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- Radio 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.

- 1926-1927
- Collections - Artifact
Radio 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.