Radio Beacon Transmitting Station and Antennas at Ford Airport, 1926
THF123653 / Radio Beacon Transmitting Station and Antennas at Ford Airport, 1926
01
Artifact Overview
Early pilots depended on landmarks, preventing reliable navigation in bad weather. Henry Ford's engineers developed a radio beacon that simultaneously transmitted two Morse code letters, allowing pilots to steer until the separate signals merged into a steady hum. The original beacon station at Ford Airport (shown here) was removed in 1933 and is now on display inside the museum.
Artifact Details
Artifact
Photographic print
Subject Date
10 September 1926
Collection Title
Location
By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center
Object ID
84.1.1660.P.189.3684
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Ford Motor Company.
Material
Paper (Fiber product)
Technique
Gelatin silver process
Color
Black-and-white (Colors)
Dimensions
Height: 8 in
Width: 9.938 in
Keywords |
|---|
02
Related Artifacts
ArtifactRadio Beacon Station Building Used at Ford Airport, 1927
Early pilots depended on visible landmarks, preventing reliable navigation in bad weather. Henry Ford's engineers developed a radio beacon that simultaneously transmitted two Morse code letters. Pilots steered until the separate signals merged into one steady hum. The original beacon station building at Ford Airport was removed in 1933 and is now displayed in Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation.
ArtifactRadio Beacon Transmitter, Patented by Ford Motor Company, 1928
In 1926, Ford Motor Company commenced regular freighting between Dearborn, Chicago and Lansing airports using their Tri-Motor aircraft. Eugene S. Donovan, a Ford radio engineer, invented this radio beacon. When an aircraft was safely over its landing destination, it communicated a signal to the pilot. Useful in inclement weather, these safety devices were adopted in airports across the nation.
03
Related Content
SetFord Radio Beacon Station
- 8 Artifacts
Early pilots depended on landmarks, preventing reliable navigation in bad weather. Henry Ford's engineers developed a radio beacon that simultaneously transmitted two Morse code letters, allowing pilots to steer until the separate signals merged into a steady hum. The original beacon station at Ford Airport (shown here) was removed in 1933 and is now on display inside the museum.