Browse Items (143 total)

Photograph of William P. Lear with a Lockheed Lodestar aircraft, circa January 1953. Lear is pointing to an exhaust covering on the engine cowling, one of the modifications made to increase the aircraft's efficiency.Typed caption on verso: "#8165-D…

Photograph of William P. Lear looking at the engine of a Lockheed Lodestar aircraft, circa January 1953. Lear is gesturing to a modification made to the jet-exhaust system.Typed caption on verso: "Grand Rapids, Michigan: William P. Lear, Chairman of…

Photograph of a Lear, Incorporated company Lockheed Lodestar, circa 1948. The caption notes that this aircraft was later converted to the prototype Learstar. Inscription on verso: "First Lockheed Lodestar owned by WLP -- in 1948 -- later converted to…

Composite photograph of Learadio panel assembly, showing side and front views, circa 1940s-1950s. Individual components include a fixed antenna tuning unit, trasmitter, automatic direction finder, and control unit.Caption: "Front view / NA-44 /…

Photograph of an unidentified aircraft fuselage with its side panel removed, showing the Learadio equipment installed in the front and rear cockpits, circa 1940s-1950s. Several of the components are labeled. Caption: "NA-44 / Learadio equipment…

Photograph of Learadio equipment installed in the front cockpit of an unidentified aircraft, circa 1940s-1950s. Several of the components are labeled.Caption: "NA-44 / Learadio equipment / Front cockpit -- Right side. 20-1171-28."Labeled components:…

Photograph of a Lear C-2A autopilot, circa 1940s-1950s. Typed caption: "The C-2A - greatly improved original autopilot."

Photograph of a Lear 3-axis servo unit, circa 1940s-1950s. Typed caption: "One of the first 3-axis servo units."

Photograph of a display for the Lear F-5 autopilot, showing various components, circa 1940s-1950s. Typed caption on verso: "The F-5 Autopilot was developed by Bill Lear in the 1940's for which he was awarded the Collier Trophy. Pictured clockwise are…

Photograph of a display for the LIFE (Lear Integrated Flight Equipment) system, circa 1950s-1960s. The display board reads: "Fly LIFE here / Any pilot can make an accurate ILS approach on his check-out flight -- makes all IFR flight unbelievably…