dated 29 October 1928. See Arthur Pearcy, Flying the vividly illustrate the color scheme and symbol carried by the silver and blue airplane.
Frontiers: NACA and NASA Experimental Aircraft, Naval (Joseph Chambers based on NASA L-13581)
Institute Press, Annapolis, MD, 1993, p. 173.
10 C HAP TER 1 Wings of Eagles, 19151940

F I G U R E 1-10.

A winged symbol denot-

ing NACA equipment is
displayed on this modified
Ford with a Huck starter
at Langley in 1926. The
aircraft is a Vought VE-7
flown without a similar
marking. (NASA EL-
1997-00132)

letters NACA posted over the hangar entrance. In

1932, the flight research organization moved nearby
to a new, larger building and the original hangars were
demolished. As the result of a suggestion by Victory
to Edward Sharp of LMAL in 1938, the roof of the
new hangar was painted with the letters NACA in
yellow on a 40-foot by 150-foot area of each side of the
roof.13 This identification scheme was later also applied
to aircraft hangars at the NACA Ames Aeronautical
Laboratory (AAL) at Moffett Field, California, and the
NACA Aircraft Engine Research Laboratory (AERL)
in Cleveland, Ohio, when the hangars were built
during the 1940s.

F I G U R E 1-11. 13 Letter from Edward R. Sharp, Administrative Officer of

LMAL, to NACA, 14 April 1938. Subject: Hangar Roof
Aircraft mechanics wear coveralls with NACA symbols while modifying a Fokker Trimo- Aircraft Identification Sign. Record Group 255, Box 78,
Folder 21-1, NARA Textual Reference Branch, College
tor transport with a NACA cowling concept in 1929. (NASA L-03415) Park, MD.
 CHA P TE R 1 Wings of Eagles, 19151940 11

F I G U R E 1-12.

Early NACA markings in 1932. The aircraft, a Boeing PW-

9, was the first American aircraft to have a metal fuselage
and played a key role in a national program on the causes
of in-flight structural failures. The NACA shield is visible on
the rudder. Note the NACA letters above the entrance to
the hangar. (NASA EL-1999-00433)

F I G U R E 1-13.

Aerial view of Langley Field in 1939. The roof of the

NACA hangar is readily identifiable by the large letters
on its roof at the upper right of the photograph. (Army
Air Corps)
12 C HAP TER 1 Wings of Eagles, 19151940

F I G U R E 1-14. F I G U R E 1-15.

The roof of the Flight Research Laboratory at the NACA Ames Aeronau- The NACA Lewis laboratory flight hangar retained its NACA marking
tical Laboratory displays the NACA identifier in 1941. (NASA AAL-1449) until the birth of NASA. (NASA C1955-38675)

Birth of the NACA Wings was similar to the winged emblem carried earlier by
the DH-9 and FC-2W2 aircraft, but the letters were
In the early 1930s, virtually every federal agency had shortened to NACA with periods after each letter. The
an emblem, including all of President Roosevelts new symbol would later evolve, become standardized,
Depression-era programs. The technical, financial, and known as the NACA wings insignia.
and leadership scenarios of the NACA were changing,
begging for the introduction of a new logo to represent
the organization. The NACA needed to ask Congress Applications of the NACA Wings
for money since it was competing more directly with
other services, and the workforce was expanding BUILDING EMBLEMS
quickly and diversifying. Although research to date Building of new NACA facilities at Langley rapidly
has not identified a formal document introducing the progressed in the 1920s and 1930s. Following the
new symbol, the NACA Committee approved a new introduction of the worlds first pressurized wind
approach to the organizational logo. The basic layout tunnel in 1922, a series of revolutionary new tunnels
 CHA P TE R 1 Wings of Eagles, 19151940 13

F I G U R E 1-16.

The NACA emblem is seen above the entrance to the 8-Foot High-Speed Tunnel built in 1936. The tunnel circuit was demolished in 2011, and the
office building is now operated by the Air Force. (NASA L-51079)

were conceived and put into operation. The 20-Foot The expansion of the NACA in the late 1930s and
Propeller Research Tunnel, the 30- by 60-Foot Full- early 1940s to include the AAL and the AERL further
Scale Tunnel, and the 8-Foot High-Speed Tunnel at increased the number of NACA facilities displaying
Langley brought global attention and notoriety to the the NACA logo and building mission. Many of the
agency. Markings for new buildings followed the tradi- buildings erected during the NACA years at the lab-
tion used for the original laboratorythe NACA wings oratories have been demolished, but several remain at
emblem was proudly positioned over the entranceway NASA Centers today with their logos still on display.
to the facilities, along with a name describing the mis-
sion of the organization housed in the building.
14 C HAP TER 1 Wings of Eagles, 19151940

F I G U R E 1-17.

The Structures Research

Laboratory building was
the first building con-
structed in the NACA
West Area in 1940, and
it is still in use by NASA.
The building displayed the
early NACA wings insignia
above the entrance doors
to the right of the picture.
(NASA L-22019)

F I G U R E 1-18 .

An early version of the

NACA wings symbol as it
appears today above the
entrance door to the old
NACA hangar at Langley.
Note the description of the
research focus under the
symbol and the periods
after each letter in NACA.
The building was turned
over to the Air Force in
1951, when the NACA
built a huge hangar in
the NASA West Area, but
the exterior has changed
very little. (Contributed by
James Baldwin)
 CHA P TE R 1 Wings of Eagles, 19151940 15

F I G U R E 1-19.

The research staff of the Flight Research Laboratory at Ames in 1940 poses at the entrance to the laboratory. Note the subtle differences in the de-
tails of the NACA emblem compared to the details in the previous photograph. Each version of the early emblem was unique. (NASA AD88-0234-1)
16 C HAP TER 1 Wings of Eagles, 19151940

F I G U R E 1-20A .

The NACA emblem marks the location of the 16-Foot High-Speed Tunnel at Ames, which began operations in August 1941. The tunnel was con-
verted to the 14-Foot Transonic Tunnel in 1953 and was demolished in 2006. The cleared grassy area is located at the center of Ames and is now
referred to as NACA Park. The letters and wings symbol have a brass insert, while most other signs have the letters carved into stone. (Contributed
by Glenn Bugos)

F I G U R E 1-20 B A N D 1-20 C.

The early NACA winged emblem appeared on the 7- by 10-Foot High-Speed Tunnel and the Technical Service Building at Ames. The Technical
Service Building was one of the first operational buildings at Ames in 1940 and is still in existence today. (Contributed by Glenn Bugos)
 CHA P TE R 1 Wings of Eagles, 19151940 17

F I G U R E 1-2 1.

Test pilot Lawrence Clousing enters a Lockheed P-80 for a test flight at Ames in 1947. The Ames hangar was built in 1940. The NACA wing insignia
is notable since it displays features of the early emblem but without periods after the letters. (NACA A-11880)
18 C HAP TER 1 Wings of Eagles, 19151940

F I G U R E 1-22. F I G U R E 1-23.

The 16-Foot Transonic Tunnel was put into operation at Langley in late 1941. Although the The Langley Low-Turbulence Pressure Tunnel became
wind-tunnel circuit was demolished in 2011, the office building remains in use by NASA operational in 1941. The photograph shows the origi-
with the original NACA emblem above the entrance. (Contributed by James Baldwin) nal name for the facilityTwo-Dimensional Pressure
Tunneland the early NACA wing symbol. The tunnel
and building were demolished in 2015 and the location is
currently a grassy area. (Contributed by James Baldwin)
 CHA P TE R 1 Wings of Eagles, 19151940 19

PUBLICATIONS AND CORRESPONDENCE

The NACA adhered to stringent directives for publi-
cations and external correspondence during the for-
mative years covered by this era. For example, every
reference to the NACA in technical reports was always
made with periods after the individual letters. When
spoken, individual letters were articulated by letter as
N-A-C-A, rather than combined as the name NASA
is usually pronounced today.
The NACA wings insignia appeared on a few doc-
uments as early as 1933. For example, one of the early
Committee reports detailing the aeronautical chal-
lenges of the day and the facilities of the NACA at the
LMAL carried the logo.
Interestingly, the logo did not appear on the covers
of technical reports by the research staff. Covers of
technical publications (e.g., technical reports and tech-
nical notes) carried only the authors name, the report
publication number, and title of the publication with-
out any insignia.

F I G U R E 1-24.

The cover of an NACA overview document in 1933 displays the early NACA wings
emblem. (U.S. National Archives at College Park, MD, Textual Reference Branch, RG
255, Box 275, Folder 53-3)
20 C HAP TER 1 Wings of Eagles, 19151940

John Victory: No NACA Insignia your using the name of the National Advisory
Committee for Aeronautics as one of the users of
By the end of 1940, distinctly different versions of the your products. The Committee does not have an
NACA wings emblem were exhibited at many places official seal or insignia.14
throughout the laboratories and headquarters. Visitors
might have easily concluded that the logo was the offi- Thus, the NACA had operated for its first quarter
cial insignia of the NACA, but that was not the case. century without an official seal or emblem. The wide-
Despite the growing usage of the wings, no official spread use of the early NACA wings as an insignia had
insignia for the NACA had been adopted. been an informal, decorative action that flourished
In May 1940, Hardings Brothers, Inc., of Elmira, within the organizationespecially within the flight
New York, sent a letter to the LMAL requesting per- research community. That practice was to change in
mission to identify the National Advisory Committee 1941 when a new version of the NACA wings was for-
for Aeronautics as one of the users of the companys mally announced as the insignia of the agency. As will
products. (The specific product is not mentioned in be discussed, a decade would pass before an official
the letter.) NACA seal would be designed and implemented.
Acting in his position as Executive Secretary of the
NACA, Victory answered the request with these words:

Your letter of May 22, addressed to our labora- 14 Letter from John F. Victory to D. H. Laux, Vice President
of Hardings Brothers, Inc., of Elmira, NY. 29 May 1940.
tory at Langley Field, Virginia, has been referred Record Group 255, Box 275, Folder 53-3, NARA Textual
to this office for reply. There is no objection to Reference Branch, College Park, MD.
CHAPTER 2

Maturity and Pride, 19411957

Zenith of the NACA During the postwar years, the laboratories returned
to areas of basic research, guided and challenged by
The NACA continued its unprecedented acceleration lessons learned during the war and the emergence of
of aeronautical research and technology development radical new conceptsespecially breakthrough tech-
during World War II (WWII) and into the postwar nologies that would enable expanding the envelope
years. Many regard the organizations contributions into higher, faster, and further flight regimes. The
of that era as the most important accomplishments NACA played a major role in the development and
during its 43-year existence. The capabilities of the testing of a revolutionary series of X-planes that pro-
original NACA laboratory at Langley were enhanced vided unprecedented data and information to the mil-
by the addition of the AAL at Moffett Field, California; itary and industry.
the Aeronautical Engine Research Laboratory in Although it had been unofficial, the early NACA
Cleveland, Ohio; the High-Speed Flight Station in wing insignia of the 1920s and 1930s was a common
Edwards, California; and Wallops Station in Wallops unifying symbol that was proudly displayed to repre-
Island, Virginia. With the addition of unique facili- sent the technical leadership of the agency. The sym-
ties and technical expertise, an aura of team spirit and bols, however, were not consistent and varied for each
pride grew and prevailed among the laboratory staff application. The logo was standardized in 1941 by a
members. During WWII, patriotic fever was rampant formal NACA directive and became the official NACA
at all the laboratories, where staff typically worked six- insignia. It was modified in 1947 with a specific graph-
day weeks with no vacations. Fundamental research ical change, but all versions retained the basic appear-
was forced to take a backseat as the major focus of the ance of the earlier unofficial emblems. This chapter
NACA became support of military aviationprovid- contains examples of applications of the standard and
ing the facilities and expertise to contribute solutions modified insignia to buildings, aircraft, personal items,
to critical problems and conducting evaluations of technical reports, and correspondence during the era.
emerging military aircraft and systems.
21
22 C HAP TER 2 Maturity and Pride, 19411957

F I G U R E 2-1A . F I G U R E 2-1B .

This photograph of blueprint LED-9535 shows the layout of the NACA Close-up view of data providing schedule of proportions to be followed
standard insignia introduced in 1941 and a table of dimensional propor- in the standard insignia. (National Archives and Records Administration,
tions. (National Archives and Records Administration, San Bruno, CA. San Bruno, CA. Record Group 255.4.1. File G10-10)
Record Group 255.4.1. File G10-10)

An Official Insignia construction.1 Details of the insignia were given in

NACA blueprint LED-9535, created by the Langley
The versions of the unofficial NACA wing emblem graphics department. The new insignia again showed a
through 1940 had been very individualistic, with dif- shield, wings, and the letters NACA across the logo.
ferent details and a lack of uniform graphic content The use of periods after the letters, however, was dis-
between applications. Although the components of the continued and specific proportions for details such as
insignia consisted of a shield with separate wings and the length and width of the overall insignia; width of
periods after each letter in NACA, the shapes and posi-
tions of the individual elements varied considerably.
On 24 April 1941, at the semiannual meeting 1 Greatest Images of NASA (GRIN)-NASA Headquarters.
http://naca.larc.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=GPN-2000-001539&
of the Committee, a new official NACA Standard qs=Ns%3DPublication-Date|0%26N%3D4294060006%2
Insignia was approved for use on buildings under B4294130770%26No%3D50 (accessed 13 August 2014).
 CHA P TE R 2 Maturity and Pride, 19411957 23

F I G U R E 2-2.

This view of notable NACA attendees at the NACA Executives Conference at Langley in February 1946 shows an unusual version of the NACA
wings above the entrance of the 1941 addition to the Langley Administration Building. The logo appears to adhere to the proportions of the 1941
standard insignia directive but retains the periods after the letters per the early unofficial insignia. Attendees included (LR): Front row: Smith De-
France, AAL; Edward R. Sharp, AERL; John F. Victory, Edward H. Chamberlin, and John W. Crowley, Jr., NACA. Second row: H. J. E. Reid, LMAL;
Carlton Kemper, AERL; Russell G. Robinson, NACA; Addison M. Rothrock, AERL; Ferril R. Nickle, AAL; Dolph Henry, LMAL. Back row: William J.
McCann, AERL; Floyd L. Thompson, LMAL; Ralph E. Ulmer, NACA; W. Kemble Johnson, LMAL; Edward T. Mecutchen, NACA; Rufus O. House and
Ernest Johnson, LMAL; Parmely C. Daniels, NACA; Elton W. Miller and T. Melvin Butler, LMAL; and Robert J. Lacklen, NACA. Lacklen would later
become the Director of Personnel at NASA Headquarters and a key participant during the design and approval process for the NACA seal and the
NASA seal and insignia. (LAL 47001)
24 C HAP TER 2 Maturity and Pride, 19411957

the shield; the height, width, and thickness of the let- 1949, the NACA staff discovered that the proportions
ters; and spacing between the top of the letters and the of the insignia shown in LED-16616 were in error.2
top of the shield were defined. The error was called to the attention of Headquarters
The directive of 1941 arrived at a time when the and subsequently corrected. At the same time, Ames
NACA was in the midst of building several major facil- also requested permission to use the new version as
ities at the AERL, and Langley and Ames laboratories, a standard for NACA building entrance insignia.
and instances arose in which the building markings Headquarters denied the request.3
did not adhere to the new order. Victory, Executive Secretary of the NACA at the
time, provided a detailed directive in 1952 that clari-
fied the uses of the official and modified NACA wings
The Modified Standard Emblem insignia for the laboratories4:

In 1947, a modified version of the official NACA 1. On 24 April 1941, the Chairman, at the Semiannual
insignia was introduced and applied; it was a simpli- Meeting, said he approved a Standard NACA
fied design of the standard insignia. This final version Insignia for use on buildings under construction.
of the NACA insignia merged the separate elements The insignia showed a shield with the wing on each
of the shield and wings into a single solid background side inscribed with the letters NACA as presented
for enlarged NACA letters. Details of the emblem were on blue print LED-9535, but without periods.
given in NACA blueprint LED-16616, as supplied
by the Langley graphics department. The design was 2. In the years following, use of a Modified Standard
widely usedparticularly for NACA aircraft mark- NACA Insignia (LED-16616) for certain pur-
ingsand has been commonly remembered as the poses has been approved. Appropriate uses of the
most famous NACA insignia. Modified Standard NACA Insignia have been:
During the planning for implementation of the
modified standard insignia to Hangar Two at Ames in
2 Letter from Arthur B. Freeman, Administrative Management
Officer at Ames, to E.E. Miller, Chief of Division of
Research Information, NACA Headquarters, 23 November
1949. National Archives and Records Administration, San
Bruno, CA. Record Group 255.4.1. File G10-10 Procedure:
Insignia-NASA Standard 19491952.
3 Letter from E.E. Miller, Chief of Division of Research
Information, NACA Headquarters, to Ames, 9 December
1949. National Archives and Records Administration, San
Bruno, CA. Record Group 255.4.1. File G10-10 Procedure:
Insignia-NASA Standard 19491952.
F I G U R E 2- 3. 4 Letter from John F. Victory to Langley, Ames, and Lewis,
22 May 1952. Record Group 255, Textual Records Branch,
The modified standard insignia of 1947 combined the shield and wings components of National Archives at College Park, MD. Also National
Archives and Records Administration, San Bruno, CA.
the earlier logos. (NACA LMAL 51669) Record Group 255.4.1. File G10-10 Procedure: Insignia-
NASA Standard 19491952.
 CHA P TE R 2 Maturity and Pride, 19411957 25

(1) Report figures and tables Applications of Standard and Modified

(2) Photographs Wings
(3) Covers of RMs, TNs, and TMs
(4) Cover of telephone directories BUILDING EMBLEMS
(5) Slides The NACA insignia on new buildings and aircraft
(6) Apprentice graduation invitations hangars at the NACA laboratories followed the direc-
(7) Inspection booklets tives of Headquarters after 1941. Each of the facilities
(8) Conference reports exhibited impressively large versions of the insignia.
(9) Movie titles The standard and modified wings insignia on the
(10) Photostats of research data NACA flight hangars at the laboratories were partic-
(11) Laboratory directories ularly visible.
(12) Theses The NACA rapidly expanded its efforts in the con-
(13) Speeches struction of new wind tunnels in the years following
(14) Laboratory forms
(15) NACA Civil Service Announcements
(16) NACA vehicles
(17) Decals
(18) Artist conceptions of new buildings
(19) Maintenance uniforms
(20) Basketball uniforms
(21) NACA research planes

3. Use of the Modified Standard NACA Insignia for

purposes outlined in (2) is to be continued.

4. In the future, the Modified Standard NACA

Insignia is to be used, instead of the Standard
NACA Insignia, in such instances as on:
(1) Signal cover sheets
(2) Apprentice diplomas
(3) Testimonials
(4) Murals
(5) Displays for Air Force Day F I G U R E 2- 4.
(6) Displays for War Memorial Museum
(7) Apprentice graduation program The famous U.S. Army Air Forces B-17 bomber Memphis Belle visited the AERL on
7 July 1943 as part of its homecoming war bond tour after being the first bomber to
5. The NACA Standard Insignia will continue to be complete 25 combat missions in Europe. The standard NACA wing insignia is dis-
used on buildings. played on the hangar. (NACA C1943-01866)
26 C HAP TER 2 Maturity and Pride, 19411957

F I G U R E 2- 5.

A busy day of flight research at the NACA Aircraft Engine Research Laboratory in 1946. The AERL hangar was built in 1942 and displayed the stan-
dard NACA insignia. (NASA C1946-14736)
 CHA P TE R 2 Maturity and Pride, 19411957 27

F I G U R E 2- 6.

The modified standard

NACA wings logo appears
on the Ames hangar (now
NASA building N211) in this
photo of a Republic F-84F
during NACA tests in 1954.
(GPN-2000-001509)

WWII. Replicas of the NACA wings were placed centenary, NASA Administrator Charles Bolden for-
above the main entrance doors to the tunnel build- mally presented the iconic logo sign to NASM Director
ings. The Langley 8-Foot Transonic Pressure Tunnel Jack Dailey during a reception on 3 March 2015.
was an important NACA facility used by Richard T. An important highlight of NACA activities in
Whitcomb to develop several breakthrough concepts the postwar years was the creation of the High-Speed
including winglets and supercritical-wing technology. Flight Research Station at Muroc, California, for the
The tunnel was constructed in 1953 and displayed the X-1 project during the nations assault on the sound
standard NACA insignia throughout its lifetime. The barrier. That highly successful project was the first of
facility was closed in 1996 and demolished in 2011, countless achievements that have emanated from the
but the tunnels original NACA insignia is now dis- complex at Edwards Air Force Base. The dedicated
played in the America by Air exhibit at the National NACA staff initially occupied makeshift quarters that
Air and Space Museum (NASM) in the National Mall carried the NACA emblem at an area known as South
Building in Washington, DC. In honor of the NACA Base. The original building housing the staff carried
28 C HAP TER 2 Maturity and Pride, 19411957

F I G U R E 2-7.

The NACA standard insignia was mounted above an en-

trance to the Langley 8-Foot Transonic Pressure Tunnel
and remained there until the demolition of the building
in 2011. The emblem is now on display at the National
Air and Space Museum in the National Mall Building in
Washington, DC. (Contributed by James Baldwin)

F I G U R E 2- 8 .

The 12-Foot Pressure Tunnel, one of the most famous

workhorse tunnels at the Ames Research Center, was
identified by a facility sign with the NACA standard insig-
nia. (Contributed by Glenn Bugos)

F I G U R E 2- 9.

The 40- by 80-Foot Tunnel at NASA Ames is the largest

U.S. wind tunnel. It displays the NACA standard insignia.
(Contributed by Glenn Bugos)
 CHA P TE R 2 Maturity and Pride, 19411957 29

F I G U R E 2-10.

The NACA staff at the High-Speed Flight Research Station poses in front of its South Base office building at Edwards, California, in 1950. At the
time, the staff reported to NACA Langley. The modified standard wings emblem was on display. (NASA E33717)

the modified standard logo, but the modern building AIRCRAFT MARKINGS
(Building 4800) that followed at Main Base exhibited From 1946 to 1957, the NACAs expanding fleet of
the old standard NACA wings marking in compliance research aircraft went through dramatic changes in
with the 1941 directive. terms of color and insignia. In 1946, the NACA, the
Use of the NACA insignia on new buildings was United States Air Force (USAF), and Bell Aircraft pur-
reserved for major facilities and did not, in general, sued the development of a radical series of experimental
apply to secondary buildings. research aircraft, which became known as the Bell X-1
seriesspecifically designed to investigate and con-
quer the mysterious sound barrier. The three early X-1s
30 C HAP TER 2 Maturity and Pride, 19411957

F I G U R E 2-11.

By 1954, the installation

was renamed the NACA
High-Speed Station and
became an autonomous
unit reporting to NACA
Headquarters. Interesting-
ly, the newly constructed
main building at Main
Base exhibited the older
standard logo. (NASA
E-33718)

F I G U R E 2-12.

The entrance to the Ames Aeronautical Laboratory

exhibited the NACA modified standard wings emblem.
(NASA A-13425)
 CHA P TE R 2 Maturity and Pride, 19411957 31

F I G U R E 2-13.

Not all NACA buildings displayed the NACA insignia. For example, the security guard house at the Lewis laboratory used individual letters in 1956.
(NASA GRC 1956_43269)
32 C HAP TER 2 Maturity and Pride, 19411957

F I G U R E 2-14. F I G U R E 2-15.

The second X-1 research airplane was used by the NACA for specific Two years later, in 1951, X-1-2 retained its white paint finish, but the
flights of interest to the research community. The airplane was originally NACA shield was replaced with the modified standard NACA wings
orange in color but was painted all white and displayed the old NACA insignia in a gold tail band. The X symbols were painted on the fuselage
shield on the vertical tail in 1949. (NASA E49-009) for reference during visual measurements of aircraft attitude. (NASA
E52-0670)

were initially painted bright orange for presumed ease Other experimental NACA aircraft of the 1950s
of visibility and tracking during flight. During Chuck adopted the highly visible white paint scheme with a
Yeagers historic X-1 flight in October 1947, however, markings progression similar to that of the X-1 pro-
the aircraft was difficult to see. Flight research for the gram. For example, the paint scheme for the Douglas
second X-1 was managed by the NACA for its specific D-558-1 Skystreak was changed from scarlet to white,
research interests and was painted a more easily dis- and its tail emblem transitioned from the NACA
cernible white. X-1-2 initially displayed the NACA shield to the gold NACA wings logo. Other research
shield to honor the traditional shield markings from aircraft adopting the overall white scheme included
the pioneering days of the agency. After its first flights, the swept-wing Douglas D-558-2, designed to further
the vertical tail surface was refinished with the modi- explore the realm of supersonic flight beyond Mach
fied standard NACA wings insignia within a gold tail 1; the Douglas X-3 Stilleto, designed to advance the
band. Archival searches did not identify a reference for efficiency of supersonic flight; the Northrop X-4,
the foregoing applications. designed to evaluate the characteristics of tailless jet
 CHA P TE R 2 Maturity and Pride, 19411957 33

F I G U R E 2-16.

The Douglas D-558-1 shown in its early markings with

the NACA shield on the vertical tail (top) and in flight with
the NACA wings band (bottom) in the early 1950s.
34 C HAP TER 2 Maturity and Pride, 19411957

F I G U R E 2-17.

The swept-wing NACA/Navy Douglas D-558-2 displays

the NACA shield in 1949 (top) and the NACA wings band
in 1955 (bottom). (NASA E49-00200 and NASA E-1442)
 CHA P TE R 2 Maturity and Pride, 19411957 35

F I G U R E 2-18 .

White NACA X-planes on display at the High-Speed

Flight Research Station. Aircraft are (left to right): D-558-
2, D-558-1, X-5, X-1, XF-92A, and X-4. Photo of NACA
research aircraft in front of the South Base hangar was
taken on 1 March 1952. Both the aircraft and hangar
exhibit the modified standard wings logo. (NASA EC-145)

F I G U R E 2-19.

This Grumman F9F-2 was flown at Langley in 1954 to

evaluate a pioneering NACA analog fly-by-wire concept.
In addition to the gold NACA tail band, it carries NACA
letters on the rear fuselage. (EL-2002-00295)
36 C HAP TER 2 Maturity and Pride, 19411957

F I G U R E 2-20.

In some cases, research aircraft carried the NACA

insignia on the forward fuselage as shown here. Ames
Director Smith DeFrance poses with the last Chairman of
the NACA, James H. Doolittle, in the Ames hangar with a
Convair F-102 airplane. (A-23459)

F I G U R E 2-2 1.

The gold NACA tail band is carried by this B-57 aircraft

at Lewis in 1957. (NASA 1957_45904)
 CHA P TE R 2 Maturity and Pride, 19411957 37

F I G U R E 2-22.

Striking photograph of an F-100 with NACA and U.S. Air Force markings during a flight-test program on inertial coupling phenomena at the NACA
High-Speed Flight Station in 1957. (E-3213)

aircraft; and the Bell X-5, designed to study the vari- Flight research at the NACA laboratories was
able-sweep wingconcept. extremely healthy and productive during the 1950s.
From the mid-1950s through 1957, virtually all Requests from the military for evaluations of advanced
NACA research aircraft at the laboratories followed the aircraft were abundant, and basic in-flight research
lead of the Muroc group and carried the modified stan- studies included correlation with data from ground-
dard NACA wings enclosed within a gold tail band. based experiments and wind tunnels.
The following photographs illustrate markings for a
few of the aircraft of the era.
38 C HAP TER 2 Maturity and Pride, 19411957

F I G U R E 2-23.

A McDonnell F-101 was

flown at Langley in 1956
for investigations of sonic
boom phenomena. The
project produced data
used today in the United
States sonic boom data-
base. The airplane carries
a large NACA tail band as
well as Air Force mark-
ings. (EL-2002-00289)

F I G U R E 2-24.

In 1957, Langley con-

ducted flight tests of
a Grumman F-11F-1 to
obtain data for correlation
with wind-tunnel and the-
oretical results obtained
on NACA aerodynamicist
Richard Whitcombs area
rule. The NACA tail band
lacked the gold color
typically carried by other
research aircraft. (NACA
LAL 57-2253)
CHA P TE R 2 Maturity and Pride, 19411957 39

F I G U R E 2-25.

Ames test pilot George

Cooper poses with an
F-100 that displays the
modified standard wings
insignia under the forward
fuselage. (NASA A-22548)
40 C HAP TER 2 Maturity and Pride, 19411957

INSIGNIA AND DECEPTION

One of the most remarkable activities in the history of the NACA
involved the use of the NACA insignia for military deception during
the late 1950s period of the Cold War. At that time, high-altitude over-
flights were being conducted for espionage and spying by the United
States. During the startup of U-2 spy plane missions over Europe and
the Soviet Union in the mid-1950s, the Central Intelligence Agency
(CIA) and other agencies required a cover story for the covert mis-
sions. After extended discussions and consideration by officials at the
highest levels, a cover story was created that the U-2 was being used
for high-altitude weather research by the NACA.5
Dr. Hugh L. Dryden, Director of the NACA, gave his approval
for the cover story, and a NACA press release on 7 May 1956 stated:

The Lockheed U-2 shown here is being used by the National

Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, to obtain detailed infor-
mation about gust-meteorological conditions at high-altitude.
The research program makes use of instrumentation furnished
by the NACA and the Wright Air Development Center of the
USAF and logistical and technical support is provided by the
Air Weather Service of the USAF. Since the program began
last spring, numerous data gathering flights have been made in
the United States and elsewhere in the world. The NACA has
found the U-2 (Powered by a Pratt & Whitney J-57) a most
useful research tool, especially because of its ability to maintain
flight at high-altitude, as high as 55,000 feet. Subjects under
study include clear-air turbulence, convective clouds, and the
jetstream.6

In reality, the NACA never used the aircraft, although NACA

instrumentation was carried on flights. Pilot training of CIA pilots
F I G U R E 2-26.
had begun in 1955 at Groom Lake, Nevada (also known as The
Ranch), using similarly marked silver U-2 aircraft. Each aircraft had
In the 1950s, NACA flight hangars were busy with numerous high-priority
flight projects. The Langley hangar (top) housed three generations of air-
craft wearing the NACA tail band, including (bottom to top) a P-51H, an
5 For an in-depth discussion of the NACA U-2 activities, see Peter W. Merlin,
F-101A, and an F-86A. The High-Speed Flight Station hangar (bottom)
Unlimited Horizons: Design and Development of the U-2 (NASA SP-2014-620).
housed aircraft with a variety of NACA markings including tail bands and
6 Photo and photo caption in NASA file folder, Record Group 255, Still
wing identification numbers. (NASA LAL 96951 and NASA E-959) Pictures Branch, National Archives at College Park, MD.
 CHA P TE R 2 Maturity and Pride, 19411957 41

a fictitious NACA tail band and number on the tail

and the letters NACA painted on the lower left wing.
The NACA cover story was maintained until 1 May
1960, when CIA pilot Francis Gary Powers was shot
down while flying over Soviet Union airspace.7
After Powers was shot down, an all-black U-2 was
hastily painted with a fictitious tail number and NASA
markings (by then the NACA had been absorbed by
NASA) and put on view for the press at the NASA
Flight Research Center with a cover story about a U-2
conducting weather research that may have strayed
off course after the pilot reported difficulties with his
oxygen equipment. In 1971, NASA finally took posses-
sion of two U-2s for high-altitude research.
F I G U R E 2-27.

Employee Applications This NACA-marked version of the Lockheed U-2 spy plane was one of about three
dozen that participated in training of pilots at Groom Lake, Nevada, by the Central Intel-

LAPEL PINS ligence Agency (CIA). NACA Director Hugh Dryden agreed to a cover story for the CIA
to protect the true intentions of the aircraft missions. (NACA LAL 5796 via NARA at
The employees of the NACA fostered a culture of pride
College Park, MD, RG 255-RF series, Langley Aeronautical Laboratory, Flight Research)
and dedication that extended to an appreciation and
respect for the organizations insignia as embodied in
decorative pins, service awards, and awards. Display of
the insignia on personal and government items was a
common habit. In 1943, after much consideration of
a lapel pin for NACA personnel and a review of the
designs submitted, Victory announced that the stan-
dard NACA insignia had been selected for the pin.8

7 For discussions of the U-2 story, see Norman Polmar,

Spyplane: The U-2 History Declassified, Zenith Press, 2001;
Dennis R. Jenkins and Tony R. Landis, Date with the
Dragon Lady. The Amazing Story of the Versatile Lockheed
U-2, Wings magazine, August 2005, pp. 2861; Zaur
Eylanbekov, Project Aquatone, Air Force magazine, July
2010. pp. 5157; and Jennifer E. Davis, There is No Good
Time for Failure: Examining NASAs Involvement in the F I G U R E 2-28 .
U-2 Spy Plane Cover Story, Masters Thesis, Utah State
University Department of History, 2005. An all-black U-2 was put on display at the NASA Flight Research Center in 1960 after
8 LMAL Bulletin, Langley internal newsletter, 5 June 1943, the F. Gary Powers incident. (NASA GPN-2000-000112)
p. 3.
42 C HAP TER 2 Maturity and Pride, 19411957

The pin, suitable for wear by both men and women, had an overall
length of about three-quarters of an inch and could be purchased by
employees at the NACA laboratories and headquarters. The NACA
insignia design was finished in red, white, and blue with the letters
US and NACA in silver.9

F I G U R E 2-29.

9 LMAL Bulletin, 1016 July 1943. p.1.

Lapel pin offered for purchase by NACA employees beginning in 1943.
(Contributed by Peter W. Merlin)

F I G U R E 2- 31.

F I G U R E 2- 3 0. NACA emblems abound in this photo taken in 1957 at Ames during

a visit from celebrity Arthur M. Godfrey. Godfrey was a certified pilot
Icing expert Lewis Rodert of the Ames laboratory wears the red, white, and had a strong interest in aviation. The group includes (left to right)
and blue NACA pin while accepting the Collier Trophy from President Godfrey, Ames test pilot George Cooper, and Ames Director Smith
Truman in 1947. Rodert had started his career in icing at Langley, then DeFrance. Note the NACA insignia on the vehicle in the background
transferred to Ames, and was employed at the AERL at the time of the and on the patch on Coopers shoulder. DeFrance is wearing the NACA
award. (NASA C47_20298) lapel pin. (NASA A-23317)
 CHA P TE R 2 Maturity and Pride, 19411957 43

SERVICE PINS
An administrative item of great interest at the NACA sites occurred in 1948, when
it was decided to award meritorious service emblems to members of the NACA staff
upon completion of 20 years or more service. All of the NACA laboratories were
invited to propose designs for the pin emblem that would be symbolic of the NACA
and which will also be striking in appearance.10 Laboratory employees at Langley
and Ames contributed both serious and humorous designs to NACA Headquarters
for selection of the final design.
Two of the most talented artists employed by the NACA responded with several
ideas for designs. Julius J. Lankes, head of illustrators at Langley, was the creator
of many impressive works.11 Noted artist Harry DeVoto of Ames also contributed
several potential candidates for the service pins. DeVoto transferred to Ames from
Langley where he had been the former art editor of the Air Scoop newsletter. Lankes
would leave the NACA in 1950, but DeVoto remained at Ames through the estab-
lishment of NASA. DeVoto led the Ames proposals for the design of the NASA
insignia and seal in 1958, as will be discussed in a later chapter.12
One of the notable designs for the service pins was submitted by F. D. Morris of
the East Photo Lab at Langley. Morris proposed the use of the modified standard
NACA wings with the years of service indicated by number on an auxiliary tab of
some sort. His submittal apparently had a large influence on the ultimate selection.
In early 1949, a survey of the NACA staff was conducted to determine the most
desirable design submission. The service pin design selected by laboratory directors
and NACA Headquarters resembled the modified standard NACA wings emblem,
but with the numbers 15, 20, 25, or 30 added to represent years of servicean
arrangement very similar to the scheme submitted by F. D. Morris. All pins would
be gold; the 20-year pin would have a ruby stone, the 25-year pin an emerald, and
the 30-year pin a diamond.13

F I G U R E 2- 32.

10 Langley Air Scoop, in-house newsletter, 28 October 1948, Volume 7, Issue 43. p. 4.
These designs for the NACA meritorious service pins
11 See http://crgis.ndc.nasa.gov/historic/NACA_Memorial_ Aeronautical_Laboratory#Aeronautical
were submitted by J. J. Lankes of Langley (top) and Harry _History_Murals (accessed 29 October 2014), http://history.nasa.gov/nltr31-1.pdf (accessed 29
DeVoto of Ames (bottom). (Langley Air Scoop, internal October 2014), and http://history.nasa.gov/nltr31-2.pdf (accessed 29 October 2014).
newsletter, 4 March 1949, Volume 9, Issue 8, p. 3) 12 Ames Research Center View of NASA Logo Design, Letter from Harry J. DeVoto to Steve
Garber, 6 May 2001, Historical Reference Collection (HRC), file 61.
13 Langley Air Scoop, 4 March 1949, Volume 9, Issue 8 p. 3.
44 C HAP TER 2 Maturity and Pride, 19411957

F I G U R E 2- 33.

Sketch of the 20-year service pin submitted by F. D. Morris of Langley. (Record Group
255, Box 275, Folder 53-3, NARA Textual Reference Branch, College Park, MD)

F I G U R E 2- 3 4.

NACA 15-year service pin

awarded to Ben A. Goddin
of Langley. Note the simi-
larity to the sketches by F.
D. Morris in the previous
figure. (Contributed by
Andy Goddin)

F I G U R E 2- 35.

Dr. Hugh L. Dryden held

the position of Director
of the NACA from 1947
until October 1958. He
was Deputy Administrator
of NASA until his death
in December 1965. In
this photo, Dr. Dryden is
wearing a 10-year NACA
service pin. (NASA GPN-
2002-000105)
 CHA P TE R 2 Maturity and Pride, 19411957 45

BADGES Badges and other identification cards were also

Security at the NACA laboratories and headquarters displayed by Committee members of the NACA for
during WWII was a major issue as concerns over sab- entry to the NACA laboratories and other government
otage and espionage intensified with the recognition facilities. Keith Yoerg, great-grandnephew of Orville
that spies and informants were active. The situation Wright, has inherited Wrights badge for access to the
was especially severe at Langley, which was adjacent U.S. Army Air Forces Materiel Center at Wright Field
to numerous Army and Navy installations in an area in Dayton, Ohio.14 The badge identifies his affiliation
known to be a hotbed of spying activity. Identification with the NACA and honors him with the first access
badges for personnel and their vehicles were insti- badge to his namesake laboratory.
tuted. Staff members were required to display personal
badges with their photographs, and they were required
to display metal tags on automobiles for entry to the
14 A Legacy of Flight, The Researcher News, Langleys
laboratory. Use of badges was strictly enforced by secu- in-house newsletter, http://researchernews.larc.nasa.gov/
rity guards. archives/2005/72905/legacy.html (accessed 19 August 2014).

F I G U R E 2- 36. F I G U R E 2- 37.

Orville Wrights badge for access to the U.S. Army Air Other identification cards were carried by members of the NACA Committee. This card
Forces Materiel Center at Wright Field. The background identifies Edward V. Eddie Rickenbacker as a member of the Committee from 1956
for the badge in the photograph is original fabric from to 1958. (Contributed by Peter V. Merlin)
the 1903 Wright Flyer. (Contributed by Keith Yoerg)
46 C HAP TER 2 Maturity and Pride, 19411957

Employees received frequent reminders about the

placement and importance of personnel badges to
ensure that the badges were worn on the upper por-
tion of the employees clothing where they would be
visible at all times. (Belt, wallet, and purse locations
were not satisfactory.) An article in the LMAL Bulletin,
F I G U R E 2- 3 8 .
Langleys in-house newspaper, stated:
The NACA standard wings
were a prominent compo- It has been mentioned that women are the chief
nent of the NACA identifi- violators of this regulation, many of them claiming
cation badge worn by O. that the pin part of the badge makes holes in their
W. Culpepper of Langley clothing. The exercising of a little ingenuity will
in 1942. The bluish-purple help eliminate this problem, officials declared.15
color indicates an unclas-
sified security clearance. The ingenuity exhibited by employees included
(NASA Langley LAH) using small metal clamps to grasp the offending pin
on the backside of the badge and using a necklace-type
band to hold the badge around the neck. The secu-
rity clearance level of the individual was indicated by
the color of the badge, with bluish-purple denoting an
unclassified level, orange indicating Confidential, and
red signifying Secret.16
In 1952, the security organization at Langley made
a major change away from the hole-producing pin-type
badges. Instead, flat plastic clip-on badges were intro-
duced that would not perforate the wearers apparel.17
F I G U R E 2- 39.

Clarence J. Parker of
15 LMAL Bulletin, Issue 19, Volume 2, 28 August3
Langley wore an orange
September 1943, p. 5.
badge, indicating that he
16 P. Kenneth Pierpont, Langley retiree, interview by Joseph
was cleared at the Confi- Chambers, Newport News, VA, 23 August 2014.
dential level. (Contributed 17 Langley Air Scoop newsletter, Volume 11 Issue 45, 7
by Tracey Redman) November 1952, p. 4.
CHA P TE R 2 Maturity and Pride, 19411957 47

F I G U R E 2- 4 0A
A N D 2- 4 0 B .

Ames Director Smith

DeFrance (left) was pre-
sented with his 35-year
service award by his
assistant, Jack Parsons
(right). Parsons NACA
badge is shown in the
enlargement. (NASA GPN-
2000-001525)

F I G U R E 2- 41.

Ames test pilot George

Cooper (left) and Ames
Director Smith DeFrance
(right) pose next to an
F-86 research aircraft.
DeFrance is wearing his
NACA badge. (NASA
A-16539)
48 C HAP TER 2 Maturity and Pride, 19411957

F I G U R E 2- 42.

Frank Bechtel began his 33-year NACA/NASA career at

the NACA Aircraft Engine Research Laboratory in 1941.
Here, he displays his AERL badge from the early 1940s.
The red badge denotes a Secret clearance. (Contributed
by Scott Marabito)

F I G U R E 2- 4 3.

Langleys internal newslet-

ter, Air Scoop, illustrated
the new clip-on badges in
November 1952. Samples
included permanent and
temporary badges. (NASA
Langley HistoricalArchives)
 CHA P TE R 2 Maturity and Pride, 19411957 49

F I G U R E 2- 4 4.

Honorary NACA plaque

presented to Fred E.
Weick in recognition of his
contributions to aviation.
The plaque emblem is the
standard design commonly
used on retirement plaques.
(NASA Langley Historical
Archives, Weick collection)

RETIREMENT PLAQUES airplane flight tests.18 His work in the PRT resulted
Perhaps the most revered award bestowed upon retir- in the NACA receiving its first Collier Trophy for the
ees who worked for the NACA was a plaque adorned NACA cowling concept.
with the standard NACA wing insignia. NASA retirees
who did not work for the NACA during their career PUBLICATIONS AND CORRESPONDENCE
are not eligible to receive this coveted plaque. The Technical publications produced by the staffs of the
practiceextended well into the NASA yearswas NACA laboratories did not feature emblems until
greatly appreciated by the dedicated employees whose about 1944. Prior to that year, NACA reports were
hard work and team spirit contributed so much to the published with a cover that simply stated the title, the
advancement of aeronautics and international respect author(s), and the date of publication. From 1944 to
for the agency. about 1949, covers of lower-level publications known as
Employees at all levels received such plaquesfrom the Technical Note series carried the standard NACA
administrative personnel, to top-ranking research- wings. After 1949, the modified standard wings
ers and managers, to administrative personnel and wereused.
support technicians. At a special event during a visit
to Langley in 1990, an honorary NACA plaque was
presented to Fred E. Weick, a famous researcher who
led critical studies in the Atmospheric Wind Tunnel 18 Weick came to the NACA in 1925 and left in 1936. He did
(AWT), the Propeller Research Tunnel (PRT), and not retire from the NACA.
50 C HAP TER 2 Maturity and Pride, 19411957

F I G U R E 2- 46.

The NACA standard insig-

nia was used on the cover
of NACA reports known as
technical notes from 1944
to 1949.

F I G U R E 2- 4 5.

Covers of early NACA technical reports did not feature

symbols or insignia until about 1944. As shown here,
many of the publications were translations of research
conducted by other organizations, including universities F I G U R E 2- 47.
and European research laboratories.
After the modified stan-
dard insignia was adopt-
ed, it was used on the
cover of NACA technical
note publications from
1949 until the end of the
NACA in 1958.
 CHA P TE R 2 Maturity and Pride, 19411957 51

MISCELLANEOUS APPLICATIONS Center. The 1988 reunion held in San Jose, California,
The unifying symbolism of the NACA wings spread had a peak attendance with 810 people.
to other areas of daily life at the laboratories. Sports Other souvenirs of the NACA years include special
uniforms worn by enthusiastic participants from vari- tokens and medallions in remembrance of events and
ous organizations in intense yearlong in-house compe- the significant contributions of the agency. One spe-
tition often carried the wings insignia, as did NACA cial medallion minted for the employees of the NACA
apprentice school emblems and activities. The appren- contained material from a Curtiss JN-4 Jenny tested
tice school was a proud element of the NACA tradition during the first aircraft flight research program at the
that was extremely productive in educating masses of LMAL and material from the Bell X-1 series aircraft
future NACA employees.19
Pride in the NACA insignia spilled over into pri-
vate lives as well. Personal items, such as pencils and
other memorabilia, could be purchased by employees;
and some items, such as drinking glasses and mugs,
can still be purchased today.
Former NACA employees have cherished the mem-
ories of their years at the laboratories and headquar-
ters long after their retirement. Special events, such as
reunions, have been notable events in many lives. The
first reunion took place in 1976 at Asheville, North
Carolina, and subsequent reunions took place on a
more or less regular basis beginning in 1982. Over 360
attended the 12th and final reunion of NACA employ-
ees in May 2008 at the NASA Langley Research

19 Apprentice to Expert: Langley Grows Its Own,

available online at http://articles.dailypress.com/1990-
08-20/news/9008200098_1_ apprentice-program-nasa-
langley-research-center-blades (accessed 6 September
2014). The Apprentice School at Langley was set up in
1941 by the Apprentice Administration in conjunction
with officials of the War Training Program. Under
the NACA Apprenticeship Standards approved by the
Federal Committee on Apprenticeship, students were
required to obtain 150 hours of study each year to become
machinists, aircraft sheet metal workers, model makers,
and wind-tunnel mechanics. Members of the laboratory
staff, including both engineers and tradesmen, served as F I G U R E 2- 4 8 .
classroom instructors. The first class of Langley apprentices,
made up of 14 students, graduated 17 February 1943.
NACA Apprentice School banner bears the NACA modified wing emblem. Date un-
LMAL Bulletin, in-house newsletter, Volume 2 Issue 6, 5
April 1943. known. (Contributed by James V. Plant)
52 C HAP TER 2 Maturity and Pride, 19411957

flown at the NACA High Speed Flight Station. The

dedication statement read:

The contributions by NACA to the history of

aviation during the span of time between these
two aircraft will be felt by all aircraft to come
and best remembered by those who were involved
in these and other aeronautical activities during
such an important part of our Nations techno-
logical heritage.

F I G U R E 2- 49.

This NACA reunion brochure from the second reunion at

Williamsburg, VA, in 1982 exhibited the beloved wings
and seal. (Fred Weick Collection LHA)

F I G U R E 2- 50.

A special award of NACA wings was presented to James

J. Modarelli, who served as Chairman of the NACA
Reunion III held at the NASA Lewis Research Center in
1985. Modarelli was the creator of the NASA seal and
insignia. (Contributed by James J. Modarelli, Jr.)
 CHA P TE R 2 Maturity and Pride, 19411957 53

The seal was stated to be necessary For use on the cer-

tificates issued to graduates of the apprentice training
courses conducted at the NACA laboratories, and also
for use on the commissions of appointment to NACA
technical committees and subcommittees.20 An ini-
tial design proposal had included the NACA insignia,
which was eliminated by agreement of the attendees.
On 4 February, the Committee requested that the
Heraldic Branch of the Office of the Quartermaster
General of the Department of the Army prepare an
official seal based on a drawing that the NACA had
informally discussed and left with the branch. The
request was for a plaque, line drawings, a colored paint-
ing, and a proposed executive order approving the seal
to be presented by the NACA to the Bureau of the
Budget for approval by the President.21 On August 12,
F I G U R E 2- 51.
the Office of the Quartermaster General responded
to the NACA with all the requested deliverables. The
Special medallion containing materials from a Curtiss Committee then sent all materials to the Bureau of the
Jenny biplane and one of the Bell X-1 research aircraft. Budget for transmittal to the President of the United
(NASA Langley LHA) States for approval.22
The design for the official seal showed a draw-
ing of the takeoff of the Wright brothers airplane
The NACA Seal at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, on 17 December
1903, with a circular border displaying the words
The NACA wings insignia has often been mistakenly NATIONAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR
referred to as the NACA seal, but an actual seal emblem AERONAUTICSU.S.A.
was not developed and approved until the 1950s. The
fact that the NACA did not have a seal until then was
a surprising revelationparticularly since seals were 20 Minutes of Executive Committee meeting, 23 January 1953,
common in most government organizations. Insignia p. 5, Langley Historical Archives, Milton Ames Collection.
are almost informal logos adapted for general repre- 21 Letter from John F. Victory to the Quartermaster General,
Department of the Army. 4 February 1953. Files of the
sentation of organizations, whereas seals are usually Institute of Heraldry, Department of the Army, Fort
formal symbols used by high-level officialstypically Belvoir, VA, to be deposited in the NASA HRC.
for more restricted uses. At a meeting of the Executive 22 Letter from William D. Jackson, Chief, Research and
Committee on 23 January 1953, a proposed design Development Division, to Robert Lacklen, NACA
Headquarters, 12 August 1953. Files of the Institute of
of an official seal for the NACA was submitted for Heraldry, Department of the Army, Fort Belvoir, VA, to be
approval on the basis of a rather obscure requirement. deposited in the NASA HRC.
54 C HAP TER 2 Maturity and Pride, 19411957

the lower wing and Wilbur Wright running

alongside, just after letting go of the right
wing tip.

3. The Government Printing Office is pre-

paring cuts of the seal for use on NACA
publications and possibly on letterheads. An
official impression seal is being prepared by
the Bureau of Engraving and Printing.

F I G U R E 2- 52. 4. The official seal in color was prepared

by the Heraldic Branch, Office of the
The NACA seal was Quartermaster General, Department of the
approved by President Army, and is mounted on the wall in the
Dwight D. Eisenhower in Board Room at Headquarters.
1953. (NASA)
As will be discussed in the next chapter, many of the
The NACA laboratories were advised of the formal individuals involved in the establishment of the NACA
adoption of the new NACA seal in a letter from John seal also had roles in the development and establish-
F. Victory23: ment of the NASA insignia and seal a few years later.
The NACA seal was used in the design of special
1. On 14 October 1953, President Eisenhower awards presented to employees. Among these were the
issued Executive Order 10492, approving an NACA Distinguished Service Medal and the NACA
official seal for the NACA. Exceptional Service Medal.
The seal was displayed in a prominent location in
2. The seal is a representation of the famous the boardroom at the NACA Headquarters building in
photograph depicting the first successful Washington, DC. Visitors to the boardroom at NACA
flight of an airplane. The seal shows the first Headquarters were also impressed by a detailed mural
flight of the Wright brothers Kitty Hawk depicting the location and scope of the NACA facilities
Flyer taking off from the launching rail on across the United States. The mural had been created
the sandy soil at the foot of Kill Devil Hill, in 1950 by Langley illustrators to signify the breadth of
NC, with Orville Wright lying prone on the Committees facilities.

23 Letter from John F. Victory to NACA Headquarters, Langley,

Ames, Lewis, NACA High-Speed Flight Research Station,
NACA Western Coordination Office, NACA Liaison Office
at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, 28 October 1953,
Langley Historical Archives, Milton Ames Collection.
 CHA P TE R 2 Maturity and Pride, 19411957 55

F I G U R E 2- 53.

The NACA Distinguished

Service Medal (left) and
the NACA Exceptional
Service Medal (right).
(NASA Ames Artifacts
Collection ART1387348
and ART1387349)

F I G U R E 2- 54.

The NACA Exceptional Service Medal is presented at

the NACA High-Speed Flight Station in November 1956
by Dr. Hugh Dryden to the crew of the X-1A research
aircraft. LR: Dr. Dryden, Joe Walker (X-1A research
pilot), Stan Butchart (pilot of the B-29 mothership), and
Richard Payne (X-1A crew chief). (NASA E-2672)
56 C HAP TER 2 Maturity and Pride, 19411957

Anticipating the Future

Working at the leading edge of technologies in aero-

nautics, the NACA laboratories joined in the national
push toward higher, faster flight capabilities. Interest
in hypersonic flight (speeds above Mach 5) had been
stimulated as early as 1945 in part because of German
applications of V-2 missiles and advanced ground facil-
ities near the end of WWII.24 In 1952, NACA labo-
ratories began studying numerous problems likely to
be encountered in flights to space, and in May 1954,
the NACA proposed to the Air Force development of
a piloted research vehicle that would study the prob-
lems of flight in the upper atmosphere and at hyper-
sonic speeds. That vehicle would become the famed
rocket-propelled X-15 hypersonic research airplane.
As efforts to achieve spaceflight intensified, other
nations made great strides toward achieving the
same goal, and, on 4 October 1957, the Soviet Union
launched a satellite known as Sputnik, which led to a
massive effort by the United States to gain the lead in
spaceflight. One result of this effort was the creation
of a new government agency that would absorb the
personnel, facilities, and can do pride of the NACA.
Along with the new Agency would come a new insignia
and a new seal.
F I G U R E 2- 55.

24 James R. Hansen, Engineer in Charge: A History of the

This mural featuring the standard NACA wings and sketches of the NACA facilities was Langley Aeronautical Laboratory, 19171958. (NASA SP-
displayed in the NACA Headquarters boardroom along with the NACA seal. (LAL-67805) 4305, 1987).
CHAPTER 3

A New Agency, 19581959

Search for a New Logo emblem, which has erroneously been referred to as a
slash, vector, airfoil, hypersonic wing design,
Following the launch of Sputnik, the wave of national and even as an alternate shape of the constellation
enthusiasm in support of the nations aeronautical Andromeda. Although some aspects of the origins
progress resulted in a new agency with a logo to inspire of the NASA seal and insignia have been documented
efforts to meet the space race challenge. Today, the in the past, this chapter collates and summarizes the
official NASA seal and the less-formal NASA meat- details of the birth of the NASA logos, including pre-
ball insignia are among the most-recognized emblems viously unpublished information and a discussion of
throughout the world. Less known, however, is the the roles of other government agencies in the creation
story of how the emblems were conceived. The logos, of the emblems.
which include symbols representing the space and James J. Modarelli, head of the Research Reports
aeronautics missions of NASA, were implemented in Division at the NASA Lewis Research Center (now the
1959 and were influenced by activities at three NASA NASA Glenn Research Center), was the chief designer
Centers: the Lewis Research Center in Cleveland, of the NASA seal and meatball insignia.1 The story of
Ohio; the Ames Research Center at Moffett Field, Modarellis conceptualization and involvement in the
California; and the Langley Research Center in creation of the logos is a key part of this publication.
Hampton, Virginia. A particularly interesting element Modarellis designs evolved and changed as the
of the story is how the red wing graphic representing process continued. He was assisted by the Heraldic
aeronautics in the emblems was originated and how
its shape was inspired by actual research programs.
1 Joseph Chambers, The NASA Seal and Insignia, Part 1,
Unfortunately, a great deal of confusion and misinfor- NASA History News & Notes, Volume 30, Number 2, 2013.
mation now exists in the literature regarding the wing pp. 1115.

57
58 C HAP TER 3 A New Agency, 19581959

Branch of the Army Office of the Quartermaster every 3 years. The host laboratory provided the major-
General (now the Army Institute of Heraldry) in the ity of the briefings, while the other two labs provided
development of the final emblems and the presidential a few exhibits and presentations on additional topics.2
approval process. The emphasis of the 1958 program was on space-related
research, intended to display to visitors the emerging
THE VISION BEGINS NACA activities in the critical disciplines.
In July 1958, Modarelli attended the triennial inspec- During the Ames meeting, Modarelli participated
tion of the AAL, during which facilities and research in a tour consisting of nine stops for presentations on
efforts within the NACA were highlighted and dis- topical research activities. At the Ames Unitary Plan
cussed for invited guests in the scientific community. Wind Tunnel, he viewed an Ames exhibit featuring a
At the time, the annual NACA inspections rotated discussion by Ames researchers on current advanced
between the Ames, Langley, and Lewis laboratories supersonic aircraft technology. On display was an
Ames wind-tunnel model of a radical supersonic air-
plane configuration designed for efficient flight at
Mach 3. Featuring a cambered and twisted arrow
wing with an upturned nose, the sleek model deeply
impressed Modarelli as a symbol of the leading-edge
aeronautical efforts of the NACA.3
After the Ames inspection, Modarelli returned to
Lewis where he continued to participate in techni-
cal conferences and visits to other NACA laborato-
ries. During a visit to Langley in late summer, he saw
another highly swept and cambered arrow wing model
that had been tested in the Langley Unitary Tunnel
at supersonic speeds.4 The efforts at both Ames and

2 National Archives and Records Administration, San

Bruno, CA. Record Group 255.4.1. The nine-stop program
included seven exhibits from Ames (Earth Satellites,
Aerophysics, Aerodynamic Heating, Hypervelocity and
Entry Research Techniques, Stability During Atmosphere
Entry, Piloting Problems During Entry, and Supersonic
Airplanes). A Lewis exhibit was on Space Propulsion
Systems, and a Langley exhibit was on Flight Research for
Space Craft.
F I G U R E 3 -1. 3 James J. Modarelli, interview by Mark A. Chambers, 17
July 1992. Chambers, Mark A., History of the Red V
in the NASA Meatball, NASA Headquarters Historical
James J. Modarelli (right) of the NASA Lewis Research Center (now the NASA Glenn Re- Records Collection, File 4542, 31 July 1992.
search Center) was the designer of the NASA seal and insignia. In the picture, Modarelli 4 James J. Modarelli, interview by Mark A. Chambers, 17
presents an incentive award to an employee at Lewis in 1964. (NASA C-68827) July 1992.
 CHA P TE R 3 A New Agency, 19581959 59

F I G U R E 3 -2.

View of the 1958 triennial inspection display on supersonic airplanes that was viewed by James Modarelli in the Ames Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel
High Bay. The large Ames model of a twisted and cambered supersonic wing configuration at the right side of the picture impressed Modarelli and
inspired him to use the concept in the NASA logos. (NACA A-24000-5H (2))

Langley had been stimulated by the pioneering efforts The leader of research under Jones at Ames was Elliott
of the brilliant NACA/NASA scientist R. T. Jones in his D. Katzen, while Clinton E. Brown led the work at
quest for aerodynamic efficiency at supersonic speeds. Langley. In 1958, after reviewing the advanced wings
Jones is recognized as the first American scientist to created by both groups, Modarelli stylized the radical
analyze and advocate for the beneficial effects of wing features of the arrow-wing configuration in his evolu-
sweep on high-speed flight. When Jones transferred tion of the NASA seal design. The wing would also
from Langley to Ames in 1946, he retained his interest ultimately become an element of the NASA insignia.6
in the subject, maintaining communication with peers
at Langley while initiating new research at Ames.5

5 Interview of R. T. Jones by Mark A. Chambers, 24 July 6 James J. Modarelli, interview by Mark A. Chambers, 17
1992. Chambers, Mark A., History of the Red V in July 1992; J. C. South, Jr., Meatball Logo Based on Wind
the NASA Meatball, NASA History Office File 4542, Tunnel Model, The Researcher News, in-house newsletter,
31July1992. NASA Langley Research Center, 14 August 1992, p. 2.
60 C HAP TER 3 A New Agency, 19581959

The NASA Seal Inside the inner circle was a blue field with several
star shapes, a globe representing Earth in the center
The creation of an official NASA seal and insignia of the blue field, and the path of a nascent orbiting
was initiated in mid-September 1958 when Victory, body circling the globe. Modarelli adapted the DeVoto
then Executive Secretary of the NACA, sent letters design for the Lewis submittal by adding the advanced
to the Ames, Langley, and Lewis laboratories solic- supersonic wing and by modifying the globe and
iting suggestions for an insignia design for the new orbiting body.9 The stars in the design were not rep-
organization.7 In addition to the request to the lab- resentative of specific constellations, but were artistic
oratories, an ad hoc committee of staff members at creations. Likewise, the orbiting body was not based
NACA Headquarters was invited to submit candidate on a specificsatellite.
designs.8 A few weeks after the invitation for designs Members of the illustration section of the Research
was sent, NASA absorbed the personnel, facilities, and Reports Division at Lewis worked on candidate designs
research activities of the NACA at the close of business for the seal under the direction of Modarelli.10 His per-
on 30September. sonal design, however, received most of the attention.
Modarelli was well prepared for the design com- The ad hoc committee at Headquarters completed
petition. He had already selected the twisted and designs of their candidates for the NASA insignia and
cambered arrow-wing concept that he had seen at submitted them to Victory on 6 October 1958, in
Ames and Langley earlier in the year as an element advance of the Center submissions.11 The four designs
he would use in his seal design to represent NASAs were simplistic variations of the letters N-A-S-A
aeronautics program. Modarelli also discussed a com- encircled by an orbiting body. The committees recom-
peting seal design with Harry J. DeVoto, head of the mended design included these elements and a shock
Ames Graphics and Exhibits Branch. DeVotos design wave superimposed to represent aeronautics. NASAs
included the traditional circular shape required for all first Administrator, Dr. T. Keith Glennan, rejected
government seals, featuring an outer circle enclosing those designs during the selection process.
the words NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND After the seal design candidates from the Centers
SPACE ADMINISTRATION and an inner circle. had been submitted to Administrator Glennan for
final selection, several members of Glennans staff met

7 Staff Invited to Submit Designs for NASA Insignia,

Langley Air Scoop, in-house newsletter, NACA Langley, 19
9 Ames Research Center View of NASA Logo Design,
September 1958. Volume 17 Issue 38, p. 2. Also, The Orbit,
Letter from Harry J. DeVoto to Steve Garber, 6 May 2001.
in-house newsletter, NACA Lewis Research Center, 30
Headquarters Historical Records Collection, file 4540.
September 1958, 1. In reality, the invitation was to design
candidates for the NASA seal. No such invitation occurred 10 This Is NASA Insignia, The Orbit, in-house newsletter,
for the NASA insignia. NASA Lewis Research Center (31 July 1959), p. 1. Lewis
illustrators Richard Schulke, Louise Fergus, and John
8 Memorandum from Patrick A. Gavin to John F. Victory
Hopkins assisted Modarelli in the design effort.
on Proposed NASA Insignia, 6 October 1958. NASA
Headquarters Historical Records Collection, file 4540. 11 Gavin Memorandum to John F. Victory. 6 October 1958.
Members of the Headquarters committee were Patrick NASA Headquarters Historical Records Collection, file
Gavin, Paul Dembling, Robert Lacklen, and E. O. Pearson. 4540. The file includes very poor copies of the designs.
 CHA P TE R 3 A New Agency, 19581959 61

with him in December 1958 to decide the winner.

After considerable discussion about the candidate
designs, Glennan declared that they were wasting
time, and he personally chose the seal design sub-
mitted by Modarelli.12 As will be discussed, a major
artistic error in the layout of the selected emblem had
been made unknowingly during the design process
and would ultimately require a revision. In particular,
the red wing element had been rendered in an upside-
down attitude. Despite the graphic error, however, the
initial design moved forward through the process for
presidential approval.
The reason for the upside-down rendering of the
wing is not known. However, several photographs of
cambered and twisted arrow-wing models were taken
at the Centers and submitted to Modarelli at his
request for guidance in the design process. At least one
of the photos showed a model in an inverted pose that
could have been misinterpreted by an artist. A wooden
model of Clint Browns wing had been constructed
to show the unique features of the configuration. On
28 January 1958, photographs had been made which
included the model in an inverted pose on a table. The
picture might have caused the misinterpretation shown
in the graphic.

F I G U R E 3 - 3.
12 Letter from Dr. T. Keith Glennan to Daniel Goldin,
Administrator of NASA, 23 June 1992 (NASA Sketches of the six competing Center designs for the NASA seal. The winning de-
Headquarters HRC File A92-1899). In the letter Dr.
Glennan congratulated Goldin on bringing back the sign submitted by James Modarelli and his Lewis team is at the lower right. Note the
insignia designed by James Modarelli and recalled his upside-down attitude of the wing element. (NASA Headquarters Historical Reference
personal actions at the selection meeting. Dr. Glennan Collection (HRC), file number 4540)
served as NASA Administrator for 30 months. For his
biography and video of an extended interview, see http://
www.ieeeghn.org/wiki/index.php/Keith_Glennan (accessed
18 September 2014). Also see J. D. Hunley, editor, The
Birth of NASA: The Diary of T. Keith Glennan. NASA SP-
4105, 1993.
62 C HAP TER 3 A New Agency, 19581959

THE PATH TO PRESIDENTIAL APPROVAL

Acquiring presidential approval for the NASA seal
involved a mandatory four-step process for all gov-
ernment agencies. First, the Heraldic Branch of the
Army Office of the Quartermaster General (now the
Army Institute of Heraldry) had to be contacted for
assistance with the design of the seal as well as with
other stages of the presidential approval process.13 In
addition to analysis and recommendations for the pro-
posed graphics, the Heraldic Branch would prepare
plaster reproductions of the proposed seal and com-
F I G U R E 3 - 4A . plete other tasks as required. After the seal design was
finalized to the satisfaction of NASA and the Heraldic
A three-quarter rear view of a wooden Langley display model in January 1958 showing Branch, the Commission of Fine Arts would review
the radical twist and camber of a supersonic arrow-wing design. Note the cobra- its artistic merits. In 1921, President Warren Harding
like raised nose at the upper right and the cambered, drooped trailing edges of had delegated this type of responsibility to the fine arts
the 75-degree swept wing. These features were inverted in the first seal design by commission.14
Modarelli. (NACA L-00502) Following approval by the commission, the pro-
cess required the NASA Administrator to approve the
design and submit a formal request to the Bureau of
Budget for presidential approval. When all of this was
complete, a Presidential Executive Order would be
signed, officially establishing the seal. On 23 January
1959, a month after Administrator Glennan had

13 The Army Institute of Heraldry has a long and

distinguished record of support to the United States Army.
In 1919, President Woodrow Wilson directed the creation
of the Heraldic Program Office under the War Department
General Staff. Its purpose was to take responsibility for
the coordination and approval of coats of arms and other
insignia for Army organizations. By the end of WWII,
its role expanded to include the other military services.
In 1957, Public Law 85-263 directed the Secretary of the
Army to furnish heraldic services to all branches of the
federal government. The Institutes wide range of heraldic
services includes decorations, flags, streamers, agency seals,
F I G U R E 3 - 4B . coats of arms, badges, and other forms of official emblems
and insignia.
14 Kohler, Sue A. The Commission of Fine Arts: A Brief History,
This photograph of the inverted model could have resulted in the erroneous wing ren-
19101995. Washington, DC: United States Commission
dering in Modarellis first design of the NASA seal later in 1958. (NACA L-00504) of Fine Arts, 1996, p. 204.
 CHA P TE R 3 A New Agency, 19581959 63

F I G U R E 3 - 5.

President Dwight D. Eisenhower (center) presents

commissions to Dr. T. Keith Glennan (right) as the first
Administrator of NASA and Dr. Hugh L. Dryden (left) as
Deputy Administrator. (NASA MSFC-9248169)

selected the Modarelli seal design, NASA asked the responded the following week by reluctantly approv-
Heraldic Branch to initiate the review process, which ing the design, stating, This design is primarily a pic-
included a presentation to the Commission of Fine torial conception and is very reminiscent of designs
Arts.15 The Modarelli design survived the Army review appearing in current commercial advertising. The
with only minor changes in color shades. commission also asked that the letters U.S.A. at the
The Quartermaster Corps sent the design to the bottom of the name band be enlarged to the size of the
Commission of Fine Arts on 17 February for com- other letters and that the stars in the name band be
ments and approval.16 The fine arts commission deleted.17 NASA accepted these changes on 24 March,
instructing the Army to proceed with the development
of drawings and a plaster model of the design seal,
15 Robert J. Lacklen, NASA Director of Personnel, letter to with the modifications suggested by the arts commis-
Lt. Gen. J. F. Collins, Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel,
sion. The statement also requested that the Army take
Office of Secretary for the Army, 23 January 1959. Files of
the Institute of Heraldry, Department of the Army, Fort
Belvoir, VA, to be deposited in the NASA HRC.
16 Letter to the Commission of Fine Arts, Interior 17 L. R. Wilson, Secretary of the Commission of Fine Arts,
Department Building, Washington, DC, from Lt. Col. letter to Lt. Col. James S. Cook, Jr., Chief, Heraldic
James S. Cook, Jr., Chief, Heraldic Branch, Quartermaster Branch of the Army Office of the Quartermaster Corps,
Corps, 17 February 1959. Files of the Institute of Heraldry, 25 February 1959. Files of the Institute of Heraldry,
Department of the Army, Fort Belvoir, VA, to be deposited Department of the Army, Fort Belvoir, VA, to be deposited
in the NASA HRC. in the NASA HRC.
64 C HAP TER 3 A New Agency, 19581959

FIGURE 3-6

Sketch on the left shows the erroneous NASA seal originally sent to the Army Heraldic Branch and the Commission
of Fine Arts for review. Sketch on the right shows the corrected version in July. Note the revised wing attitude and
shape, omission of the stars, enlargement of the letters U.S.A. in the border, altered star patterns, and modified
shadow pattern on the globe. (Institute of Heraldry, Department of the Army)

appropriate steps to have the seal officially established remarked, Theyve drawn my wing upside down! and
by executive order of the President.18 he quickly pointed out the mistake to management.19
After the design go-ahead had been submitted When word of the mistake reached NASA
to the Quartermaster Corpsand approved by the Headquarters in late March, the work by the Heraldic
Commission of Fine Artscopies of the proposed seal Branch was suspended while Modarelli corrected the
were sent to the NASA Centers for the first time for wing problem and made other changes to the graph-
information in late March. When the design layout ic.20 In addition to depicting the wing in the proper
reached Langley, Clint Brown took one look and

19 Langley retiree Jack Crenshaw, interview by Joseph

Chambers, 1 February 2013.
20 Memorandum for record, telephone call to Ms. Landrum,
Heraldic Branch of the Army Office of the Quartermaster
18 Robert J. Lacklen, Director of Personnel, NASA, letter to Corps, from Mr. Gavin, NASA Headquarters, 31 March
Lt. Col. James S. Cook, Jr., Chief, Heraldic Branch of the 1959. Gavin called to suspend all action on the seal
Army Office of the Quartermaster Corps, 24 March 1959. pending further advice from NASA. Files of the Institute
Files of the Institute of Heraldry, Department of the Army, of Heraldry, Department of the Army, Fort Belvoir, VA, to
Fort Belvoir, VA, to be deposited in the NASA HRC. be deposited in the NASA HRC.
 CHA P TE R 3 A New Agency, 19581959 65

erect attitude, the shape of the wing was changed to

that of a theoretical wing configuration. The sweep
angle of the wing was increased, the entire width of
the right wing was reduced to give an impression of
an edge-on view, and the tail of the left wing was
contoured to suggest a continuous sweep to the tip.
The shadow the wing cast on the globe element was
modified to conform to the shadow effect obtained
from photographs of models of Earth and the wing.
Photographs of the shadow effect were forwarded to
the Heraldic Branch for guidance. The height of the
small blue sphere was reduced and the color of the F I G U R E 3 -7.

shadow was changed to match the pattern used on the

Final version of the
yellow sphere. Alterations were also made to the ellipti-
NASA seal.
cal path of the space vehicle.21 Finally, the stars within
the field were modified in size and location, and the
font used for the letters in the border was changed. The The Army Heraldic Branch continued to work on
details of the graphic continued to change as the final the NASA request through June and into early July.
seal design evolved. Modarelli and others from NASA Headquarters were
On 21 May 1959, a NASA-Army conference was active participants with the Army during the process.
held to discuss all aspects of the requested Army The revisions to the seal design were completed by
actions. The topics for discussion included the seal Army and NASA participants in late July. The modi-
(already completed); a plaster model, mold, and line fied design sent to the Administrator for approval dif-
drawing of the seal; design of a decal-type version of fered greatly from the original design that had been
the seal; design of an Agency flag for NASA; design for submitted to and approved by the Commission of Fine
a lapel pin based on length of service; and design of the Arts in February. Administrator Glennan approved the
NASA Exceptional Service and Distinguished Service final design for the NASA seal in August.23
Medals, including suspension ribbon, metal pendants, NASA Headquarters informed the field Centers
and lapel emblems.22 that more than 350 designs had been submitted for
consideration by staff members from field Centers and
21 Robert J. Lacklen, Director of Personnel, NASA, letter to Headquarters.24 According to the announcement, the
Lt. Col. James S. Cook, Jr., Chief, Heraldic Branch of the
Army Office of the Quartermaster Corps, 13 April 1959.
Files of the Institute of Heraldry, Department of the Army,
Fort Belvoir, VA, to be deposited in the NASA HRC. 23 Patrick A. Gavin, Acting Director of Personnel, NASA,
letter to Lt. Col. James S. Cook, Jr., Chief, Heraldic Branch
22 Memorandum for record, Ms. Landrum, Heraldic Branch
of the Army Office of the Quartermaster Corps, 21 May of the Army Office of the Quartermaster General, 14 August
1959. Attendees at the meeting included Mr. Gavin and 1959. Files of the Institute of Heraldry, Department of the
Army, Fort Belvoir, VA, to be deposited in the NASAHRC.
Mr. Maloney of NASA and Mr. Potter and Ms. Landrum
of the Heraldic Branch. Files of the Institute of Heraldry, 24 Insignia Incorporates Features contained in Number of
Department of the Army, Fort Belvoir, VA, to be deposited Suggestions, Langley Air Scoop, in-house newsletter, 31
in the NASA HRC. July 1959, Volume 18, Issue 30. p. 1.
66 C HAP TER 3 A New Agency, 19581959

final selection was not a copy of any one submittal, but

was developed by incorporating features contained in
a number of candidate designs. As a result, no individ-
ual award or special recognition was made under the
NASA Incentive Award Plan.
President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed Executive
Order 10849 establishing the seal on 27 November
1959. The order included a description of the seal:

On a disc of the blue sky strewn with white stars,

to dexter a large yellow sphere bearing a red flight
symbol apex in upper sinister and wings envel-
oping and casting a gray-blue shadow upon the
sphere, all partially encircled with a horizontal
white orbit, in sinister a small light-blue sphere; FIGURE 3-8.
circumscribing the disk a white band edged
gold inscribed National Aeronautics and Space The NASA insignia designed by James Modarelli.

Administration U.S.A. in red letters.

the letters N-A-S-A.25 The colors of the insignia are
The seal was later amended early in the Kennedy Pantone 185 (red) and Pantone 286 (blue).26
administration when the color of the shadow on the In April 1959, NASA formally notified the Heraldic
sphere was changed from gray-blue to brown under Branch of the Army Office of the Quartermaster
Executive Order 10942, 22 May 1961. General that it would use the insignia design created
by Modarelli and that NASA would not require its ser-
vices for this undertaking.
The NASA Insignia Dr. Glennan announced the new NASA insignia
in the NASA Management Manual on 15 July 1959.27
Dr. Glennan, NASAs first administrator, asked James
Modarelli to design a simplified insignia for the infor-
mal uses of the new Agency. The insignia would appear 25 This Is NASA Insignia, The Orbit, in-house newsletter
at Lewis Research Center (31 July 1959), p. 1. Lewis
on items such as lapel pins and signs on buildings and illustrators Richard Schulke, Louise Fergus, and John
facilities. Modarelli worked on the insignia design task Hopkins assisted Modarelli in the design effort.
while completing the seal design. He chose the main 26 NASA Style Guide, November 2006. p. 8.
elements from the seal for the simplified insignia 27 The insignia had been approved by then Administrator
the circle, representing the planets; stars, representing Glennan before he approved the seal. The announcement
appeared in several in-house newsletters: Cite Regulations
space; the advanced supersonic wing, representing for use of New NASA Insignia, Air Scoop, newsletter at
aeronautics; and an orbiting spacecraft. He then added Langley Research Center (24 July 1959); This Is NASA
 CHA P TE R 3 A New Agency, 19581959 67

Specifications and orders for insignia lapel pins, decals, indicated that arrow wings promised superior perfor-
and stationery were completed during the fall of 1959. mance at supersonic speeds compared to delta wings
In November 1959, Modarelli transferred to NASA and other shapes. Furthermore, the research showed
Headquarters, where he held the position of Director that the lift-drag characteristics of arrow-wing config-
of Exhibits for NASA until he returned to Lewis urations could be appreciably enhanced by cambering
Research Center in 1961.28 and twisting the wings. Aerodynamicists under the
Modarellis creation would serve as the official direction of John P. Stack at Langley and Robert T.
NASA insignia for 16 years before being replaced in Jones at Ames were major contributors to the research
1975; it would later be reinstituted in 1992. and were recognized as world leaders in theoretical and
experimental methods for supersonic aerodynamics.
THE RED WING The leaders of research on the design of twisted
At this juncture, it might be informative to the reader and cambered supersonic arrow wings were Elliott D.
to clarify the oft-misunderstood red symbol that Katzen at Ames and Clinton E. Brown and Francis E.
Modarelli chose to represent the aeronautics thrust McLean at Langley. The emphasis in Katzens research
of the Agency in the NASA seal and insignia. As pre- was on how to optimize the performance of the wings
viously discussed, the symbol was a stylization of an at supersonic speeds.30 At Langley, Brown and McLean
actual NACA-designed wing concept for supersonic were primarily interested in the practical applications
applications involving flight at Mach 3. This section of the wing concept to realistic airplane configurations
explains why the supersonic-wing model was part of with satisfactory stability and performance for specific
the display at Ames and also discusses the individuals missions.31 These simultaneous projects were typical of
and technical programs at Ames and Langley that led productive NACA/NASA efforts in certain research
to the concept. areas. That is, once the committee identified the
In the mid-1950s, the growing interest in high- importance of a topic, the various labs would under-
speed flight resulted in accelerated efforts to maxi- take different approaches to assess the potential bene-
mize the efficiency of wings at supersonic speeds. A fits of multiple concepts, identify and resolve problems,
wide variety of wing shapes were investigated by the and create valid design methods for applications of
NACA in both experimental and theoretical studies the concept. Efforts were carefully planned to avoid
at the NACA Langley Aeronautical Laboratory and unnecessary duplication of efforts between Centers.
at the NACA AAL.29 Conclusions from these studies

30 An example of Katzens research: Elliott D. Katzen,

Idealized Wings and Wing-Bodies at a Mach Number of
Insignia, The Orbit, newsletter at Lewis Research Center (31
3, NACA Technical Note 4361, July 1958.
July 1959); New NASA Insignia Approved, The Astrogram,
newsletter at Ames Research Center (6August1959). 31 An example of Browns research: Brown, Clinton E.;
McLean, F. E.; and Klunker, E. B.: Theoretical and
28 Modarelli Transfers to Headquarters, The Orbit, in-
Experimental Studies of Cambered and Twisted Wings
house newsletter at Lewis Research Center (20 November
Optimized for Flight at Supersonic Speeds. Presented
1959), p. 1.
at the Second International Congress of the Institute of
29 F. Edward McLean: Supersonic Cruise Technology, NASA the Aeronautical Sciences, Zrich, Switzerland, 1216
SP-472, 1985. September 1960.
68 C HAP TER 3 A New Agency, 19581959

F I G U R E 3 - 9. F I G U R E 3 -10.

Elliott Katzen of the NASA Ames Research Center. (Pho- Clint Brown of the NASA Langley Research Center.
to courtesy of Mrs. Elliott Katzen) (NASA L-05232)

By the time of Modarellis visit to Ames in 1958, the results in planning the Ames program.32 The Ames
several notable events had occurred. Beginning in the work focused on wings with a leading-edge sweep of
early 1950s, both Ames and Langley had explored
theoretical analyses of the aerodynamic benefits of
the advanced wing concepts. Jones and Brown had
32 Second Interview of R. T. Jones by Mark A. Chambers, 27
exchanged ideas and research plans on the design of July 1992. Chambers, Mark A.: History of the Red V
the advanced wing concept. Brown designed a wing in the NASA Meatball, NASA History Office File 4542,
31 July 1992. Also, letter to James Modarelli from Mark
layout for an initial theoretical analysis, the results of Chambers requesting comments on arrow wings tested at
which he shared with Jones. Jones subsequently used Ames and Langley, 31 July 1992.
 CHA P TE R 3 A New Agency, 19581959 69

80degrees, whereas the Langley efforts were domi-

nated by wings with a sweep angle of 75 degrees.
Katzen conducted tests on a series of twisted
and cambered arrow wings with various wing sweep
angles and Mach numbers in the Ames 1- by 3-Foot
Supersonic Tunnel. With guidance from Jones, he
began studies to optimize arrow-wing shapes in 1955.
After conducting theoretical analyses, he followed up
with wind-tunnel tests in 1955 and 1956 to determine
which of his designs had the highest value of lift-drag
ratio at Mach 3.
Jones had suggested to Katzen that a wing sweep
of about 80 degrees would be a nearly optimum shape
for a Mach 3 application. For that condition, the lead-
ing edge of the wing would be behind the Mach cone,
and the Mach number perpendicular to the leading
edge in flight at Mach 3 would be comparable to that
of a Boeing 707 subsonic transport in flight. He also F I G U R E 3 -11.
suggested using a Clark-Y airfoil with camber but no
twist. When the first thin metal wing arrived from the Ames researcher Lynn W. Hutton poses with an advanced supersonic wing model in
shop, Katzen took it to Jones for inspection and Jones August 1958. This particular model was the one on display at the Ames inspection the
twisted it to the shape he thought would be the best previous month. (NACA A-24208)
performer. Subsequent tunnel tests in the Ames 1- by
3-Foot Supersonic Tunnel indicated a maximum lift-
drag ratio of 9the highest efficiency ever measured seal depicted his wing design. Katzen, however, was
at the time for an isolated wing designed for Mach never given credit by the Agency as the designer of the
3.33 Analysis of approaches to enhanced performance red wing in the NASA insignia, and he became deeply
at Mach 3 suggested that a lifting forebody should be upset over the lack of recognition.35 When Katzen
included in the configuration, resulting in the peculiar passed away on 12 February 2012, the memorial pam-
upturned nose seen in the NASA insignia and seal.34 phlet at his funeral mentioned that he and Jones had
Observers that were in the office with Katzen when perfected a highly swept wing design that was actually
he first saw the design of the NASA seal reported that
he was terribly excitedpointing out that, in his opin-
ion (and those of the observers), the red wing on the
35 William C. Pitts, interview by Joseph Chambers, 5
December 2012. Pitts was a member of the technical
organization of Elliott Katzen under Wallace F. Davis
33 Bugos, Glenn E.: Atmosphere of Freedom: Sixty Years at the
at Ames. Pitts was Katzens officemate and witnessed the
NASA Ames Research Center (NASA SP-4314, 2000), p. 36.
events cited. Noted aerodynamicist Jack Neilsen was also a
34 Brown, McLean, and Klunker, p. 13. member of the group aware of Katzens contribution.
70 C HAP TER 3 A New Agency, 19581959

represented as the red triangle dart across the NASA of the Unitary tests was to measure aerodynamic per-
meatball logo.36 formance at Mach 3, and the 7- by 10-Foot Tunnel
At Langley, development of the wing concept was test was to determine the low-speed landing, takeoff,
spurred on by an evolving military need for flight at and subsonic performance and stability characteristics
Mach 3. As tensions between the United States and of the configuration.38 Both tests included the isolated
the Soviet Union increased during the 1950s, one of wing and addition of components necessary for a real
the highest priority projects for the U. S. Air Force was airplane including tail surfaces, engine pods, etc.
developing an intercontinental supersonic bomber with Although the results of the supersonic wind-tun-
an unrefueled combat radius of 4,000 nautical miles nel tests at Langley indicated an impressive maximum
and the capability to deliver nuclear weapons to the lift-drag ratio of 6.0 for the isolated wing at Mach 3,
Soviet Union. In 1955, the Air Force initiated Weapon Brown was extremely disappointed because this value
System 110A (WS-110A) for industry design studies was appreciably lower than that anticipated based
that ultimately led to the North American XB-70 and on his theoretical studies. Flow visualization studies
its demonstrated Mach 3 capability. revealed that flow separation on the upper wing sur-
In view of the criticality of supersonic efficiency face occurred that could not be predicted using the
to the WS-110 mission, a special classified study was limited theories of the day.
led by Langley to assess the aerodynamic benefits of a The results of the research programs on the
75-degree twisted and cambered arrow-wing bomber advanced wing concepts at Ames and Langley were
designed by Brown and McLean. The wing was con- reported in a session at the NACA Conference on High-
toured to provide trim and stability at the design Speed Aerodynamics held at Ames 1820 March 1958.
condition for the WS-110A mission, including the The primary purpose of the conference was to convey
necessary internal volume for fuel and weapons. The to the military services and their contractors the results
configuration was referred to within Langley as the of recent supersonic research and to provide those in
Brown Bomber. attendance with an opportunity to discuss the results.
The testing effort included evaluations of the Katzen reported on his efforts at Ames, and Donald D.
Brown-McLean design in the Langley Unitary Plan Baals presented the results of the Langleyactivities.39, 40
Wind Tunnel in 1957 and 1958 and the Langley 7- by
10-Foot High-Speed Tunnel in 1958.37 The objective
38 The subsonic tests are discussed in Davenport, E. E. and
Naseth, R. L., Low-Speed Wind Tunnel Investigation of
the Aerodynamic Characteristics of an Airplane Having
36 Funeral pamphlet for Elliott D. Katzen, to be deposited in
a Cambered Arrow Wing with a 75 Swept Leading Edge,
the NASA HRC. Also see the announcement of Katzens
NASA TM X-185, 1960.
passing in the Ames Astrogram, Spring 2012, p. 6.
39 Baals had a long and active career at the NACA and NASA,
37 Entered in test log of Langley Unitary Tunnel Test Section
having designed Langleys 4 by 4-Foot Supersonic Pressure
I as Test 70 WS-110A Brown Bomber in UWT Low-
Tunnel in the 1940s. He continued his career at Langley
Mach Number Test Section, Langley Historical Archives,
after the Center became a part of NASA and retired in 1975.
Wind-Tunnels by Donald Baals. Results of two supersonic
tunnel entries are reported in Hallissy, Joseph M., Jr., and 40 Elliott D. Katzen, Idealized Wings and Wing-Bodies at a
Hasson, Dennis F.: Aerodynamic Characteristics at Mach Mach Number of 3, Paper 38, pp. 509520; and Donald
Numbers 2.36 and 2.87 of an Airplane Configuration having D. Baals, Thomas A. Toll, and Owen G. Morris, Airplane
a Cambered Arrow Wing with a 75 Swept Leading Edge, Configurations for cruise at a Mach Number of 3, Paper
NACA RM L58E21, 4 August 1958. 39, pp. 521542.
 CHA P TE R 3 A New Agency, 19581959 71

F I G U R E 3 -12.

The Brown Bomber con-

figuration during tests in
the Langley Unitary Plan
Tunnel in February 1958.
(NASA LAL 58-826)

After testing of the NACA Brown Bomber was is that all three Centers and NASA Headquarters played
completed at Langley in 1958, a red plastic display a role in the creation of the NASA seal andinsignia.42
model was made from a mold of the wind-tunnel The U.S. Air Force and its industry teams that were
model. The red model was on display for visitors in part of the WS-110A project rightfully considered the
Browns office and was then exhibited at the Unitary highly swept cambered arrow-wing concept an unac-
Plan Wind Tunnel for many years.41 ceptably immature approach that would require years of
In summary, the evidence gathered in this study extensive research in a number of disciplines, including
based on interviews of James Modarellireveals that propulsion integration, aeroelasticity, and flight con-
he was inspired to include the arrow wing shape in the trol. Nonetheless, the lessons learned from wind-tun-
NASA logos by his encounter with the model during nel testing and theoretical analyses by Katzen, Brown,
the Ames inspection. He then became aware of similar and McLean provided building blocks that later played
models at Langley and used common features to create key roles in NASA research on civil high-speed trans-
his own artistic interpretation of a representative wing ports. The superior performance of the arrow wing for
used in the NASA emblems. As previously discussed, supersonic missions continues to make it a strong con-
his wing design changed as the interactions with the tender for future supersonic transport designs.43
Army Heraldic Branch proceeded. A fitting conclusion

42 Letter from Harry J. DeVoto, retired Chief of Graphics

and Exhibits at NACA Ames, to Daniel S. Goldin, NASA
41 Jerry C. South, Jr., Meatball Logo Based on Wind Tunnel Administrator, 11 June 1992. Headquarters Historical
Model, The Researcher News, in-house newsletter, NASA Records Collection, file 4540.
Langley Research Center, 14 August 1992, p. 2. Also, Roy V. 43 F. Edward McLean, Supersonic Cruise Technology, NASA
Harris, Jr., interview by Joseph Chambers, 1 November2012. SP-472, 1985.
72 C HAP TER 3 A New Agency, 19581959

Applications During Transition

As might be expected in a time of rapid and dra-

matic change, questions regarding the new markings
required on property owned by NASA quickly sur-
faced. In many cases, the Centers proceeded with their
interpretation of appropriate markings and emblems.
At the very minimum, an effort had to be made to
change the letter C in NACA to an S. Perhaps the
greatest effort was repainting the roofs of the Agencys
flight hangars, since they had been painted with prom-
inent NACA markings as previously discussed. In
addition, the entire NACA research aircraft fleet had
been emblazoned with the NACA wings emblem on
their tail bands.44
F I G U R E 3 -13.

In this very rare picture, an F-86D flown by Langley pilots during the transition from the
44 On most aircraft, the NACA letters were changed to
NASA, while a few had the tail band removed. NACA to NASA in 1958 was marked with an unofficial modification to the traditional
NACA wings insignia. A NASA designation appears in the wings insignia as well as on
the aft fuselage.

F I G U R E 3 -14.

Tradition changes as the

letter C in the NACA logo
on the roof of the hangar at
the Lewis Research Center
is removed. Note the exist-
ing NACA emblems above
the hangar doors and on
the fuel tanker. (NASA
C-1958-48854)
 CHA P TE R 3 A New Agency, 19581959 73

F I G U R E 3 -15.

In this photo, the Lewis hangar roof and entrance mark-

ings have been updated and the F-94 research aircraft
has been marked with NASA on the forward fuselage.
The old NACA wings emblem, however, has been
marked over with NASA.

F I G U R E 3 -16.

Workmen begin the

task of replacing NACA
emblems and signs by
removing the NACA wings
insignia over the entryway
at the High-Speed Flight
Station. (NASA E96-
43403-4)
CHAPTER 4

Fly Me to the Moon, 19601974

Insignia and Seal: Onward and Upward advance international recognition of the world-class
organization that had led the nation to the Moon
Led by an enthusiastic and dedicated new Agency, the while generating innumerable civil and military appli-
United States took on the scientific challenges and cations of the technologies it conceived, developed,
potential security threats posed by the Soviet Union andmatured.
with an aggressive space program. President John F.
Kennedys directive to send Americans to the Moon CRITICISM
within the decade brought forth unprecedented and Despite widespread acceptance and support for the
exciting accomplishments that ultimately met his goal. NASA logos, a few incidents arose in which repre-
The new NASA seal and insignia became iconic fix- sentatives of the art world were critical of Modarellis
tures of the space program and were displayed with designs. A specific example involved one of NASAs
pride throughout the Agency. The insignia, in partic- highest honors, the NASA Distinguished Service
ular, was displayed at virtually every major event of Medal, during the early days of Project Mercury.
the periodto the point where it often was referred At the request of NASA, several proposed designs
to as the NASA seal. The confusion was caused by the for the Distinguished Service Medal and Exceptional
almost unnoticed use of the seal on the NASA flag or Service Medal had been prepared by the Heraldic
on the rostrum for presentations by the Administrator. Services Division of the Army and submitted to NASA
During an era in which NASA seemed to accom- in early December 1959. The Army had also submit-
plish the impossible and generate unbridled support ted designs for the suspension ribbons, rosettes, and
from the U.S. public, the logos created by Modarelli lapel emblems for the medals. In January 1960, NASA
remained unaltered from his designs of 1959. Those advised the Army of the design that had been selected
logos would continue to grow in popularity and and also informed them that the development and

75
76 C HAP TER 4 Fly Me to the Moon, 19601974

production of medals and ribbons would be handled

by the Agency with no further Army responsibilities.
The NASA medals designed by the Army had the same
obverse (front) as the NASA seal.1
After the inspiring suborbital flight of astronaut
Alan Shepard on 5 May 1961, President Kennedy
awarded him the NASA Distinguished Service Medal
in recognition of his brave and exceptional feat. In the
wake of this event, however, the first critical comments
regarding the design of NASA logos surfaced.
In its 19 May 1961 issue, Time magazine pub-
lished a criticism of the design of government medals
in general, with emphasis on the design of the NASA
Distinguished Service Medal:

Since the days of ancient Athens, a brave act has

deserved a proud and artistic medalevery-
where but in the U.S. Last week when President
Kennedy honored the countrys first astronaut,
all he had to pin on the lapel of Commander
Alan Shepard was something that looked as if it
might have come out of a Cracker Jack box. The
Distinguished Service Medal of the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration is the
most unimaginative decoration turned out by
the U.S. government so farand the competi-
tion for that title is stiff. Such U.S. medals
are turned out by the U.S. Army Institute of
Heraldry, which has only two trained sculp-
tors on its staff. No one at NASA will say

F I G U R E 4 -1.

1 Fact sheets prepared by Col. John D. Martz, Jr.,

NASAs top management from 1958 to 1960 was Dr. T. Keith Glennan, Administrator Commander of Quartermaster Corps, on background
(center); Hugh L. Dryden, Deputy Administrator (left); and Richard E. Horner, Associate of Heraldic Services Division participation in design of
NASA seal and medals, 18 May 1961. The fact sheets were
Administrator (right). Taken on 1 March 1960, the picture shows the NASA seal above
prepared at the request of higher-level officials within the
Administrator Glennan and the NASA flag behind Dryden. (NASA 60-ADM-7) Army. Files of the Institute of Heraldry, Department of the
Army, Fort Belvoir, VA, to be deposited in HRC.
 CHA P TE R 4 Fly Me to the Moon, 19601974 77

who is responsible for Commander Shepards

D.S.M., but that perhaps is a blessing. One side
of the medal shows a planet and satellitea
motif that any schoolboys might have thought
up. On the other side is the inevitable laurel
wreath. As for the lettering, Designer Henry
Hart of the Smithsonian Institution has just one
word:Atrocious.2

As expected, many in the NASA community

reacted adversely to the article. Harry J. DeVoto, who
had been Head of the Graphics and Exhibits Branch at
NASA Ames, was particularly offended. DeVoto had
been the designer who influenced Modarellis choice of
the globe and orbiting spacecraft in the logos. In 2001,
DeVoto commented:

History has proven Time magazines assessment

of the logo entirely wrong. In an issue that was
published about the time the logo was made
public, Time used words like, Cracker-Jack toy,
typical government art and many other nega-
tive remarks. I do not have any clue as to the date
of the piece but I do remember it well because
the entire design process was clearly an important
part of NASAs beginnings and the privilege of
F I G U R E 4 -2.
having been connected with NACA and NASA
through those most dynamic years is precious A NASA Distinguished Service Medal of the type awarded to astronaut Alan Shepard
tome.3 in 1961. (NASA)

2 Lackluster Medals, Time magazine, 19 May 1961, p. 84.

3 Ames Research Center View of NASA Logo Design,
Letter from Harry J. DeVoto to Steve Garber of NASA
History Office, 6 May 2001. NASA Headquarters
Historical Records Collection, file 4542.
78 C HAP TER 4 Fly Me to the Moon, 19601974

Applications of the Logos It appeared on NASA buildings and equipment, the

flight suits of pilots and astronauts, research aircraft
The bold achievements of NASA during its embryonic and facilities, and correspondence and reports. Visitors
era were spectacular and fundamental to the advance- to the gift shops at NASA installations searched and
ment of aerospace technology. The epic Moon-landing scrambled for any souvenirs that displayed the insig-
missions were achieved ahead of the schedule set by nia. Exposure of the iconic symbol became more wide-
President Kennedy, sophisticated technologies and spread as the nation met the challenges of the space
facilities were created to enable follow-on phases of race, which culminated in lunar missions that took
terrestrial and universal exploration, and advanced Modarellis creation to the Moon.
aeronautical technologies for civil and military aircraft
were developed. AERONAUTICS
The importance of NASAs programsespecially NASAs research aircraft and flying test beds dis-
the critical Apollo Programwas not lost on the played the insignia on various components of the air-
public, which brimmed with national pride inspired by frame, typically the fuselage or wing. In many cases,
the Agency and the symbolism of the NASA logos. The the NACA gold band on the vertical tails of research
insignia, in particular, served its mission well as a cen- aircraft was retainedwith the NACA wings logo
terpiece during both formal and informal media events replaced by the letters NASA in black. This arrange-
ranging from the introduction of astronauts to press ment would be replicated on many NASA aircraft well
conferences and the visits of important stakeholders. into the 1990s.

F I G U R E 4 - 3.

Majestic view of colorful NASA F-104N aircraft of the

NASA Flight Research Center, in formation near Ed-
wards Air Force Base in 1963. The tail bands are yellow,
rather than gold. The NASA insignia is barely visible on
the engine air intakes on the side of the fuselage. (NASA
EC63-00221)
CHA P TE R 4 Fly Me to the Moon, 19601974 79

F I G U R E 4 - 4.

NASA Langley began flight tests of its B737 research

transport in 1973. In addition to the NASA insignia on its
nose, the aircraft exhibited the insignia of the Feder-
al Aviation Administration near its entrance door. The
tail band was gold with stylized NASA letters in black.
(NASA GPN-2000-001905)

F I G U R E 4 - 5.

Showing the NASA insignia on its nose and a gold tail

band, the XB-70A Ship 1 takes off on a research mis-
sion. The aircraft was flown by the NASA Flight Research
Center in the mid-1960s for high-speed studies and for
sonic-boom investigations. (NASA ED97-44244-2)
80 C HAP TER 4 Fly Me to the Moon, 19601974

F I G U R E 4 - 6.

NASA test pilot Pete Knight poses with the legendary

X-15A-2 hypersonic research aircraft in 1965. A variation
of the gold NASA tail band appears on the vertical tail,
and the NASA insignia on the nose is backed by a gold
flash. (NASA ECN-1025)

F I G U R E 4 -7.

Long before the Space Shuttle, NASA explored the flight

behavior of advanced space vehicles known as lifting
bodies. Here Milt Thompson, Chief Test Pilot of the
NASA Flight Research Center, poses with a low-cost,
unpowered test vehicle known as the M2-F1 in 1963.
(NASA EC63-206)
CHA P TE R 4 Fly Me to the Moon, 19601974 81

FIGURE 4-8.

Rocket-powered lifting bodies were photographed at the

Flight Research Center in 1972. Each carries the NASA
insignia and gold tail band (LR): The Air Force X-24A, the
NASA M2-F2, and the NASA HL-10. (NASA EC69-2353)

F I G U R E 4 - 9.

Low-speed research vehicles also carried the insignia.

The insignia is displayed on the wing of the Boeing/
Vertol VZ-2 tilt-wing Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL)
research aircraft shown at Langley in 1960. (NASA GPN-
2000-001732)
82 C HAP TER 4 Fly Me to the Moon, 19601974

Human Spaceflight International Space Station. Whether worn as a patch

on an astronauts suit, affixed to boosters and space
By far the most exposure for the NASA logos has vehicles, or used as a backdrop during press confer-
been generated by the NASA human spaceflight pro- ences, the emblem is an integral part of NASAs pro-
gramthe suborbital flights of Project Mercury, the gram. The photographs that follow show the presence
challenging docking maneuvers of Project Gemini, the of the insignia during highlights of the human space-
Moon landings of the Apollo Program, the launch of flight program from this era.
the Space Shuttle Program, and the evolution of the

F I G U R E 4 -10.

The first two groups of astronauts selected by NASA pose in 1963 behind NASA insignia. The original seven Mercury astronauts, selected in April
1959, are seated (LR): L. Gordon Cooper, Jr.; Virgil I. Grissom; M. Scott Carpenter; Walter M. Schirra, Jr.; John H. Glenn, Jr.; Alan B. Shepard, Jr.;
and Donald K. Slayton. The second group of NASA astronauts, named in September 1962, is standing (LR): Edward H. White, II; James A.
McDivitt; John W. Young; Elliot M. See, Jr.; Charles Conrad, Jr.; Frank Borman; Neil A. Armstrong; Thomas P. Stafford; and James A. Lovell, Jr.
(NASA S63-01419)
 CHA P TE R 4 Fly Me to the Moon, 19601974 83

F I G U R E 4 -11.

One of the most popular Mercury astronauts was Alan

Shepard, seen here in his spacesuit prior to the first
U.S. piloted suborbital mission in 1961. His suit carries
the NASA insignia, a tradition that became part of every
piloted mission. (NASA MSFC-9248359)

F I G U R E 4 -12.

John Glenn smiles after becoming the first American to orbit Earth in his Mercury
spacecraft Friendship 7 on 12 February 1962. (NASA MA6-39)
84 C HAP TER 4 Fly Me to the Moon, 19601974

F I G U R E 4 -13.

President Kennedy honors John Glenn at Cape Canaveral on 23 February 1962. James Modarellis NASA insignia is proudly displayed at the festiv-
ities. (NASA KSC-62PC-0014)
 CHA P TE R 4 Fly Me to the Moon, 19601974 85

F I G U R E 4 -14.

Astronaut L. Gordon Cooper, Jr., prime pilot for the

Mercury-Atlas 9 (MA-9) mission in 1963, relaxes while
waiting for weight and balance tests to begin. The NASA
insignia was worn in the same location on flight suits
during Project Mercury. (NASA S63-03974)

F I G U R E 4 -15.

Before it could embark on a Moon mission, NASA had to

demonstrate the feasibility of a rendezvous mission with
an orbiting target vehicle in the Gemini Program. NASA
insignia and mission patches are worn by Astronauts Wal-
ter M. Schirra, Jr. (seated), command pilot, and Thomas
P. Stafford, pilot, Gemini 6 prime crew, as they go through
suiting up exercises in preparation for their Gemini 6 flight
on 20 October 1965. (NASA GPN-2000-001478)
86 C HAP TER 4 Fly Me to the Moon, 19601974

F I G U R E 4 -16.

The NASA insignia dominates the side of the Project

Gemini Control Center building at Cape Canaveral in
1964. (NASA KSC-64C-2699)

F I G U R E 4 -17.

The astronauts of Apollo 11 (LR): Neil Armstrong,

Michael Collins, and Buzz Aldrin pose in spacesuits be-
fore their historic flight. The NASA insignia and American
flag adorned their suits. (NASA GPN-2000-0011644)
CHA P TE R 4 Fly Me to the Moon, 19601974 87

F I G U R E 4 -18 .

Insignia on the Moon.

Astronaut Buzz Aldrin
steps down from the LEM
in preparation for a task.
The insignia carried on
the front of the crews
suits was hidden by
equipment, but the NASA
insignia on their back-
packs can be seen here.
(NASA AS11-40-5869)
88 C HAP TER 4 Fly Me to the Moon, 19601974

PUBLICATIONS
NASA publications during this periodfor example,
technical noteswere published with an image of the
NASA seal on the cover. These documents were sub-
jected to a thorough in-house peer review before being
considered for publication and release to the indus-
try, military, universities, and the public. Such pub-
lications were of high quality and widely used by the
aerospacecommunity.

F I G U R E 4 -19.

The covers of NASA technical reports published from 1959 to 1975, such as this tech-
nical note, included the NASA seal.
CHAPTER 5

Controversy, 19751991

The NASA Logotype and Blackburn, a New York firm that specializes in
corporate identity. Bruce N. Blackburn of the firm
The NASA insignia served the Agency well for 16 designed the American bicentennial logo, which was
years, becoming an iconic centerpiece during the painted on the NASA Vehicle Assembly Building at
excitement and national pride of the Apollo years. Kennedy Space Center in 1976.
In 1975, however, NASA Headquarters decided that The Federal Graphics Improvement Program,
the insignia for the Agency should take on a more active from 1972 to 1981, was part of the Federal
contemporary appearance. James Modarellis orig- Design Improvement Program. A panel of prestigious
inal logo, which had always been referred to as the graphic designers convened to critique the graphics of
insignia, was first dubbed the meatball in 1975 by participating federal agencies. This critique was not
Frank Red Rowsome, head of technical publications limited to paper products; planes, ambulances, and
at NASA Headquarters, to differentiate it from a new even the Congressional Record were cited for rede-
logo called the NASA logotype.1 In 1974, as part of sign. Ultimately, more than 45 government agencies
the Federal Graphics Improvement Program of the revamped their graphics under this mandate.2
National Endowment for the Arts, NASA replaced In addition to providing a more contemporary
the complex meatball with a stripped-down, modern- look, the logotype was in part justified by difficul-
ist interpretation in which even the cross stroke of the ties encountered with reproducing the colors of the
As was removed. The logotype was designed by Danne meatball in the printing process before the age of

1 Employees Rededicate Famous NASA Symbol. The Lewis 2 See http://arts.gov/article/setting-standard-nea-initiates-federal-

News, in-house newsletter, Volume 34, Issue 11, November design-improvement-program (accessed 5 November 2014).
1997, p. 1.

89
90 C HAP TER 5 Controversy, 19751991

high-quality digital printers. In addition, recognition

of some of the elementsfor example, the starsin
the meatball design was difficult for some viewing
conditions. The color of the new insignia was NASA
Pantone 179 (red). When compared to the red wing in
the meatball insignia, the logotype color was more of
an orange-red. Against a white background, the logo-
type was shown in red, black, or a warm gray.
Acceptance of the new logotype insignia was far
from universal within the Agency. Many longtime
NASA employees were dismayed by the replacement
of their beloved meatball with the trendy new insig-
nia, which they called the worm in a truly derogatory
sense. The new insignia was never fully endorsed by
the NASA old-timers, leading to a raging controversy.
Nonetheless, the NASA logotype was adopted and
F I G U R E 5 -1.
would serve as the Agencys insignia for the next 17
The NASA logotype replaced the insignia in 1975. (NASA C-1997-4062)
years. During that period, NASA would continue to
make unprecedented scientific advancements, but the
occurrence of the Challenger disaster, the resulting ter-
mination of Shuttle flights, and other Agency project
problems resulted in a perceived downturn in morale,
especially at the Centers.

The New Insignia

The adoption of the new NASA logotype as a new

insignia at the field Centers was received with surprise
and mixed emotions. The tone of unrest was exempli-
fied by the announcement of the unanticipated insig-
nia in Langleys Researcher News, in-house newsletter,
F I G U R E 5 -2.
A new graphics design program is being imple-
The American bicentennial logo was designed by Bruce mented for NASA. The program is planned to
N. Blackburn. It was added to the Vehicle Assembly improve the agencys ability to communicate,
Building at the Kennedy Space Center in 1976 and re- provide uniformity for all NASA graphics, and
placed by the meatball in 1998. save time and money. The new program, called a
 CHA P TE R 5 Controversy, 19751991 91

graphics system, will cover all means of communi-

cation, both inside and outside NASA: stationery,
technical and management publications, vehicles
and aircraft, buildings and direction signs, news
releases, and a new Logotype (symbol).
The new symbol is the most obviousand
the most controversialpart of the graphics
system. The symbol will replace the NASA
Meatball for all agency identification. The
NASA seal will be retained, however, for
formal uses such as service pins, award certif-
icates, speakers lecterns, the NASA flag, and for
other occasions.
The new symbol, reproduced here, incorpo-
rates the letters of the NASA acronym, with let-
ters stylized and reduced to their simplest forms.
The single width of the letters is designed to give
a feeling of unity and technological precision to
the symbol. The curves of the letters represent
fluidity and continuity from a design point of F I G U R E 5 - 3.
view. The As are used without their cross-
strokes to give a feeling of vertical thrust. This humorous, tongue-in-cheek Goodbye Meatball cartoon captures the abrupt-
The words National Aeronautics and Space ness of the worm insignia replacing the meatball insignia in 1975. (Contributed by
Administration will accompany almost every James H. Cato)
use of the new symbol. According to designers,
millions of people know about NASA but many To keep changeover costs at a minimum,
of them dont know what the acronym means. many elements will be gradually changed,
The new graphics system has been accepted including such items as vehicles and signs. The
by NASA Administrator Dr. James C. Fletcher. complete changeover period is expected to take
At the time he stated: several years.
We at NASA believe that design excellence The new graphics system began as part of the
is not a luxury, but rather a necessity. We believe Federal Design Improvement Program, imple-
that it is important to constantly upgrade the mented by the National Endowment for the
quality of our graphics in order to improve Arts, which began in 1972. NASAs participation
communications with the citizens of our coun- began when a panel of graphic design experts
try and to develop a closer relationship between recommended several ways in which the Agency
graphic design and program operation so that
design becomes a tool in achieving the program
objectives of NASA.
92 C HAP TER 5 Controversy, 19751991

could improve its ability to communicate.3 The acceptance of the new logo was caused by how the
New York design team of Richard Danne and Agency decided to alert the Centers of the change,
Bruce Blackburn developed at the NASA graph-
ics system and will help implement it. The firm The Agency made the decision to alert the
also designed the National Bicentennial symbol.4 various Centers to the new Program by sending
Executive stationery to each Center Director.
In reality, Administrator Fletcher and his Deputy That Stationery displayed the new NASA
Administrator, Dr. George Low, had misgivings about Logotype and it would be the first time they
the new design.5 Both Fletcher and Low expressed were informed of the graphics program and
their uncomfortable positions to the designers during image change. Centers were like fiefdoms,
their first design presentation, but the new logo was they enjoyed their freedom and their provincial
nonetheless approved and implemented.6 specialties. At the time of our redesign, there
was resistance to almost anything emanating
IMPLEMENTATION from Headquarters. Those letterhead gifts
Robert Schulman of NASA Headquarters was chosen coming out of Washington and sporting the new
to be NASAs monitor of the redesign effort as it con- Logotype proceeded to detonate across the coun-
tinued to evolve over the next decade. The Standards tryand all hell broke loose!7
Manual for the use of the logotype ultimately con-
sisted of over 90 pages, covering applications to ground The managers at the NASA Centers were upset
vehicles, aircraft, the Space Shuttle, signs, uniform over the unexpected announcement, and the employ-
patches, public service film titles, space vehicles, and ees were even more inflamed. The perception of the
satellitemarkings. program advocates was that the younger NASA
Co-designer Richard Danne recalled that, in employees preferred the new graphics program, but
his opinion, the difficulty encountered regarding the older employees were, in general, upset over the
change. There appeared to be no middle ground for
3 Panel members included Marion Swannie, IBM Design the situation; employees and NASAs partners either
Program Manager; Alvin Eisenman, Chairman of Yale enthusiastically endorsed the logotype or despised it.
Universitys Graphics Department; Paul Rand, nationally In 1984, the NASA logotype was awarded the pres-
known graphics designer; Howard Paine of National
Geographic magazine; and John Leslie of the U.S. tigious Award of Design Excellence of The Presidential
Department of Labor. Design Awards by President Reagan in Washington.
4 The Researcher News, Langleys in-house newsletter, Volume Despite this recognition, the schism in acceptance of
14, Issue 4, 21 February 1975, p.1.
the logotype at the Centers persisted throughout its
5 Hilary Greenbaum, Who Made Those NASA Logos?
existence. To the relief of many, it was replaced by
The Sixth Floor, 3 August 2011. http://6thfloor.blogs.nytimes.
com/2011/08/03/who-made-those-nasa-logos/?_php=true&_ Modarellis meatball design following the appoint-
type=blogs&pagewanted=p&_r=0 (accessed 31 August 2014). ment of Daniel S. Goldin as the new administrator
6 A detailed discussion by designer Richard Danne regarding of NASA by President George H. W. Bush on 1 April
his perspective on the design and advocacy problems for
the NASA logotype is available online at http://www.
thisisdisplay.org/features/the_nasa_design_program (accessed
1 September 2014). 7 Ibid.
 CHA P TE R 5 Controversy, 19751991 93

1992. The next chapter will discuss why Goldin made

this change.

The Shuttle Emblems

The emergence of the Space Shuttle during the

1970s resulted in a new emblem for NASAs Space
Transportation System (STS) on 18 February 1977.
Known as the Space Transportation System Program
Badge, the emblem was triangular, pointed upward, F I G U R E 5 - 4.
and had a stylized drawing of the Space Shuttle in
launch configuration. Its colors were a white and The NASA Space Trans-
grey shadow-edged Shuttle over a background of two portation System Program
shades of blue, and a gold and white edge. SPACE Badge was established in
SHUTTLE was inscribed horizontally at the base in February 1977.
white letters.8
The STS badge was designed by the NASA
Johnson Space Center, which also designed Add-On Shuttle crews prior to the mid-1980s typically wore
Bars to augment the badge and provide subordinate the STS badge along with the NASA logotype insig-
mission-related identity. The bars were rectangular, nia during preflight and mission photo opportunities.
gold and white edged, with one or two lines of text on After the Challenger disaster, the STS badge was rarely
a red band. They were positioned horizontally at the seen on uniforms and flight suits. From the 1990s on,
base of the badge. Over 15 different identifiers were Shuttle crews wore uniforms with their mission insig-
made with titles such as Orbital Flight Test, Approach nia and the NASA meatball insignia.
and Landing Test, Johnson Space Center, and Space
Shuttle Main Engine.9
Early in the Shuttle program, NASA management Applications of the Logotype
planned to use the add-on bars as numeric indicators
of individual missions. The astronauts, however, over- As expected, the changeover from the meatball to the
ruled this approach and instead initiated individual logotype insignia was slow due to the cost and labor
mission patches that became an integral part of the required. Some of the changesespecially those
human spaceflight program. NASA formally referred involving building identifiersoccurred relatively
to mission patches as the NASA Astronaut Badge. quickly, but other more costly changes took years
because the NASA meatballs had been extensively
8 Federal Register, Volume 52, Number 231, 2 December displayed throughout the field Centers. The process
1987, p. 45818. was also significantly delayed by the reluctance of the
9 http://www.collectspace.com/ubb/Forum18/HTML/000420. old-timers to dismiss their favorite insignia.
html (accessed 15 September 2014).
94 C HAP TER 5 Controversy, 19751991

BUILDINGS F I G U R E 5 - 5.
The introduction of the new NASA logotype insignia
in 1975 required NASA installations to identify build- The NASA logotype

ings with the new insignia. The changeover in logos insignia is exhibited over

for large buildings such as aircraft hangars prompted the entrance to the main
building at the NASA
different actions at the various NASA Centers. For
Ames-Dryden Flight Re-
example, the flight hangars at the Ames-Dryden Flight
search Facility in 1991.
Research Facility immediately complied with the new
In this photograph the
directive, whereas Langley never removed its meat-
logo appears behind the
ball from the hangar and only added the logotype in
X-1E research aircraft with
late1991.
its NACA tail band.
The Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel complex at the
(EC-91-485-1)
Ames Research Center has long been a key national
facility supporting the U.S. civil and military aero-
space communities. Thousands of tests of almost every
commercial and military aircraft have been conducted
there since it began operations in 1956, and testing
continues today. The facility was designed to have
three test sections using only one set of drive motors.
A turning vane/valve arrangement is used to divert the
airflow into one test section while the other two are
readied for another test or undergo maintenance. The
meatball insignia had been painted in a prominent
position on the turning vane/valve used to separate
flow between test sections.10 This application was but
one of many in which the old meatball was given pref-
erence over the new worm insignia.

10 The Astrogram, in-house Ames newsletter, Volume XXXII,

Number 25, 31 August 1990. A historical preservation study
of the facility is available online at http://historicproperties.
arc.nasa.gov/unitary.html (accessed 3 September 2014).

F I G U R E 5 - 6.

The research aircraft of the NASA Ames-Dryden Flight Research Facility were photo-
graphed in 1985 in front of flight hangars marked with the NASA logotype insignia. The
Shuttle hangar is in the background at the upper right. (EC-91-485-1)
 CHA P TE R 5 Controversy, 19751991 95

F I G U R E 5 -7.

The Ames Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel was declared a National Historical Landmark in 1985. The flow diverter section is proudly adorned with the
meatball. The plaques on display in front of the tunnel discuss the contributions of the facility. (NASA ACD06-0213-001)
96 C HAP TER 5 Controversy, 19751991

AIRCRAFT
During the period 19751991, NASA research aircraft appeared with a variety of
insignia and, for the first time, an increased number of logos that identified part-
ners and sponsors for research projects. Many of the paint schemes were chosen to
enhance the visibility of the vehicle as well as airflow over and around its surfaces.

FIGURE 5-8.

The NASA F-18 High Alpha Research Vehicle (HARV)

had a special black finish to enhance visual analysis of
flow characteristics over the airplane at high angles of
attack. The NASA logotype insignia and the aircrafts
NASA identification number were therefore painted in a
nonstandard white color. (NASA EC92-10231-2)

F I G U R E 5 - 9.

The NASA logotype insignia was displayed on the verti-

cal tail of the X-29 research aircraft in 1990. The vehicle
also displayed the names of NASAs partners including
Grumman, the Defense Advanced Research Projects
Agency (DARPA), and the U.S. Air Force.
(NASA EC92-10231-2)
 CHA P TE R 5 Controversy, 19751991 97

F I G U R E 5 -10.

The Highly Maneuverable Aircraft Technology (HiMAT) remotely piloted

vehicle exhibited the NASA logotype insignia during its research program
at the Ames-Dryden Flight Research Facility in 1980. (NASA EC-14281)

F I G U R E 5 -11.

As might be expected, during the decade following the introduction of

the NASA logotype insignia, aircraft markings at various NASA facilities
involved a mixture of old and new logos. Observers were often con-
fused by scenes of non-uniformity in NASA markings in photographs,
at airshows, and during other public events. Here, a formation flight of
Dryden F-15 and F-104 aircraft in 1980 shows the differences in NASA
markings commonly encountered at the time. (NASA EC80-14126)

F I G U R E 5 -12.

During the age of the logotype, several aircraft retained the meat-
ball insignia. Here NASAs F-106B research aircraft performs a flight
above NASA Langley Research Center in 1979. The aircraft was used
by Langley for storm hazard (lightning strike) and vortex-flap flight
research studies. (NASA L79-7204.1)
98 C HAP TER 5 Controversy, 19751991

SPACE SHUTTLE Space Shuttle operations became routine, with

In 1977, NASA began a yearlong study of the aero- countless successful and productive scientific and
dynamic and structural characteristics of the Space space exploration missions being conducted. The
Shuttle Enterprise and the B747 Shuttle Carrier entire nation became accustomed to NASAs remark-
Aircraft during mated flights at Dryden. The combi- able successuntil 28 January 1986 and the Shuttle
nation conducted five free-flight tests to evaluate the Challenger disaster.
unpowered gliding and landing handling qualities of Shuttle Discovery was launched on a highly success-
the orbiter prototype. ful Return-to-Flight mission on 29 September 1988,
Enterprise and Challenger always had the worm which inspired a feeling of optimism at the Agency and
insignia on their wings. Beginning in 1998, the insig- throughout the nation for the human space program.
nia for Endeavour, Discovery, Columbia, and Atlantis The NASA logotype and the meatball were both dis-
was changed from the worm to the meatball. played on the astronauts suits, and Discovery carried
Following the initial flights at Dryden, the Space the logotype insignia on its rear fuselage for the mis-
Shuttle Columbia (which also bore the NASA worm sion. The mission patch, which included a rendition
logo at the time) successfully rocketed into space for of the red wing of the meatball, emphasized the suc-
the first Shuttle mission on 12 April 1981. cesses of the previous NASA and the beginnings of a

F I G U R E 5 -13.

The Space Shuttle Enter-

prise and Shuttle Carrier
Aircraft display the NASA
logotype insignia during
a test flight in February
1977. Note the gray color
of the insignia on the orbit-
er. Enterprise never flew in
space. (NASA ECN-6882)
 CHA P TE R 5 Controversy, 19751991 99

new NASA. The themes of the STS-26 insignia were: seven-starred Big Dipper). The insignia was designed by
a new beginning (sunrise), a safe mission (stylized artist Stephen R. Hustvedt of Annapolis, Maryland.11
launch and plume), the traditional strengths of NASA During this phase of the Shuttle Program, astro-
(the red wing of the meatball), and a remembrance of nauts typically wore flight suits with patches of both
the seven astronauts who died aboard Challenger (the the logotype insignia and the meatball. The logotype
was worn until March 1996 for the flight of STS-76,
after which its use was discontinued.

11 See http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/history/shuttle_pk/pk/Flight_026_
STS-026R_Press_Kit.pdf (accessed 10 November 2014).

F I G U R E 5 -14. F I G U R E 5 -15.

Enterprise mounted in launch configuration during a fit Astronauts John W. Young, left, crew commander, and Robert L. Crippen, pilot for the
check at Vandenberg AFB in 1985. The orbiter shows STS-1 mission, pose with a Shuttle model in 1979. They wear patches of the logotype
its logotype insignia on the fuselage and right wing. (Air insignia and stand before a NASA flag with the NASA seal. The model also exhibits the
Force Photo DF-ST-99-04905) logotype. (NASA KSC-79PC-0271)
100 C HAP TER 5 Controversy, 19751991

F I G U R E 5 -16.

President Ronald Reagan (in tan suit) joined a huge crowd in welcoming the Shuttle Columbia following its landing at Edwards at the end of the
fourth Shuttle mission on 4 July 1982. The NASA logotype insignia was prominently displayed on the prototype Shuttle Enterprise, hangars, and
personal attire worn by onlookers. (NASA EC82-18992)
 CHA P TE R 5 Controversy, 19751991 101

F I G U R E 5 -18 .

Shuttle Discovery lands at Edwards after completion of

the STS-26 Return-to-Flight mission on 3 October 1988.
Like all earlier Shuttles, Discovery displays the logotype
insignia. (NASA GPN-2000-001174)

F I G U R E 5 -17.

The crew of the Shuttle Discovery before their STS-26 Return-to-Flight mission in
1988. Crew members were: Back row (LR): mission specialists John M. Mike
Lounge, David C. Hilmers, and George D. Pinky Nelson. Front row (LR): Richard O.
Covey, pilot, and Frederick H. Rick Hauck, commander. (NASA GPN-2000-001174)

F I G U R E 5 -19.

Shuttle Atlantis blasts off from Kennedy Space Center

on STS-34 to launch the Jupiter deep space exploration
spacecraft Galileo on 18 October 1989. Atlantis carried
the NASA logotype insignia on its right wing. The Galileo
spacecraft provided scientists with a wealth of data on the
largest planet in our solar system and its numerous moons,
until 2003 when the spacecraft was deorbited. (NASA)
102 C HAP TER 5 Controversy, 19751991

SATELLITES
NASA launched the Hubble Space Telescope into low-
Earth orbit from the Space Shuttle Discovery in 1990,
enabling astronomers to observe details of the universe
to an unprecedented degree. Hubble continues to pro-
vide incredible views of space and time and is one of
the highlights of NASAs accomplishments. Several
successful Shuttle servicing missions to enhance the
satellites performance have followed.

F I G U R E 5 -20.

The Hubble Space Telescope is seen in Shuttle Colum-

bias payload bay following successful repairs and re-
configuration during the STS-109 mission in March 2002.
The telescope still exhibited the logotype insignia from its
insertion into orbit in 1990. (NASA STS109-318-208)
 CHA P TE R 5 Controversy, 19751991 103

PUBLICATIONS AND CORRESPONDENCE

From 1975 to 1991, the technical note continued to be NASAs pre-
ferred document for the dissemination of technical information. The
NASA seal remained on the covers of the notes, and during the bicen-
tennial year of 1976, the documents also carried the bicentennial logo.

F I G U R E 5 -2 1. F I G U R E 5 -22.

During the 1976 celebration of the nations bicentennial, NASA technical Example of the cover of a NASA technical report typical of the early
reports were printed with the NASA seal and the bicentennial logo on 1990s with the logotype insignia on display. (NASA)
the cover. (NASA)
104 C HAP TER 5 Controversy, 19751991

Anniversary Logos and souvenir medallions were minted and distributed

to employees, along with special logo stickers. The
In 1990, NASA celebrated the 75th anniversary (1915 medallions featured a NASA side with a simplified
1990) of the combined operations of the NACA and version of the NASA meatball and an NACA side with
NASA. Ceremonies were held to observe the event, a rendition of the NACA seal.

F I G U R E 5 -23.

A medallion was issued

to all NASA employees in
1990 on the occasion of
the 75th anniversary of the
NACA and NASA. (Joseph
Chambers)

F I G U R E 5 -24.

Stickers and pins of a

special anniversary logo
were also distributed to
employees. (Contributed
by Peter Jacobs)
CHAPTER 6

Back to the Future, 1992Today

Rebirth of the Meatball Holloway showed Goldin his personal business card,
which still carried the meatball insignia and told him
New NASA Administrator Daniel S. Goldin arrived that he (Holloway) wanted to work for that Agency.
via NASA airplane for his first tour of the Langley He also cited the ridiculous procedure he had gone
Research Center on 22 May 1992. As the plane taxied through to legally carry the card. The requirement for
onto the hangar apron, a passenger looked at the NASA use of the old meatball emblem was to have a letter
logotype insignia on the hangar and asked, Why in on file signed by the Administrator. The same require-
the world do we have that awful logo?1 ment existed for astronauts to use it on spacesuits. All
Immediately after he arrived, Goldin asked his exceptions had to be approved by the Administrator.3
special assistant George W. S. Abbey and Langley Later that day Goldin addressed the Langley
Center Director Paul F. Holloway what he could do employees and the entire NASA organization via
to improve what he perceived to be the sagging morale NASA TV,
of employees at the NASA Centers. Abbey pointed to
the meatball insignia that had been retained on the Now let me tell you, we have a little surprise
Langley hangar and said, Restore the Meatball!2 today. In honor of that spirit, it seems only fitting
that the original NASA insigniaaffectionately
we know it as the Meatballwill be part of
1 Paul F. Holloway, telephone interview by Joseph Chambers,
15 July 2013.
2 Paul F. Holloway, interview by Joseph Chambers, 15 July http://www.wired.com/2014/09/weird-facts-about-5-of-the-
2013; Kirk Seville, Worm Turns, Newport News Daily worlds-most-famous-logos/?mbid=social_twitter (accessed 4
Press, 23 May 1992. Available online at http://articles.sun- September 2014)
sentinel.com/1992-05-23/news/9202090944_1_stationery- 3 E-mail communication with Armstrong Flight Research
and-repaint-goldin-worm (accessed 31 August 2014), and Center public affairs specialist Cam Martin, 9 January 2013.

105
106 C HAP TER 6 Back to the Future, 1992Today

of today and tomorrowThe can-do spirit of

the past is alive and well. The magic is back
The old NASA insignia is back because the men
and women of NASA ordered it to be back. A
classic, it never goes out of style!4

Goldin had arrived on a Thursday, and by Friday

morning NASAs worm was officially gone, and the
meatball was back. The Administrator wore a bor-
rowed meatball pin during his visit, and a meatball
sign was hastily affixed to the podium during his pre-
sentation to the employees and media.5
Many of the old-time managers at Langley
including Hollowayhad been reluctant to follow
the Headquarters directives for implementing the new
logotype emblem and, as a result, the Langley hangar
had not displayed the new insignia from 1975 until late
1991. Instead, the hangar retained the meatball insig-
nia painted on the facilitys tail door. As an additional
F I G U R E 6 -1. affront to the worm, in 1973 the Center had received a
Boeing B737 transport that it subsequently converted
The Langley flight hangar displayed both the NASA logotype and the meatball insig- into one of the worlds most productive research air-
nia during Administrator Goldins visit in 1992. Although taken 2 years later, the photo planes. When the airplane was scheduled for painting
shows the markings at the time of the visit. (NASA 1994-L-04816) with NASA livery after arrival, the flight operations
organization proposed putting a meatball insignia
on the nose, despite the existing Agency directive to
our future. I know you feel this way too, because remove meatballs from aircraft markings. Langley
large numbers of you have stopped and told me management turned a blind eye to the directive; the
so as Ive been visiting all the Centers around the
country This does not mean that as of today
we will throw out all the stationary and repaint
every building and vehiclealthough wed love 4 Administrator Goldin Brings New NASA Message to
Langley, The Researcher News, in-house Langley newsletter,
to do it Over time, the NASA symbol of old,
Volume 6 Issue 9, 5 June 1992, p. 1.
the affectionate Meatball, will replace the slick
5 Goldin borrowed the meatball pin from Cam Martin of
NASA logo and slowly it will die into the horizon the Office of Public Affairs at Langley. At the time, the
and never be seen again Take pride in the pins were illegal and no longer sold in Langley gift shops.
Martin had bought the pin years before and hurried to his
symbol that stood for NASA excellence in the nearby home to retrieve it in time for Goldins briefing.
pastand nowlooks to the world-class NASA Communication with Cam Martin, 9 January 2013.
 CHA P TE R 6 Back to the Future, 1992Today 107

meatball was placed on the nose and the NASA logo-

type was painted on the tail.
In anticipation of Administrator Goldins first visit
to Langley, priority had been given to creating a highly
visible NASA logotype on the hangar building. A great
effort was expended to make sure that the Center was
in compliance with the logotype directives. As pre-
viously discussed, however, the visiting entourages
perception of the logotype insignia upon arrival, and
Goldins ensuing discussions with George Abbey and
Paul Holloway, led to the demise of the worm. Later in
the day, Goldin posed for a photograph in the Langley
aircraft hangar; in the photograph, he extended his
arms around the NASA meatball on the nose of the
F I G U R E 6 -2.
B737 in an admiring fashion. After his departure, a
scramble ensued for many years to hide the worm at all
A meatball sign was hurriedly found and affixed to the podi- NASA Centers in compliance with Goldins decision.6
um above the soon-to-be removed NASA logotype during To the amusement of many, the situation evolved into
Administrator Goldins briefing. (NASA 1992-L-06195) a NASA-wide worm hunt.
Although the old-timers were jubilant over the
return of their beloved meatball insignia, Goldin
received strong criticism and requests for reconsider-
ation of his decision from some of the media and the
Endowment for the Arts.7
In his comments to employees, Goldin had
directed them not to waste money by throwing out

6 E-mail communications with Cam Martin, 9 January 2013

and 5 September 2014.
7 Kathy Sawyer, Logo Change Sends NEA Into Orbit:
Federal Design Director Urges NASA Chief to Reassess
Decision, Washington Post, 15 June 1992. Files of the
Institute of Heraldry, Department of the Army, Fort
Belvoir, VA, to be deposited in HRC. One particularly
critical position was taken by the online site NASA Watch.
F I G U R E 6 - 3. For example, see Small Wonder People Under Stress at
NASA When You Behave This Way at http://nasawatch.
com/archives/1999/12/, 26 October 1999 (accessed 8
Goldin expresses his affection for the meatball insignia
September 2014). The criticism continued past the turn
on the nose of the Langley B737 research transport. of the century. For example, see Art of the Seal by Alice
(NASA 1992-L-06225) Rawsthorn, New York Times Style magazine, 5 March 2009.
108 C HAP TER 6 Back to the Future, 1992Today

worm-infested stationary or by repainting worm-cov-

ered space vehicles.8 NASA employees took his com-
ment to heartLangleys hangar would retain the
NASA logotype insignia until late 1999, and many
research aircraft across the Agency would retain their
logotype tail markings for several years thereafter. The
Space Shuttles flew with the emblem well into the
1990s. Eliminating the worm significantly impacted
costs and schedules. As will be discussed, the overlap of
NASA insignias during the transition led to confusion
amongobservers.

The Wormball
F I G U R E 6 - 4.

Following Administrator Goldins decision to bring

The unofficial wormball was proposed as a make
back the meatball, the magazine Quest: The History
everyone happy design for the NASA insignia. (Quest:
of Spaceflight Quarterly published articles on the tur-
The History of Spaceflight Quarterly)
moil between the supporters of the worm insignia and
those of the meatball insignia. In the first article, a
Quest artist created a composite logo in which he com-
bined both the worm and meatball into one design, Interest in the wormball inspired a movement to
with the worm replacing the standard NASA letters have NASA adopt it as the logo. In response to the
of the meatball.9 Calling the design The best of both issue, NASA Headquarters quickly made it clear that
worlds? was a humorous comment on the logo situa- the wormball would never be adopted.10
tion withinNASA.
In its next issue, Quest reported that Modarelli
had read the article and wrote, It was interesting Overdue Recognition
since I submitted an almost identical design to NASA
Headquarters shortly after the NASA worm logo was By the 1960s, Modarelli had still not received proper
adopted in 1975. Naturally it was turned down. recognition for his design of the meatball. This situa-
tion was brought to the attention of Abe Silverstein,
8 Ibid.
Director of the Lewis Research Center, who pointed
out the grievous oversight in a forceful letter to NASA
9 Quest: The History of Spaceflight Quarterly, Summer 1992,
Volume 1, number 2, p. 29. The artist was Dan Gauthier. Headquarters in 1967.
Others advocated the concept; see Keith Cowing, New
NASA Logo Designs, NASA Watch, 25 April 2010, http://
nasawatch.com/archives/2010/04/new-nasa-logo-d.html 10 Quest: The History of Spaceflight Quarterly, Fall 1992,
(accessed 20 September 2014). Volume 1, Number 3, p. 45.
 CHA P TE R 6 Back to the Future, 1992Today 109

In glancing over NPD 1020. lA, September 13, to the final design and that were largely prepared
1967, covering the NASA Official Seal, Insignia here at Lewis.11
and Flags, I noticed that paragraph 5 thereof
gives credit for the design of the Insignia to the Former NASA Administrator Glennan offered
Army Institute of Heraldry. another emotional endorsement of Modarellis work in
It had been my recollection that Jim a letter to Administrator Goldin in June 1992, a few
Modarelli had been largely responsible for the months after Goldin brought back the meatball.
design of the NASA Seal, Insignia, and Pins.
Accordingly, I reviewed the history with Jim and Quite coincidentally, I became aware of your
verified my recollection. It is true that a number decision to re-instate the original NASA insignia
of groups had their fingers in the job, however, and retire the one that was substituted for reasons
there is no question that, starting with the Seal I could never fathom. I will recall the day when
and proceeding with the Insignia and the Pins, several of our top staff met in my office to select
Jim Modarelli not only contributed the initial the winning design from perhaps eight or ten
basic conceptual design, but was also responsible that had been submitted. After giving everyone a
for the final refinements. Jim mentioned that chance for his apple, I said we were wasting time
after adoption of the Seal, Keith Glennan was and I chose the one submitted by Jim Modarelli
dissatisfied with the submission of an industrial who was at the Lewis laboratory of the old
design firm that had been subsequently commis- NACA. I believe that he later designed the first
sioned to develop the Insignia. He then selected NASA commemorative stamp recognizing the
a design that Jim worked up. The story of the Mercury program. Former NASA people are now
NASA Pins seems to be more of the same. As far urging that Jim Modarelli be recognized for his
as the Army Institute of Heraldry is concerned, early contributions to the NASA operation in
their contribution seems to have primarily been the field of public information. And I strongly
the selection of the ribbon design associated with endorse these suggestions although I have no
the NASA medals. ideas as to the type of recognition which might
Although the matter could be considered be appropriate. On my bedroom wall I have
trivial, I feel that an injustice has been done in hanging a large plaster replica of what Ive always
failing to give credit to Jim Modarelli whom I called the NASA seal and Im very glad that it is
am satisfied was the principal contributor to the once more the official NASA insignia.12
design of the NASA Seal, insignia, and Pins. I
suggest that the matter be reviewed and appropri- 11 Letter from Lewis Director Abe Silverstein to Harold
ate action be taken to redress the slight. Should B. Finger, Associate Administrator of NASA Office of
any background evidence be required, we can Organization and Management, 25 September 1967.
NASA HRC File 61.
provide copies of many of the original and suc-
12 Letter from Dr. T. Keith Glennan to Daniel Goldin,
ceeding drawings, photos, art work, etc. that led Administrator of NASA, 23 June 1992. NASA
Headquarters HRC File 4543.
110 C HAP TER 6 Back to the Future, 1992Today

Administrator Goldin made sure Modarelli finally

received formal recognition for his contribution to the
culture of the Agency. In October 1992, Goldin pre-
sented a well-deserved special award to Modarelli at
the Lewis Research Center.
On 1 October 1997, 18 years after Modarellis
retirement, the NASA Lewis Research Center replaced
its weatherworn 35-year-old meatball insignia on
the Lewis hangar with a new 20-foot-diameter ver-
sion. Nearly 250 Lewis employees gathered inside
the hangar to rededicate the famous logo. Following
the rededication ceremony, the Lewis employees were
invited to sign their names on the back of the insignia
before it was placed on the hangar. The honor of being
the first to sign was, of course, given to Modarelli.13
As guest of honor, Modarelli addressed the crowd and
received an enthusiastic response to his remarks.

The Designer Passes

James Modarelli started his career at Lewis in 1949

as a technical equipment illustrator and was named
division chief of the Management Services Division
in 1954. He left Lewis and served as exhibits chief
at NASA Headquarters for the years 19591961),
then returned to Lewis where he served as chief of
the Technical Publications Division before retiring in
1979 as chief of the Management Services Division
after a 30-year career. He was particularly popular
with his employeesa member of his division said,
He is one of only a few people Ive ever known who
F I G U R E 6 - 5. has never had a negative comment made about them.
Modarelli was socially active at Lewis and in commu-
James Modarelli (left) and his wife Lois receive a special award from NASA Admin-
nity affairs and was an avid participant in jogging and
istrator Daniel Goldin in 1992. The award citation stated, To the creator of NASAs
original Meatball insignia. In honor of your lasting contributions to the proud spirit of
the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. 21 October 1992. (NASA Glenn 13 Employees Rededicate Famous NASA Symbol, The Lewis
1992-09961) News Volume 34 Issue 11, November 1997, p. 1.
CHA P TE R 6 Back to the Future, 1992Today 111

F I G U R E 6 - 6.

The new 20-foot-diameter meatball insignia for the

Lewis hangar is prepared for installation in 1997. (NASA
C-1997-4062)

F I G U R E 6 -7.

James Modarelli addresses the attendees at the rededi

cation ceremony for the meatball insignia at the Lewis
hangar. (NASA C-1997-3940)
112 C HAP TER 6 Back to the Future, 1992Today

racing contests.14 He was part of a summer camp that

offered pre-apprentice training classes to 102 minority
high school graduates, he assumed a leadership role in
the NACA triennial inspections, and he helped orga-
nize VIP retirement parties and a variety of employee
morale-building activities.15 Modarelli said he looked
back with pride on his years at NASA with a remark-
able team of dedicated people.
Modarelli had, of course, been very disappointed
when his meatball design was replaced by the worm.
He said, I didnt have any objection to a new logo for
NASA, but I have always felt that the Worm didnt
complement the NASA seal and was too flashy and
trendy. Since the original insignia (Meatball) is made
up of the same elements as the seal, the two comple-
ment each other. There is a definite relationship.16
James Modarelli died on 27 September 2002. He
had seen his meatball design flourish as the prime
insignia of the Agency and become instantly recog-
nized the world overit had even visited the Moon.
His highly artistic concept lives on today as a perpet-
FIGURE 6-8.
ual reminder of the pride, dedication, and accomplish-
ments of NASA.
The JSC work order that requested the changeover to
the swoosh insignia for the NASA T-38 fleet. (Contribut-
ed by Robert M. Payne)
The Swoosh

Modarellis meatball insignia has endured in an unal- as the swoosh, the modified insignia is exhibited on
tered state since its reinstitution as NASAs official todays NASA aircraft fleet.
insignia in 1992. In the early 1990s, an unofficial In 1993, the Flight Crew Operations Directorate
modification to the meatball was conceived and imple- (FCOD) at the NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) in
mented for NASAs fleet of research aircraft. Known Houston, Texas, was in charge of modifications and
maintenance for the NASA-wide T-38 fleet. At the
14 Modarelli Retires, The Lewis News, in-house newsletter, time, an avionics upgrade modification for the fleet
Volume 16 Number 2, 19 January 1979, p. 1. was undertaken, followed by painting of the aircraft.17
15 NACA Had a Unique Esprit de Corps, The Lewis News,
in-house newsletter, 30 August 1991.
16 Designer Reflects on Creation of NASA Meatball, The 17 NASA retiree and former JSC pilot Roger Zwieg, telephone
Lewis News, in-house newsletter, 3 July 1992, p. 1. interview by Joseph Chambers, 20 March 2013.
 CHA P TE R 6 Back to the Future, 1992Today 113

F I G U R E 6 - 9.

Two NASA T-38 aircraft at

the Dryden Flight Research
Center exhibit the swoosh
tail insignia in 2007. (NASA
ED07-0222-23)

Since the NASA worm had been retired in 1992, JSC The swoosh emblem appears on both sides of the
was faced with the job of applying the meatball insignia vertical tail on NASA aircraft, with the point of the
to the tails of over 25 T-38s. As an alternative, the orga- swoosh always to the rear. This configuration was
nization came up with a new, less complex version of chosen to accommodate the sweepback of the lead-
the meatball for application to the T-38s. The designers ing edge of the tail, but it results in a rather awkward
of the swoosh emblem were Robert Payne and Thomas appearance on the right side of the tail.
Grubbs of the FCOD, supported by JSC graphics per- After JSC applied the swoosh emblem to the T-38
sonnel and Northrop engineering consultants.18 fleet, NASAs flight organization at Dryden Flight
The new logo omitted the circular blue back- Research Center began to apply similar markings to
ground and much of the details in the meatball, but its aircraft. Because the swoosh had not been formally
retained the red supersonic wing. In addition, the let- approved by NASA Headquarters and no directive
ters of NASA and the orbiting spacecraft symbol were for specific markings existed, the Dryden applica-
changed from white to blue. tions differed slightly in style from those used by JSC.
Implementation of the swoosh continued when the
Langley and Lewis Research Centers also adopted the
18 E-mail communication with NASA JSC retiree Robert M.
Payne, major participant in the development of the swoosh marking for their aircraft fleets. Today, the swoosh
concept, 20 March 2013. has been established as an option for applications to
114 C HAP TER 6 Back to the Future, 1992Today

F I G U R E 6 -10. F I G U R E 6 -11.

Details of the swoosh tail markings on NASA aircraft have been different. In this 2006 This special meatball patch was designed and worn by
photograph of the NASA Langley OV-10 aircraft, the orbiting spacecraft insignia is red. NASA crews for deployments to the Middle East. (Con-
Variations in color of the orbiting band on NASA aircraft have included red, black, and tributed by Peter Merlin)
blue. (Contributed by Joseph Chambers)

aircraft, with each organization responsible for its indi- aircraft and aircrews to certain areas of the world have
vidual (although similar) marking. resulted in special markings and patches for flight suits.
Nowhere in the NASA Style Guidethe most For example, deployments to the Middle East have led
current set of graphics standards available to NASA to modifications of the standard meatball patch. In
designers and artistsis the swoosh defined as an offi- one application, crews of the NASA WB-57F aircraft
cially approved NASA emblem. The Style Guide still flying over Afghanistan had special desert meatball
specifies the full-color meatball as the officially desig- patches made that blended with their flight suits. In
nated emblem for NASA aircraft.19 addition, NASA aircraft flying in those areas do not
The flight research organizations of the NACA and carry markings.20
NASA have historically been leaders in the institution
and modification of insignia. Deployments of NASA

19 Telephone interview with William B. Kluge, NASA graphic 20 E-mail correspondence with Robert Payne and Peter
specialist who created Langleys version of the Swoosh Merlin, 22 September 2014.
marking, 5 March 2013.
 CHA P TE R 6 Back to the Future, 1992Today 115

Applications of the Meatball

The NASA meatball insignia has three variations: a

full-color insignia, a one-color insignia, and a one-color
insignia with a white rule. Production requirements,
media qualities, visibility, and proper usage determine
the variation selected. The standards for the use of
the NASA insignia and the NASA seal are in accor- F I G U R E 6 -12.

dance with the Code of Federal Regulations, 14 CFR

The current logo of the NASA Federal Credit Union
1221, and the National Aeronautics and Space Act of
includes a unique blue version of the retired NASA logo-
1958, as amended. NASA does not endorse any com-
type. (Courtesy of NASA FCU)
mercial product, activity, or service. Use of the NASA
name, initials, or any associated embleminclud-
ing the NASA insignia, the retired NASA logotype,
and the NASA sealmust be reviewed and approved
by the Assistant Administrator for Public Affairs or
adesignee.21
An example of a commercial entity that success-
fully followed the approval process is the NASA
Federal Credit Union (NASA FCU), which currently F I G U R E 6 -13.

has over 100,000 members. In the 1970s, when the

The KSC Vehicle Assem-
NASA logotype was implemented as the Agencys offi-
bly Building appears with
cial insignia, the NASA FCU submitted a request to
the U.S. flag and meatball
NASA for permission to use a blue version of the logo-
in 2011. Thousands of
type within its emblem. The request was approved,
NASA Kennedy Space
and the symbol was grandfathered with continued
Center employees stand
approval after 1992 when the meatball was reinstituted
side-by-side to form a full-
as the NASAinsignia.22
scale outline of a Space
Shuttle orbiter outside the
BUILDINGS AND EXHIBITS building. The unique photo
During NASAs 40th anniversary celebration in 1998, opportunity was designed
the Agency painted the Vehicle Assembly Building at to honor the Space
the Kennedy Space Center with the U.S. flag and the Shuttle Programs 30-year
legacy and the people
who contribute to safely
21 NASA Style Guide, November 2006.
processing, launching,
22 Electronic communication with Bert Ulrich, NASA
Headquarters contact for Liaison Multimedia, by Joseph and landing the vehicle.
R. Chambers, 11 February 2015. (NASA KSC-2011-2358)
116 C HAP TER 6 Back to the Future, 1992Today

meatball insignia.23 During back-to-back hurricanes in

2004, the building lost nearly 850 of its panels that
each measure 14 by 6 feet, and both the flag and meat-
ball were damaged. The facility underwent a major
repair and refurbishment project in 2007.
On 1 March 2014, NASA renamed its Dryden
Flight Research Center the NASA Armstrong Flight
Research Center (AFRC) in honor of the legendary
astronaut Neil A. Armstrong. The Center continues to
exhibit the NASA meatball insignia on virtually every
building and research vehicle. The dominance of the
meatball on display is common to all other Centers,
with infrequent uses of the seal. An example of the seal
can be seen at AFRC on the display of the HL-10 lift-
ing body at the entrance to the Center.
F I G U R E 6 -14.
AIRCRAFT
Even a cursory review of the markings and insignia The NASA seal is prominently exhibited on the HL-10 display at the entrance to the
carried by current-day NASA research and support air- NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center. (NASA ED14-0081-128)
craft reveals a wide array of practices and applications.
The NACA maintained relatively disciplined markings
on its aircraft. Today, however, NASAs aircraft are typ-
ically marked with program-specific logos determined
by the resident research center.

23 Restoring Old Glory and a Massive Meatball, available

online at http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/
behindscenes/vab_flag.html (accessed 3 September 2014).

F I G U R E 6 -15.

The meatball on the Glenn

Research Centers hangar
gets a touch-up in 2006.
(NASA C-2006-1777)
CHA P TE R 6 Back to the Future, 1992Today 117

F I G U R E 6 -16.

NASA SR-71 and F-16XL aircraft fly in formation above

Edwards, CA, during a sonic boom study in March 1995.
The SR-71 (top) has a non-standard white tail band fea-
turing the NASA logotype insignia, while the F-16XL has
a stylized version of the swoosh insignia on its vertical
tail. (NASA EC95-43024-2)

F I G U R E 6 -17.

The first of two unpiloted Global Hawk aircraft from the

Armstrong Flight Research Center landed at the NASA
Wallops Flight Facility in August 2014 to participate
in research on hurricane formation and intensity. The
meatball and swoosh insignia are carried by the vehicle,
as are insignia of industry and government partners.
(NASA WFF1-7967-0)
118 C HAP TER 6 Back to the Future, 1992Today

F I G U R E 6 -18 .

NASAs Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astron-

omy (SOFIA) flies with the sliding door over its tele-
scope cavity fully open. Note the variations in markings,
including the swoosh and insignia of partners. (NASA
EC95-43024-2)

F I G U R E 6 -19.

NASAs NB-52B carrier aircraft rolls down a taxiway at

Edwards Air Force Base with an unpiloted X-43A hyper-
sonic scramjet vehicle mounted to a modified Pegasus
booster rocket on a pylon under its right wing in 2001.
The Pegasus launch vehicle exhibits the meatball, while
the workhorse NB-52 still wears the gold NASA tail band
of the 1960s. (NASA EC01-0079-3)
 CHA P TE R 6 Back to the Future, 1992Today 119

SPACE SHUTTLE
For over 30 years, NASA Space Shuttles accomplished
delivery truck missions for a variety of objectives.
The meatball insignia and the names and logos of
NASAs partners typically appeared in the cargo bay or
on the Shuttles robotic arm.
Following the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster on 1
February 2003, NASA called on the Shuttle Discovery
for a second Return-to-Flight mission. Discovery was
launched on 26 July 2005 and delivered supplies to the
ISS, landing on 9 August at Edwards. Discovery and
its crew carried the meatball insignia on the mission.
Once again, the insignia was on stage during intense
media coverage of the event.
When the decision was made to terminate the Space
Shuttle program in 2011 after 30 years of achieve-
ments and 135 missions, all active orbiters carried sim-
ilar markings with the meatball insignia prominently
displayed on the aft fuselage and left wing. As men-
tioned earlier, Shuttle Enterprise, a prototype vehicle,
had retained its NASA logotype markings. Museums
around the nation breathlessly awaited the outcome
of the decision that would determine where the four
vehicles would be displayed to preserve the legacy of
NASAs Shuttle activities.

F I G U R E 6 -20.

The meatball insignia carried by the Shuttle Discovery

on its left wing and aft fuselage are clearly visible in this
dramatic picture of the launch of mission STS-120 in
2007. (NASA STS 120-S-047)
120 C HAP TER 6 Back to the Future, 1992Today

F I G U R E 6 -2 1.

Space Shuttles Enter-

prise, left, and Discovery
meet nose-to-nose at the
beginning of a transfer
ceremony at the Smithso-
nians Steven F. Udvar-
Hazy Center on 19 April
2012 in Chantilly, Virginia.
Discovery, with its NASA
meatball insignia, took the
place of Enterprise at the
Center. (NASA/Smithso-
nian Institution)

F I G U R E 6 -22.

On 6 June 2012, Shuttle

Enterprise is lifted off
a barge and onto the
Intrepid Sea, Air & Space
Museum in New York City,
where it is on display. En-
terprise retained its worm
insignia throughout its life.
(NASA KSC)
 CHA P TE R 6 Back to the Future, 1992Today 121

F I G U R E 6 -23.

Space Shuttle Endeavour and the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft land at the
Los Angeles International Airport on 12 September 2012, in preparation
for entry into a museum display. Endeavour carried its meatball insignia
into retirement and is on public display at the California Science Center
in Los Angeles. (NASA ED12-0317-063)

F I G U R E 6 -24.

Shuttle Atlantis was the last to fly before the fleet was retired. It is on
display at the NASA Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex at Cape
Canaveral, Florida. The open cargo bay doors obscure the meatball on
the rear fuselage, but the insignia can be seen on the upper left wing.
(NASA KSC 2013-2934)
122 C HAP TER 6 Back to the Future, 1992Today

SERVICE PINS
The meatball and the NASA seal appear on pins, medals,
and plaques awarded for service to the Agency. A career
service recognition award based on the meatball insignia
is presented to all NASA civil service employees upon
completion of 5 years of service. Certificates, emblems,
and length of service mementos are presented at 35
years of service and for each 5-year interval thereafter.
5 Year Pin Bronze 10 Year Pin Silver 15 Year Pin Gold
Employees with 40 years or more of federal service are
eligible to receive certificates from the Administrator.
Employees with 60 years or more of federal service are
eligible to receive a letter from the President.24

DISTINGUISHED SERVICE MEDAL

The NASA Distinguished Service Medal is the only
NASA medal with elements of the insignia or seal. It
is NASAs highest form of recognition awarded to a 20 Year Pin Red Stone 25 Year Pin Blue Stone 30 Year Pin Green Stone

government employee who, by distinguished service,

ability, or vision, has personally contributed to NASAs
advancement of U.S. interest. The individuals achieve-
ment or contribution must demonstrate a level of excel-
lence that has made a profound or indelible impact on
NASA mission success, and, therefore, the contribu-
tion is so extraordinary that other forms of recognition
by NASA would be inadequate. 35 Year Pin Purple Stone 40 Year Pin Clear Stone 45 Year Pin Clear Stone
The first version of the medal (type I) featured
the NASA seal and was issued from 1959 to 1961
to only three employeesJohn W. Crowley, NASA
Director of Aeronautical and Space Research, and
astronauts Alan B. Shepard, Jr., and Virgil I. Gus
Grissom. As previously discussed, this version of the
medal came under criticism from Time magazine
after it was awarded to Shepard. The type I medal
50 Year Pin Clear Stone 55 Year Pin Clear Stone 60 Year Pin Clear Stone

F I G U R E 6 -25.

24 https://searchpub.nssc.nasa .gov/servlet/sm .web.Fetch/

Appnd_H_-_ Awards_Department_Catalog.pdf?rhid=1000 NASA Service Pins are based on the meatball insignia. (NASA Employee Recognition
&did=1117274&type=released (accessed 10 September 2014). and Awards Catalog 2014)
 CHA P TE R 6 Back to the Future, 1992Today 123

F I G U R E 6 -26. F I G U R E 6 -27.

Collection of NACA and NASA pins from the collection The NASA Distinguished Service Medal (type II) was
of former Ames employee Vernon Rogallo. (NASA Ames created in 1961. (NASA)
Artifact Collection number PP14.02)

was replaced with the type II version in 1961.25 The containing only the orbiting spacecraft and the super-
new medal is a stylized version of the meatball logo, sonic wing emblems.

25 http://www.omsa.org/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=2021
(accessed 10 September 2014)
124 C HAP TER 6 Back to the Future, 1992Today

HONOR AWARD CERTIFICATES

NASA also provides framed individual and group cer-
tificates for Agency and Center honor awards. The
certificates feature the NASA seal and may be awarded
to individuals or to groups of people. In addition to a
framed award for group accomplishments, each indi-
vidual group member receives a certificate to honor his
or heraccomplishment.
F I G U R E 6 -28 .
RETIREMENT PLAQUES
The NASA individual NASA employees retiring after 35 years of service
and group honor awards receive a plaque in recognition of their career. The
feature the NASA seal. meatball is featured along with the employees name
(NASA) and length of service.

F I G U R E 6 -29.

The meatball insignia is F I G U R E 6 - 3 0.

featured on retirement
plaques for NASA employ- Employees who worked for both the NACA and NASA
ees. This blank plaque has received plaques with both logos. Calvin C. Berry retired
been prepared for a future as a supervisor of technicians after a 42-year career at
award. (NASA) Langley. (NASA Langley LHA)
 CHA P TE R 6 Back to the Future, 1992Today 125

INTERNAL NEWSLETTERS computer-based, but the NASA insignia is still part of

NASA organizations disburse internal newsletters to the graphics.
employees to keep them informed and up to date on
Agency news and the technical, social, and personal PUBLICATIONS
issues of the day. As the NASA insignia changed from Over the years, the insignia has remained a part of the
the meatball to the logotype and back again, the pub- document. Current NASA publications include the
lications changed in style and/or letterheads. In recent meatball insignia on the cover.
years, the newsletter delivery has become digital and

F I G U R E 6 - 31. F I G U R E 6 - 32.

The letterhead of The Researcher News, Langleys in-house newsletter, has main- The appearance of NASA technical reports has changed
tained a graphic of the NASA insignia through the years. Pictured are headers for (top considerably since the days of the NACA. For example,
to bottom) 1970, 1990, and 1996 reflecting the changes in the NASA insignia. (NASA) the cover of this 2007 technical publication does not cite
the authors name and uses a Center-specific graphic. The
NASA meatball is, however, retained on all reports.(NASA)
126 C HAP TER 6 Back to the Future, 1992Today

Miscellaneous Applications

The presence of the NASA meatball at virtually all

NASA establishments and functions has become
widespread, especially for special events and celebra-
tions. Media coverage of NASA rarely occurs without
a display of the meatball insignia, which is quickly
recognized by the public. Recent special events have
included renamings of NASA research centers and
NASA-sponsored symposia and conferences.

F I G U R E 6 - 33.

The NASA meatball dominates the backdrop, and the

NASA seal appears on the speakers podium on 7 May
1999 at a celebration of the renaming of the Lewis Re-
search Center in honor of former astronaut John Glenn.
The Center is now known as the NASA John H. Glenn
Research Center at Lewis Field. (NASA C-99-1225)

F I G U R E 6 - 3 4.

The meatball insignia was on display again on 2 March

2012, when 90-year-old John Glenn addressed a crowd of
over 3,000 at Cleveland State University in celebration of
being the first American to orbit Earth. (NASA C-2012-1298)
 CHA P TE R 6 Back to the Future, 1992Today 127

On 1 October 2008, NASA celebrated its 50th NASAs logos have inspired the young people of the
anniversary by issuing a special logo. The logo empha- nation via the Agencys educational programs, online
sized a futuristic design with the meatball insignia activities, and interactive camps. The unbridled enthu-
in company. The design, by Crabtree + Company, siasm of children to absorb and embrace the NASA
incorporates the Hubble Space Telescope image of the mission is stimulated by the iconic presence of the
grand design spiral galaxy M81 located 11.6 million meatball. The meatball insignia now finds its way onto
light years away in the constellation Ursa Major. The school supplies, backpacks, and apparel for children,
logo served as a centerpiece of Agency activities for the as well as hats, jewelry, and other articles for adults.
event, which included a special conference on the first The items are available at numerous commercial loca-
50 years of NASA.26 tions, as well as at NASA gift shops located at NASA
Headquarters and the NASA Centers.
Examples of youthful interest in the meatball
26 NASAs First 50 Years: A Historical Perspective, abound, but one particularly interesting case involved
conference held at NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC,
2829 October 2008. the use of LEGO building blocks: The NASA meat-
ball [took] shape brick by brick thanks to hundred of
pieces of LEGO. The insignia was on display in the
NASA exhibit at BrickFair 2011 near Washington,
DCan annual gathering of thousands of LEGO
fans of all ages. The 2011 theme was NASA, which

F I G U R E 6 - 35. F I G U R E 6 - 3 6.

The special logo adopted for the 50th Anniversary of The remarkable display of the meatball insignia at the
NASA. (NASA C-2012-1298) 2011 BrickFair event. (NASA 580084-6712)
128 C HAP TER 6 Back to the Future, 1992Today

inspired many future (and current) design-and-build-

ers to build aeronautics- or space-themed MOCs (My
Own Creation).27
Several states, including Florida, Texas, and New
York, have had space-themed automobile license plates.
In 2002, a Virginia State Senator was approached by
a Langley employee to provide advocacy for a special
automobile vanity license plate to recognize the NASA
Langley Research Center. Virginia has been very proac-
tive in allowing different themes for vanity plates, and
a positive response was obtained. Langley is currently
the only NASA installation with vanity plates that can
be purchased from the Division of Motor Vehicles.28
F I G U R E 6 - 37.

The NACA/NASA Centennial The special Virginia vanity license plate created for the Langley Research Center.
(NASA C-2012-1298)
The centennial anniversary of the NACA in 2015 cele-
brates a century of combined operations of the NACA
and NASA. Major events and seminars carry a special
logo designed in honor of the occasion. Emblematic
of the linking of the two agencies, the logo uses inter-
locked letters to signify that union.

27 http://www.nasa.gov/topics/aeronautics/features/brickfair1.
html (accessed 10 July 2015). FIGURE 6-38.

28 Langley employees Michael P. Finneran and Michael A.

OHara initiated the action with Virginia State Senator The special NASA logo for the centennial anniversary of NACA. (NASA via Tony Springer)
Martin E. Marty Williams.
CHAPTER 7

Summary

This brief review of the conception, evolution, and flourished despite the fact that the NACA did not have
applications of the seals, insignia, and logos of the an official insignia until 1941.
NACA and NASA documents the history of these The seal of the NACA was finally created and insti-
iconic symbols. The presence of these emblems during tuted as the Agency neared the end of its 43-year life in
some of the nations critical aeronautical and space-re- 1953. The insignia was internationally recognized and
lated activities has inspired widespread recognition, respected by the scientific community. As the Agency
pride, and admiration for the agencies. The logos have began to change its focus after WWII to the challenges
been exhibited on buildings, aerospace vehicles, tech- of high-speed hypersonic flight and space, the launch
nical documents, flight suits, medals, and the personal of Sputnik by the Soviet Union led to the creation of a
attire of the NACA and NASA employees. huge new organization that would bring its own legacy
The review began with a discussion of the logos of logos and insignia.
of the NACA. In its first 25 years of existence, the The creation of NASA brought with it an attractive
nations first civil aeronautical research organization insignia and seal designed by Modarelli of the Lewis
had become a world-class establishment with unique Research Center. The details of the designs included
facilities, personnel, and technical capabilities in vir- elements signifying the organizations missions in the
tually every discipline associated with atmospheric fields of aeronautics, space exploration, and Earth sci-
flight. During the period, staff members embraced the ences. The origin of the red wing used by Modarelli
creation of new emblems to distinguish the organiza- in the logos has been documented herein in detail.
tion. The emergence of an informal NACA wings logo Modarellis emblems were embraced by NASA in what
brought with it deep feelings of pride, team spirit, and would become an era of excitement and pride as the
international recognition. The original designer of the nation embarked on a major race for leadership in
NACA emblem is unknown, but the design concept space research.

129
130 C HAP TER 7 Summary

The logos became an intimate, ever-present compo- and played a part in the advanced aircraft concepts
nent of activities as NASA achieved the necessary step- conceived and evaluated by NASA and its industrial
ping-stones for travel to the Moon during the Mercury, and military partners for 16 years. When new NASA
Gemini, and Apollo programs. The meatball insignia, Administrator Daniel Goldin retired the worm and
in particular, became a publicly admired symbol as the brought back the meatball in 1992 as a reminder of
nation raced to meet a seemingly impossible sched- the glory days of the Agency to improve the morale
ule for a Moon landing imposed by a President with of employees, the logo was welcomed back by many
his eyes on the stars and the immediate Soviet threat. veteran NASA employees.
When Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin set foot on Today, the NASA logos are instantly recognized
the Moon on 20 July 1969, the meatball accompanied throughout the world and continue to inspire and rep-
them on their thrilling lunar excursion. resent the worlds leading civil Agency for research and
The NASA meatball was replaced in 1975 by the development in aerospace technology. It is expected
artistic worm logotype insignia, much to the dismay of that the symbols will become even more visible as
many NASA employees. Despite the logo controversy, NASA celebrates the centennial anniversary of the
the worm was carried during the early Shuttle missions NACA in 2015.
About the Authors

Joseph R. Chambers is an aviation consultant who the 1990s; SP-2003-4529, Concept to Reality, on con-
lives in Yorktown, Virginia. He retired from the NASA tributions of Langley to U.S. civil aircraft of the 1990s;
Langley Research Center in 1998 after a 36-year career and SP-2005-4539, Innovation in Flight, on Langley
as a researcher and manager of military and civil aero- research on advanced concepts for aeronautics.
nautics research activities. He began his career in 1962 He has written or contributed to several books for
as a member of the research staff of the Langley Full- the NASA Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate,
Scale Tunnel, where he specialized in flight dynamics including SP-2009-575, Modeling Flight, on the devel-
research on a variety of aerospace vehicles including opment and application of dynamic free-flight models
V/STOL configurations, parawing vehicles, re-entry by the NACA and NASA. He was a contributor to
vehicles, and fighter-aircraft configurations. In 1974 he SP-2010-570, NASAs Contributions to Aeronautics. His
became the head of the Full-Scale Tunnel, the Langley most recent publication is NASA SP-2014-614, Cave
20-Foot Spin Tunnel, and outdoor free-flight and of the Winds, on the history of the Langley Full-Scale
drop-model testing. In 1989 he became head of air- Wind Tunnel.
craft flight research at Langley in addition to his other Chambers has made presentations on research
responsibilities. In 1994 he was assigned to organize and development programs to audiences as diverse as
and manage a new group responsible for conducting the von Karman Institute in Belgium and the annual
systems-level analysis of the potential payoffs of NASA Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) Fly-In in
technologies and advanced aircraft concepts to help Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and has consistently shown
guide NASA research investments. the ability to address a technical audience and the
Chambers is the author of over 50 NASA tech- generalpublic.
nical reports and publications, including NASA He has served as a representative of the United
Special Publications SP-514, Patterns in the Sky, on States on international committees and has given
airflow condensation patterns for aircraft; SP-2000- lectures on NASAs aeronautics programs in Japan,
4519, Partners in Freedom, on contributions of the China, Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada, Italy,
Langley Research Center to U.S. military aircraft of France, Germany, and Sweden.

131
132 About the Authors

Chambers received several of NASAs highest news releases, historical summaries, and resource
awards, including the Exceptional Service Medal, the books. He currently serves as a senior technical writer
Outstanding Leadership Medal, and the Public Service for NCI Information Systems and has participated in
Medal. He also received the Arthur Flemming Award in writing and editing efforts in support of the Langley
1975 as one of the 10 Most Outstanding Civil Servants Aeronautics Research Directorate (ARD), the Langley
for his management of NASA stall-spin research for Flight Projects Directorate (FPD), the Clouds and the
military and civil aircraft. He has a bachelor of science Earths Radiant Energy System (CERES) Program,
degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology and a and the Langley Ares I-X Systems Engineering and
master of science degree from the Virginia Polytechnic Integration (SE&I) Office.
Institute and State University (Virginia Tech). His books include From Research to Relevance:
Significant Achievements in Aeronautical Research at
Mark A. Chambers has conducted research and done Langley Research Center (19172002) (NASA publica-
technical writing in support of Langleys aeronautical tion), Engineering Test Pilot: The Exceptional Career of
and space research programs at the NASA Langley John P. Jack Reeder (Virginia Aeronautical Historical
Research Center since 1991. While serving as a writ- Society publication), Flight Research at NASA Langley
er-editor in support of the Langley Office of Public Research Center (Arcadia Publishing), Radical Wings
Affairs and a contributor of technical articles to The and Wind Tunnels: Advanced Concepts Tested at NASA
Researcher News, Langleys in-house newsletter, he Langley (Specialty Press) (co-authored with his father,
composed publications on aeronautics and space Joseph Chambers), Naval Air Station Patuxent River
research including The Birthplace of American Aviation: (Arcadia Publishing), and Building the Supermarine
Milestones in Aviation and Aeronautical Research in the Spitfire: Speed in the Skies (The History Press Ltd.,UK).
Mid-Atlantic Region, an in-house reference guide for Chambers and his family live in Newport
the Office of Public Affairs. News,Virginia.
His career in support of Langley activities includes
production of numerous articles, fact sheets, national
The NASA History Series

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Cooperation in the Space Station. Monographs in Aerospace Tucker, Tom. The Eclipse Project. Monographs in Aerospace History,
History, No. 11, 1998. No. 23, 2001. NASA SP-2001-4523.
Phillips, W. Hewitt. Journey in Aeronautical Research: A Career Siddiqi, Asif A. Deep Space Chronicle: A Chronology of Deep Space
at NASA Langley Research Center. Monographs in Aerospace and Planetary Probes, 19582000. Monographs in Aerospace
History, No. 12, 1998. History, No. 24, 2002. NASA SP-2002-4524.
Braslow, Albert L. A History of Suction-Type Laminar-Flow Control Merlin, Peter W. Mach 3+: NASA/USAF YF-12 Flight Research,
with Emphasis on Flight Research. Monographs in Aerospace 19691979. Monographs in Aerospace History, No. 25, 2001.
History, No. 13, 1999. NASA SP-2001-4525.
 The NASA History Series 139

Anderson, Seth B. Memoirs of an Aeronautical Engineer: Flight Tests Seamans, Robert C., Jr. Project Apollo: The Tough Decisions.
at Ames Research Center: 19401970. Monographs in Aerospace Monographs in Aerospace History, No. 37, 2005. NASA
History, No. 26, 2002. NASA SP-2002-4526. SP-2005-4537.
Renstrom, Arthur G. Wilbur and Orville Wright: A Bibliography Lambright, W. Henry. NASA and the Environment: The Case of
Commemorating the One-Hundredth Anniversary of the First Ozone Depletion. Monographs in Aerospace History, No. 38,
Powered Flight on December 17, 1903. Monographs in Aerospace 2005. NASA SP-2005-4538.
History, No. 27, 2002. NASA SP-2002-4527. Chambers, Joseph R. Innovation in Flight: Research of the NASA
No monograph 28. Langley Research Center on Revolutionary Advanced Concepts for
Chambers, Joseph R. Concept to Reality: Contributions of the NASA Aeronautics. Monographs in Aerospace History, No. 39, 2005.
Langley Research Center to U.S. Civil Aircraft of the 1990s. NASA SP-2005-4539.
Monographs in Aerospace History, No. 29, 2003. NASA Phillips, W. Hewitt. Journey into Space Research: Continuation of
SP-2003-4529. a Career at NASA Langley Research Center. Monographs in
Peebles, Curtis, ed. The Spoken Word: Recollections of Dryden History, Aerospace History, No. 40, 2005. NASA SP-2005-4540.
The Early Years. Monographs in Aerospace History, No. 30, Rumerman, Judy A., Chris Gamble, and Gabriel Okolski, comps.
2003. NASA SP-2003-4530. U.S. Human Spaceflight: A Record of Achievement, 19612006.
Jenkins, Dennis R., Tony Landis, and Jay Miller. American Monographs in Aerospace History, No. 41, 2007. NASA
X-Vehicles: An InventoryX-1 to X-50. Monographs in SP-2007-4541.
Aerospace History, No. 31, 2003. NASA SP-2003-4531. Peebles, Curtis. The Spoken Word: Recollections of Dryden History
Renstrom, Arthur G. Wilbur and Orville Wright: A Chronology Beyond the Sky. Monographs in Aerospace History, No. 42,
Commemorating the One-Hundredth Anniversary of the First 2011. NASA SP-2011-4542.
Powered Flight on December 17, 1903. Monographs in Aerospace Dick, Steven J., Stephen J. Garber, and Jane H. Odom. Research
History, No. 32, 2003. NASA SP-2003-4532. in NASA History. Monographs in Aerospace History, No. 43,
Bowles, Mark D., and Robert S. Arrighi. NASAs Nuclear Frontier: 2009. NASA SP-2009-4543.
The Plum Brook Research Reactor. Monographs in Aerospace Merlin, Peter W. Ikhana: Unmanned Aircraft System Western States
History, No. 33, 2004. NASA SP-2004-4533. Fire Missions. Monographs in Aerospace History, No. 44, 2009.
Wallace, Lane, and Christian Gelzer. Nose Up: High Angle-of-Attack NASA SP-2009-4544.
and Thrust Vectoring Research at NASA Dryden, 19792001. Fisher, Steven C., and Shamim A. Rahman. Remembering the
Monographs in Aerospace History, No. 34, 2009. NASA Giants: Apollo Rocket Propulsion Development. Monographs in
SP-2009-4534. Aerospace History, No. 45, 2009. NASA SP-2009-4545.
Matranga, Gene J., C. Wayne Ottinger, Calvin R. Jarvis, and Gelzer, Christian. Fairing Well: From Shoebox to Bat Truck and
D.Christian Gelzer. Unconventional, Contrary, and Ugly: The Beyond, Aerodynamic Truck Research at NASAs Dryden Flight
Lunar Landing Research Vehicle. Monographs in Aerospace Research Center. Monographs in Aerospace History, No. 46,
History, No. 35, 2006. NASA SP-2004-4535. 2011. NASA SP-2011-4546.
McCurdy, Howard E. Low-Cost Innovation in Spaceflight: The Arrighi, Robert. Pursuit of Power: NASAs Propulsion Systems
History of the Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR) Mission. Laboratory No. 1 and 2. Monographs in Aerospace History, No.
Monographs in Aerospace History, No. 36, 2005. NASA 48, 2012. NASA SP-2012-4548.
SP-2005-4536. Goodrich, Malinda K., Alice R. Buchalter, and Patrick M. Miller,
comps. Toward a History of the Space Shuttle: An Annotated
140 The NASA History Series

Bibliography, Part 2 (19922011). Monographs in Aerospace Of Ashes and Atoms: A Documentary on the NASA Plum Brook
History, No. 49, 2012. NASA SP-2012-4549. Reactor Facility. NASA SP-2005-4605, 2005.
Gelzer, Christian. The Spoken Word III: Recollections of Dryden Taming Liquid Hydrogen: The Centaur Upper Stage Rocket Interactive
History; The Shuttle Years. Monographs in Aerospace History, CD-ROM. NASA SP-2004-4606, 2004.
No. 52, 2013. NASA SP-2013-4552. Fueling Space Exploration: The History of NASAs Rocket Engine Test
Ross, James C. NASA Photo One. Monographs in Aerospace History, Facility DVD. NASA SP-2005-4607, 2005.
No. 53, 2013. NASA SP-2013-4553. Altitude Wind Tunnel at NASA Glenn Research Center: An Interactive
Launius, Roger D. Historical Analogs for the Stimulation of Space History CD-ROM. NASA SP-2008-4608, 2008.
Commerce. Monographs in Aerospace History, No 54, 2014. A Tunnel Through Time: The History of NASAs Altitude Wind
NASA SP-2014-4554. Tunnel. NASA SP-2010-4609, 2010.
Buchalter, Alice R., and Patrick M. Miller, comps. The National
Advisory Committee for Aeronautics: An Annotated Bibliography.
Monographs in Aerospace History, No. 55, 2014. NASA Conference Proceedings, NASA SP-4700:
SP-2014-4555.
Dick, Steven J., and Keith Cowing, eds. Risk and Exploration: Earth,
Sea and the Stars. NASA SP-2005-4701, 2005.
Electronic Media, NASA SP-4600: Dick, Steven J., and Roger D. Launius. Critical Issues in the History
of Spaceflight. NASA SP-2006-4702, 2006.
Remembering Apollo 11: The 30th Anniversary Data Archive Dick, Steven J., ed. Remembering the Space Age: Proceedings of the
CD-ROM. NASA SP-4601, 1999. 50th Anniversary Conference. NASA SP-2008-4703, 2008.
Remembering Apollo 11: The 35th Anniversary Data Archive Dick, Steven J., ed. NASAs First 50 Years: Historical Perspectives.
CD-ROM. NASA SP-2004-4601, 2004. This is an update of NASA SP-2010-4704, 2010.
the 1999 edition.
The Mission Transcript Collection: U.S. Human Spaceflight Missions from
Mercury Redstone 3 to Apollo 17. NASA SP-2000-4602, 2001. Societal Impact, NASA SP-4800:
Shuttle-Mir: The United States and Russia Share Historys Highest
Stage. NASA SP-2001-4603, 2002. Dick, Steven J., and Roger D. Launius. Societal Impact of Spaceflight.
U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission Presents Born of Dreams NASA SP-2007-4801, 2007.
Inspired by Freedom. NASA SP-2004-4604, 2004. Dick, Steven J., and Mark L. Lupisella. Cosmos and Culture: Cultural
Evolution in a Cosmic Context. NASA SP-2009-4802, 2009.
Index

A Ames Research Center/Ames Aeronautical Laboratory

Abbey, George W. S., 105, 107 buildings at, insignias on, 13, 24, 94
Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, 1 entrance to, 30
aircraft establishment of, 21
finishes and paint schemes, 5, 29, 32 Flight Research Laboratory, 12, 15
gold tail bands, 3238, 7881, 94, 118 hangar facilities at, 10, 17, 27, 36, 42, 94
identification numbers on, 4, 5 High-Speed Tunnel, 7- by 10-Foot, 16
logo use on, 129 High-Speed Tunnel, 16-Foot, 16
markings on aircraft on loan to NACA, 47 location of, vii
metal fuselages, 11 NACA inspection and facility and research exhibits, 58, 58n2,
NACA standard and modified standard insignias on, 24, 29, 59, 69, 71
3241, 116 NACA Park, 16
NACA to NASA transition and updating markings, 7273, name changes of, vii
72n44 NASA emblems and logos and research at, 57
NASA insignia on, 7881, 11618 Pressure Tunnel, 12-Foot, 28
NASA logotype on, 92, 9697, 108 scope of research at, 97
procurement arrangements and markings on, 9 Supersonic Tunnel, 1- by 3-Foot, 69
program-specific logos, 116 Technical Service Building, 16
shield emblem markings, 9, 11, 32 Transonic Tunnel, 14-Foot, 16
swoosh insignia on, 11214, 117, 118 Tunnel, 40- by 80-Foot, 28
winged emblem markings, 48 Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel, 58, 59, 94, 95
yellow tail bands, 78 wind tunnels at, 16, 28
Aircraft Engine Research Laboratory. See Glenn Research Center/ wing design research at, 5859, 6771
Lewis Research Center/Aircraft Engine Research Laboratory anniversary logos, 104, 127, 128
Air Force, U.S. Apollo Program
hypersonic flight, research on, 56 Apollo 11 astronauts, 8687
Weapon System 110A project, 7071 importance of, 78
X-29 research program, 96 NASA insignia use during, 82, 8687, 89, 130
Air Scoop newsletter, 43, 48 Apprentice School, 51, 51n19
Aldrin, Buzz, 86, 87, 130 area rule, 38

141
142 Index

Armstrong, Neil A., 82, 86, 116, 130 Blackburn, Bruce N., 89, 90, 92
Armstrong Flight Research Center/Dryden Flight Research Boeing B737 transport aircraft, 79, 1067
Center/Ames-Dryden Flight Research Facility/Flight Boeing PW-9 aircraft, 11
Research Center/High-Speed Flight Station/High-Speed Boeing/Vertol VZ-2 Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL)
Flight Research Station aircraft, 81
buildings at, insignias on, 27, 29, 30, 116 Bolden, Charles, 27
entrance to, 116 Borman, Frank, 82
establishment of, 27 BrickFair, 12728
hangar facilities at, 35, 40 Brown, Clinton E. Clint, 59, 61, 64, 6769, 7071
location of, vii Brown Bomber, 7071
NACA to NASA transition and updating entryway insignia, 73 buildings
name changes of, vii, 30, 116 logo use on, 129
scope of research at, 27, 37, 79 NACA standard and modified standard insignias on, 23, 24,
South Base office building, 27, 29 2529, 3031, 35
swoosh insignia on aircraft at, 113 NACA to NASA transition and updating markings, 7273
Army, U.S. NACA wings insignia on, 1218, 23, 24
Heraldic Branch, Office of the Quartermaster General (Army NASA insignia on, 79, 84, 86, 94, 95, 105, 1068, 110, 111,
Institute of Heraldry), 53, 54, 5758, 6265, 62n13, 11516
64n20, 65n22, 71, 7577, 109 NASA logotype on, 9495, 100, 1068
Langley facility, aviation training mission at, 2 winged emblems on, 24, 12
Langley facility, role in establishment of, 2 See also hangar facilities
Langley facility, transfer of research organization from, 2 Bush, George H. W., 92
NACA members from, 1 Butchart, Stan, 55
participation of in insignias development, vii, 53 Butler, T. Melvin, 23
Army Air Forces Materiel Center, U.S., 45
arrow wing models and red wing symbol, 5859, 62, 6771
astronauts C
Apollo Program astronauts, 8687 California Science Center, 121
Gemini Program astronauts, 85 Carpenter, M. Scott, 82
Project Mercury astronauts, 8285, 126 Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), 4041
Space Shuttle Program astronauts, 99, 101 certificates, honor award, 124
Atlantis, Space Shuttle, 98, 101, 121 Challenger, Space Shuttle, 9899
Atmospheric Wind Tunnel (Langley), 49 Chamberlin, Edward H., 23
automobile license plates, 128, 128n28 civil high-speed transport program, 71
aviation clothing
development of technologies in Europe, 1 desert meatball for deployment to the Middle East, 114
development of technologies in United States, 1 logo use on, 129
NASA insignia on flight suits, 82, 83, 8587, 98
NASA logotype patches on, 92, 98, 101
B STS badge on uniforms and flight suits, 93
B-17 bomber Memphis Belle, 25 winged emblems on, 4, 9, 10
B-57 aircraft, 36 Clousing, Lawrence, 17
B737 transport aircraft, 79, 1067 Collier Trophy, 42, 49
B747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, 98, 121 Collins, Michael, 86
Baals, Donald D., 70, 70n39 Columbia, Space Shuttle, 98, 100, 119
badges, 4548 Conrad, Charles, Jr., 82
Bechtel, Frank, 48 Convair F-102 aircraft, 36
Bell X-1 project, 27, 29, 32, 5153, 55 Cooper, George, 39, 42, 47
Bell X-5 aircraft, 35, 37 Cooper, L. Gordon, Jr., 82, 85
Berry, Calvin C., 124 correspondence. See publications and correspondence
bicentennial logo, 89, 90, 103 Covey, Richard O., 101
 Index 143

cowling concept, 10, 49 pride and team spirit of, 21, 5152, 129
Crabtree + Company, 127 retirement plaques for, 49, 124
Crippen, Robert L., 99 reunions, 51, 52
Crowley, John W., Jr., 23, 122 service pins for, 4344, 47, 122
Culpepper, O. W., 46 work weeks during war years, 21
Curtiss JN-4/JN-4H Jenny biplanes, 4, 5, 5153 Endeavour, Space Shuttle, 98, 121
Enterprise, Space Shuttle, 98, 99, 100, 119, 120
Exceptional Service Medal, NACA, 54, 55
D Exceptional Service Medal, NASA, 65, 75
D-558-1 Skystreak, 32, 33, 35
D-558-2 Skyrocket, 32, 34, 35
Dailey, Jack, 27 F
Daniels, Parmely C., 23 F9F-2 aircraft, 35
Danne, Richard, 92 F-11F-1 aircraft, 38
Danne and Blackburn, 89, 92 F-15 aircraft, 97
Davis, Wallace F., 69n35 F-16XL aircraft, 117
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), 96 F-18 High Alpha Research Vehicle (HARV), 96
DeFrance, Smith, 23, 36, 42, 47 F-84F aircraft, 27
de Havilland DH-9 biplanes, 48, 8n11, 12 F-86/F-86A/F-86D aircraft, 40, 47, 72
Dembling, Paul, 60n8 F-94 aircraft, 73
Deming, William I., 23, 3n7 F-100 aircraft, 37, 39
desert meatball for deployment to the Middle East, 114 F-101/F-101A aircraft, 38, 40
DeVoto, Harry J., 43, 60, 77 F-102 aircraft, 36
DH-9 biplanes, 48, 8n11, 12 F-104/F-104N aircraft, 78, 97
Discovery, Space Shuttle, 9899, 101, 102, 119, 120 F-106B aircraft, 97
Distinguished Service Medal, NACA, 54, 55 Fairchild FC-2W2 aircraft, 6, 78, 8n11, 12
Distinguished Service Medal, NASA, 65, 7577, 12223 Fairchild XR2K-1 aircraft, 9
Donn & Deming, 2, 2n4, 2n5, 3 FC-2W2 aircraft, 6, 78, 8n11, 12
Doolittle, James H, 36 federal agencies, emblems for, 12
Douglas D-558-1 Skystreak, 32, 33, 35 Federal Committee on Apprenticeship, 51n19
Douglas D-558-2 Skyrocket, 32, 34, 35 Federal Design Improvement Program, 89, 9192, 92n3
Douglas X-3 Stilleto, 32 Federal Graphics Improvement Program, 89
Dryden, Hugh L., 40, 41, 44, 55, 63, 76 Fergus, Louise, 60n10, 66n25
Dryden Flight Research Center. See Armstrong Flight Research Fine Arts, Commission of, 62, 63, 64, 65
Center/Dryden Flight Research Center/Ames-Dryden Flight Finneran, Michael P., 128n28
Research Facility/Flight Research Center/High-Speed Flight Fletcher, James C., 91, 92
Station/High-Speed Flight Research Station Flight Research Center. See Armstrong Flight Research Center/
Dryden Flight Research Center/Ames-Dryden Flight
Research Facility/Flight Research Center/High-Speed Flight
E Station/High-Speed Flight Research Station
Edwards Air Force Base, 27. See also Armstrong Flight Research Flight Research Laboratory (Ames), 12, 15
Center/Dryden Flight Research Center/Ames-Dryden Flight Fokker Trimotor transport aircraft, 10
Research Facility/Flight Research Center/High-Speed Flight Ford truck with Huck starter, 9, 10
Station/High-Speed Flight Research Station Full-Scale Tunnel, 30- by 60-Foot (Langley), 13
Eisenhower, Dwight D., 54, 63, 66
Eisenman, Alvin, 92n3
employees/staff members G
awards and service medals for, 54, 55, 65, 7577, 91, 12224 Galileo spacecraft, 101
badges, 4548 Gavin, Patrick, 60n8, 64n20, 65n22
lapel pins for, 4142, 65, 66, 67, 106, 106n5, 109, 123 Gemini Program
morale of, 1056, 130 astronauts for, 85
144 Index

Control Center building for, 86 Harding, Warren, 62

Gemini 6 mission, 85 Hardings Brothers, Inc., 20
NASA insignia use during, 85, 86, 130 Hart, Henry, 77
General Creech Conference Center, 3 Hauck, Frederick H. Rick, 101
Glenn, John H., Jr., 82, 83, 84, 126 Henry, Dolph, 23
Glennan, T. Keith Highly Maneuverable Aircraft Technology (HiMAT) remotely
NASA insignia, opinion about return of, 61n12, 109 piloted vehicle, 97
NASA insignia design role, 6667, 6667n27, 109 High-Speed Flight Station/High-Speed Flight Research Station.
NASA seal design role, 6061, 6263, 65 See Armstrong Flight Research Center/Dryden Flight
photo of with NASA seal, 76 Research Center/Ames-Dryden Flight Research Facility/
Glenn Research Center/Lewis Research Center/Aircraft Engine Flight Research Center/High-Speed Flight Station/High-
Research Laboratory Speed Flight Research Station
buildings at, insignias on, 13, 24 High-Speed Tunnel, 7- by 10-Foot (Ames), 16
establishment of, 21 High-Speed Tunnel, 7- by 10-Foot (Langley), 70
hangar facilities at, 10, 12, 25, 26, 36, 7273, 110, 111, 116 High-Speed Tunnel, 8-Foot (Langley), 13
location of, vii High-Speed Tunnel, 16-Foot (Ames), 16
NACA inspection and facility and research exhibits, 58, 58n2, Hilmers, David C., 101
59 HL-10 lifting body, 81, 116
NACA to NASA transition and updating markings and roof Holloway, Paul F., 105, 107
lettering, 7273 Hopkins, John, 60n10, 66n25
name changes of, vii, 126 Horner, Richard E., 76
NASA emblems and logos and research at, 57 House, Rufus O., 23
security guard house at, 31 Hubble Space Telescope, 102, 127
swoosh insignia on aircraft at, 113 Hustvedt, Stephen R., 99
Global Hawk unpiloted aircraft, 117 Hutton, Lynn W., 69
Godfrey, Arthur M., 42 hypersonic flight, research on, 56
Goldin, Daniel S.
appointment of, 92
meatball insignia, reinstitution of, v, 61n12, 9293, 1058, I
109, 130 identification badges and cards, 4548
meatball pin, wearing of during Langley visit, 106, 106n5 International Space Station (ISS), 82, 119
Modarelli, recognition for designer role of, 10910 Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, 120
Goodin, Ben A., 44
Grissom, Virgil I. Gus, 82, 122
ground equipment, insignias on, 4, 9, 10, 92 J
Grubbs, Thomas, 113 J. G. White Engineering Corporation, 2n5
Grumman F9F-2 aircraft, 35 JN-4/JN-4H Jenny biplanes, 4, 5, 5153
Grumman F-11F-1 aircraft, 38 Johnson, Ernest, 23
Grumman X-29 aircraft, 96 Johnson, W. Kemble, 23
Johnson Space Center
Add-On Bars design role, 93
H Flight Crew Operations Directorate, 11213
hangar facilities location of, viii
lettering and markings on, 912 name changes of, viii
NACA lettering on roofs, 10, 11, 12 STS badge design role, 93
NACA standard and modified standard insignias on, 2527, 35 swoosh insignia design role, 11213
NACA to NASA transition and updating markings and roof Jones, Robert T., 59, 6770
lettering, 7273
NACA wings insignia on, 14, 17
NASA insignia on, 94, 105, 1068, 110, 111, 116 K
NASA logotype on, 94, 100 Kahn, Albert, 2
 Index 145

Katzen, Elliott D., 59, 67, 68, 6970, 69n35, 71 Structures Research Laboratory, 14
Kemper, Carlton, 23 Supersonic Pressure Tunnel, 4 by 4-Foot, 70n39
Kennedy, John F, swoosh insignia on aircraft at, 11314
ceremony to honor Glenn, 84 Transonic Pressure Tunnel, 8-Foot, 27, 28
Distinguished Service Medal award for Shepard, 76 Transonic Tunnel, 16-Foot, 18
Moon-landing missions, schedule for, 78, 130 Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel, 70, 71
Moon mission directive, 75 wind tunnels at, 2, 2n5, 3, 1213, 18, 25, 27
NASA seal, amendment to during administration of, 66 wing design research at, 5859, 62, 6771
Kennedy Space Center Lankes, Julius J., 43
hurricane damage at, 116 lapel pins, 4142, 65, 66, 67, 106, 106n5, 109, 123
location of, viii Launch Operations Center. See Kennedy Space Center
name changes of, viii LEGO building blocks, 12728
outline of orbiter, formation of by employees at, 115 Leslie, John, 92n3
Vehicle Assembly Building, 89, 90, 11516 Lewis, George, 8n11
Visitor Complex display of Shuttle Atlantis, 121 Lewis Research Center. See Glenn Research Center/Lewis
Kitty Hawk Flyer, 53, 54 Research Center/Aircraft Engine Research Laboratory
Knight, Pete, 80 license plates, 128, 128n28
lifting bodies, 8081
Lockheed P-80 aircraft, 17
L Lockheed U-2 aircraft, 4041
Lacklen, Robert J., 23, 60n8 Lounge, John M. Mike, 101
Landrum, Ms., 65n22 Lovell, James A., Jr., 82
Langley, Samuel Pierpont, 2 Low, George, 92
Langley Research Center/Langley Aeronautical Laboratory/ Low-Turbulence Pressure Tunnel/Two-Dimensional Pressure
Langley Memorial Aeronautical Laboratory/Langley Field Tunnel (Langley), 18
Administration Building, 23
Apprentice School, 51, 51n19
Atmospheric Wind Tunnel, 49 M
buildings at, insignias on, 24, 3n7, 1214, 24, 79 M2-F1 lifting body, 80
construction of, 2 M2-F2 lifting body, 81
dedication of, 2 M81 spiral galaxy, 127
establishment of, 2 Maloney, Mr., 65n22
Full-Scale Tunnel, 30- by 60-Foot, 13 Manned Spacecraft Center. See Johnson Space Center
hangar facilities at, 911, 14, 40, 94, 105, 1068 Martin, Cam, 106n5
High-Speed Tunnel, 7- by 10-Foot, 70 McCann, William J., 23
High-Speed Tunnel, 8-Foot, 13 McCook Field, 2, 45
license plate to recognize, 128, 128n28 McDivitt, James A., 82
location of, vii McDonnell F-101/F-101A aircraft, 38, 40
Low-Turbulence Pressure Tunnel/Two-Dimensional Pressure McLean, Francis E., 6768, 70, 71
Tunnel, 18 meatball insignia. See NASA insignia (meatball insignia)
NACA inspection and facility and research exhibits, 58, 58n2, Mecutchen, Edward T., 23
59 medallions, memorabilia, tokens, and souvenirs, 5153, 104
naming and name changes of, vii, 2 Memphis Belle B-17 bomber, 25
NASA emblems and logos and research at, 57 Mercury, Project
newsletter letterhead from, 125 astronauts, 126
Propeller Research Tunnel, 7, 8, 8n11, 13, 49 astronauts for, 8285
property for, 2, 2n2 Distinguished Service Medal award for Shepard, 7577
research about NASA emblems and logos at, vvi Friendship 7 mission and spacecraft, 83, 84
research laboratory building at, 24, 3n7 Mercury-Atlas 9 mission, 85
scope of research at, 49, 97 NASA insignia use during, 8285, 130
security at, 45, 46 Middle East, desert meatball for deployment to the, 114
146 Index

military aviation, NACA research and technology development publications and correspondence use of, 25, 4950
for, 21, 37 retirement plaques use of, 49, 124
Miller, Elton W., 23 service pins, 4344, 47
mission emblems and patches, vii, 93, 9899 tokens and medallions, 5153
Modarelli, James J. Jim NACA winged emblem
death of, 112 aircraft markings, 48
Lewis hangar, role in rededication ceremony at, 110, 111 building markings, 24
NACA wings award for, 52 clothing of ground crew, markings on, 4, 9, 10
NASA career of, 67, 110, 112 first NACA use of, 24, 129
NASA insignia design and approval process role, 52, 5759, ground equipment markings, 4, 9, 10
6667, 66n25, 10810, 129 official insignia, absence of, vi, 20, 129
NASA seal design and approval process role, 52, 5759, 6065, NACA wings insignia
60n10, 7677, 109, 129 birth of, 12
recognition for insignia design, 10810 building markings, 1218
wing models as inspiration for wing shape in logos, 5859, 62, NACA to NASA transition and updating of, 7273
71 publications and correspondence use of, 19
wormball logo, opinion about, 108 variations in design of, 15, 20, 21
Modarelli, Lois, 110 NASA emblems and logos
Moon application and modification of, unwillingness of organizations
Apollo 11 mission to, 8687 to follow directives on, vi
Kennedy directive for mission to, 75, 130 applications of, vii, 129
Moon-landing missions, 78, 130 design and approval process for, 23
Morris, F. D., 43, 44 evolution of, research on and documentation of, vvii
mural in NACA Headquarters, 54, 56 interest in research about, vvi
red wing symbol, vi, 57, 5859
symbolism of elements, documentation of, vi
N transition from NACA markings, 7273
NACA Conference on High-Speed Aerodynamics, 70 NASA Federal Credit Union, 115
NACA emblems and logos NASA flag, 75, 76, 91, 99
applications of, vii, 129 NASA Headquarters History Program Office, vi
blueprints of insignias, 22, 24 NASA insignia (meatball insignia)
differences in details of early emblem, 15, 17 aircraft markings, 7881, 11618
directive for use of standard and modified standard insignia, anniversary logos use of, 104, 127
2425 approval for use of, 115
evolution of, research on and documentation of, vivii awards and service medals for employees using, 12223
letters, periods after, 12, 14, 17, 19, 22, 23, 24 building markings, 79, 84, 86, 94, 95, 105, 1068, 110, 111,
official insignia, 2124 11516
official insignia, absence of, vi, 20, 129 changeover to logotype from, 93, 97
original logo, designer of, vi, 129 clothing, use on, 82, 83, 8587, 98
seal, absence of, vi colors used in, 8990, 115
transition to NASA markings, 7273 commercial uses of, 115, 12728
See also winged emblems confusion between seal and, 75
NACA Park (Ames), 16 design and approval process for, 43, 54, 6667, 66n25,
NACA seal, 23, 5355, 129 6667n27, 129
NACA standard and modified standard insignias designer of, 52, 5759, 6667, 71
aircraft markings, 24, 29, 3241, 116 designer of, recognition for, 10810
badges, 4548 events and speaker podiums, use on, 126
building markings, 23, 24, 2529, 3031, 35 historical information about, v
deception, weather research, and use of, 4041 human spaceflight program, use of during, 8287, 11921, 130
design of, 2125 lapel pins using, 66, 67, 106, 106n5, 109, 123
lapel pins using, 4142, 123 length of use of, 67, 89
 Index 147

meatball nickname for, 89 presidential approval of, 6266

opinions about return of, 61n12, 107, 107n7, 109 publications, use on, 88, 103
popularity and widespread use of, 75, 12930 standards for use of, 115
publications, use on, 125 See also red wing symbol
reinstitution of, v, 61n12, 67, 1058, 130 NASA Style Guide, 114
replacement of logotype with, 67, 9293, 1058, 109, 113, 130 National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA)/National
replacement of with logotype, 67, 8990, 130 Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
retirement plaques use of, 124 anniversary logos, 104, 127, 128
service pins, 122 centennial anniversary and celebration of, vi, 27, 128, 130
Space Shuttle Program use of, 82, 11921 creation of NACA, 1
standards for use of, 115 creation of NASA, 56, 57, 129
wormball logo, 108 graphics standards style guide, 114
See also red wing symbol Incentive Award Plan, 58, 66
NASA logotype insignia membership of NACA, 1
acceptance of, 90, 92, 93, 130 mural in NACA Headquarters, 54, 56
aircraft markings, 92, 9697, 108 NACA inspection and facility and research exhibits, 58, 58n2,
announcement of, 9092 59, 69, 71
approval for use of, 115 research areas, simultaneous projects at various labs, 6768
building markings, 9495, 100, 1068 scope of research at, 21
changeover from insignia to, 93, 97 scope of research by, 29, 32, 3738, 56
clothing, use on, 92, 98, 101 security at facilities, 4548
colors of, 90 spoken pronunciation of names, 19
design award for, 92 National Air and Space Museum (NASM)
designers of, 8990 America by Air exhibit, 27
ground equipment markings, 92 NACA insignia on display in, 27, 28
implementation of, 92 National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), vi
publications, use on, 103 National Bureau of Standards, 1
replacement of insignia with, 67, 8990, 130 National Endowment for the Arts, 89, 9192, 92n3, 108
replacement of with insignia, 67, 9293, 1058, 109, 113, 130 Naval Appropriations Act (1915), 1, 2
satellite markings, 92, 102 Navy, U.S.
Space Shuttle Program use of, 92, 93, 98101, 108, 119, 120, Langley facility, role in establishment of, 2
130 Langley facility, transfer of seaplane testing from, 2
space vehicle markings, 92 NACA members from, 1
wormball logo, 108 NB-52B carrier aircraft, 118
worm nickname for, 90 Neilsen, Jack, 69n35
NASA seal Nelson, George D. Pinky, 101
amendment to during Kennedy administration, 66 newsletters, internal, 125
anniversary logos use of, 104, 127 Nickle, Ferril R., 23
approval for use of, 115 North American XB-70 aircraft, 70
awards and service medals for employees using, 65, 7577, 91, Northrop X-4 aircraft, 32, 35
12224
confusion between insignia and, 75
criticism of, 7577 O
design and approval process for, 23, 43, 54, 6066, 60nn78, OHara, Michael A., 128n28
60n10, 62n13, 64n20, 65n22, 7677, 129 OV-10 aircraft, 114
designer of, 52, 5765, 71, 109
events and speaker podiums, use on, 126
final version of, 6566 P
formal uses of, 91 P-51H aircraft, 40
lapel pins using, 65, 123 P-80 aircraft, 17
number of designs submitted for, 65 Paine, Howard, 92n3
148 Index

Parker, Clarence J., 46 S

Parsons, Jack, 47 satellites, 92, 102
Payne, Richard, 55 Schirra, Walter M., Jr., 82, 85
Payne, Robert, 113 Schulke, Richard, 60n10, 66n25
Pearson, E. O., 60n8 Schulman, Robert, 92
Pegasus booster rocket launch vehicle, 118 See, Elliot M., Jr., 82
Pilotless Aircraft Research Station. See Wallops Flight Facility/ service pins, 4344, 47, 122
Wallops Flight Center/Wallops Station/Pilotless Aircraft Sharp, Edward R., 10, 23
Research Station Shepard, Alan B., Jr., 7677, 82, 83, 122
Pitts, William C., 69n35 shield emblem, 9, 11, 32
Potter, Mr., 65n22 Silverstein, Abe, 1089
Powers, Francis Gary, 41 Slayton, Donald K., 82
Pressure Tunnel, 12-Foot (Ames), 28 Smithsonian Institution, 1, 120
Price, A. Gary, v South, Jerry C., Jr., v
Propeller Research Tunnel (Langley), 7, 8, 8n11, 13, 49 souvenirs, memorabilia, tokens, and medallions, 5153, 104
publications and correspondence spaceflight
directives for, 19 capabilities for, race to achieve, 56, 57, 12930
logo use on, 129 Moon-landing missions, 78, 130
NACA seal on, 54 Moon mission directive, 75, 130
NACA standard and modified standard insignias on, 25, 4950 NASA insignia use for human spaceflight program, vii, 8287,
NACA wings insignia on, 19 11921, 130
NASA insignia on, 125 national pride in NASA programs, 78
NASA logotype use on, 103 research on, 56
NASA seal on, 88, 103 Space Shuttle Program
newsletters, internal, 125 Add-On Bars for STS badge, 93
periods after NACA letters, 19 astronauts, 99, 101
technical reports/technical notes and publications, 19, 4950, B747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, 98, 121
88, 103, 125 ISS, delivery of supplies to, 119
mission patches/NASA Astronaut Badges, 93, 9899
NASA insignia use during, 82, 11921
R NASA logotype use during, 92, 93, 98101, 108, 119, 120, 130
Rand, Paul, 92n3 outline of orbiter, formation of by employees, 115
Reagan, Ronald, 92, 100 Return-to-Flight mission, 9899, 101, 119
red wing symbol Space Shuttle Atlantis, 98, 101, 121
background of, vi, 6771, 69n35, 129 Space Shuttle Challenger, 9899
confusion and misinformation about, 57 Space Shuttle Columbia, 98, 100, 119
NASA seal, final version of, 6566 Space Shuttle Discovery, 9899, 101, 102, 119, 120
upside-down placement of and revision of design, 61, 62, 6465 Space Shuttle Endeavour, 98, 121
wing models as inspiration for, 5859, 62, 71 Space Shuttle Enterprise, 98, 99, 100, 119, 120
Reid, H. J. E., 23 Space Transportation System Program Badge, 93
Republic F-84F aircraft, 27 termination of and museum display of orbiters, 11921
retirement plaques, 49, 124 sports activities, 51
reunions, 51, 52 Sputnik, 56, 57, 129
Rickenbacker, Edward V. Eddie, 45 SR-71 aircraft, 117
Robinson, Russell G., 23 Stack, John P., 67
Rodert, Lewis, 42 staff members. See employees/staff members
Rogallo, Vernon, 123 Stafford, Thomas P., 82, 85
Roosevelt, Franklin D., 12 Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, 120
Rothrock, Addison M., 23 Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA), 118
Rowsome, Frank Red, 89 Structures Research Laboratory (Langley), 14
 Index 149

supercritical-wing technology, 27 Wallops Flight Facility/Wallops Flight Center/Wallops Station/

supersonic flight and design of wings, 5859, 62, 6771 Pilotless Aircraft Research Station
Supersonic Pressure Tunnel, 4 by 4-Foot (Langley), 70n39 establishment of, 21
Supersonic Tunnel, 1- by 3-Foot (Ames), 69 location of, viiviii
Swannie, Marion, 92n3 name changes of, viiviii
swoosh insignia, 11214, 117, 118 scope of research at, 117
Warner, Edward P., 4
War Training Program, 51n19
T WB-57F aircraft, 114
T-38 aircraft, 11213 Weapon System 110A (WS-110A) project, 7071
Technical Service Building (Ames), 16 Weather Bureau, 1
Thompson, Floyd L., 23 Weick, Fred E., 8, 49, 49n18
Thompson, Milt, 80 Whitcomb, Richard, 27, 38
tokens, souvenirs, memorabilia, and medallions, 5153, 104 White, Edward H., II, 82
Transonic Pressure Tunnel, 8-Foot (Langley), 27, 28 Williams, Martin E. Marty, 128n28
Transonic Tunnel, 14-Foot (Ames), 16 Wilson, Woodrow, 1, 62n13
Transonic Tunnel, 16-Foot (Langley), 18 wing design and supersonic flight, 5859, 62, 6771
Truman, Harry S., 42 winglets, 27
Tunnel, 40- by 80-Foot (Ames), 28 wormball logo, 108
Two-Dimensional Pressure Tunnel/Low-Turbulence Pressure Wright, Orville, 45, 54
Tunnel (Langley), 18 Wright, Wilbur, 54
Wright Field, 45
Wright Flyer, 45
U
U-2 aircraft, 4041
Ulmer, Ralph E., 23 X
Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel (Ames), 58, 59, 94, 95 X-24A lifting body, 81
Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel (Langley), 70, 71 X-43A hypersonic scramjet vehicle, 118
XB-70/XB-70A aircraft, 70, 79
XF-92A aircraft, 35
V X-planes
V-2 missiles, 56 NACA research and technology development for, 21
Vandenberg Air Force Base, 99 paint schemes and markings, 32
VE-7 aircraft, 5, 10 scope of research with, 29, 32, 37
Victory, John F. X-1 project, 27, 29, 32, 5153, 55
directive for use of standard and modified standard insignia, X-3 Stilleto, 32
2425 X-4 aircraft, 32, 35
Executive Conference attendance by, 23 X-5 aircraft, 35, 37
lapel pin design role, 41 X-15/X-15A-2 aircraft, 56, 80
NACA on hangar facility roof, role in, 10 X-29 aircraft, 96
NACA seal, announcement of adoption of, 54 XR2K-1 aircraft, 9
NASA seal design role, 60
official insignia, confirmation of absence of, 20
shield emblem design role, 9 Y
Vought VE-7 aircraft, 5, 10 Yeager, Chuck, 32
VZ-2 Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) aircraft, 81 Young, John W., 82, 99

W
Walcott, Charles D., 1, 2, 3n7
Walker, Joe, 55
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