Radio Beacon Transmitting Antennas at Ford Airport, 1926

01

Artifact Overview

The radio beacon may be Henry Ford's most important contribution to aviation. Early pilots depended on landmarks, preventing reliable navigation in bad weather. Ford's engineers developed a radio beacon that simultaneously transmitted the Morse code letter "A" (dot-dash) in one direction and the letter "N" (dash-dot) in another. The pilot steered until the separate signals merged into a steady hum.

Artifact Details

Artifact

Photographic print

Subject Date

10 September 1926

Location

By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center

Object ID

P.189.3683

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Ford Motor Company.

Material

Paper (Fiber product)
Linen (Material)

Technique

Gelatin silver process

Color

Black-and-white (Colors)

Dimensions

Height: 9.5 in
Width: 7.5 in

Radio Beacon Transmitting Antennas at Ford Airport, 1926