Vol. 4 Issue 4 Copyright © 2018 MASM December 1, 2018 Massachusetts Air and Space Museum 200 Hanscom Drive Bedford, MA 01730 www.massairspace.org It’s been known by many names—Hanscom Field, Bedford Airport and Hanscom Air Force Base, to name a few. But L. G. Hanscom Field is the current formal title of this installation as it is now primarily under the control of MassPort. It was named in honor of Lau- rence G. Hanscom, one of the founders and first com- mander of the Massachusetts Air Wing of the Civilian Prior to the United States’ formal involvement in Air Reserve, and also a long-time advocate for estab- World War II, the Massachusetts legislature ear- lishing a significant airfield in the vicinity of Bedford. marked funds for the establishment of an airfield in central-Middlesex County. airborne radar systems that have A suitable parcel of land of become the benchmark in early just over 1,100 acres was warning technologies, and which carved out of the towns of are still in use today. Bedford, Concord, Lexing- ton and Lincoln in order to In addition to the technological re- construct what has long- search and development conducted been a joint civilian and by the premiere land-grant univer- military air base of opera- sity in the Commonwealth—M.I.T. tions. It was originally con- —Hanscom Field was the spawning ceived as an ancillary oper- ground for many aviation technolo- ation center to Boston’s Logan Airport. gies such as DABS (Discrete Address Beacon System): the forerunner to TCAS (Traffic Colli- After the U. S. entered World War II, the base was sion Avoidance System). Raytheon Corporation was operated exclusively by the also instrumental in bringing TCAS Army Air Corps, and eventu- to fruition in modern aviation. The ally the United States Air evolution of TCAS began with the Force. As a military installa- World War II technology known as tion, Hanscom played host Identification Friend or Foe (IFF). to many aircraft types; both Built upon that system, DABS was large and small. Prop-driven originally conceived as a way to planes from the nimble P-40 eventually eliminate air-traffic con- Warhawk to the giant Doug- trol (ATC) with a direct plane-to- las C-124 Globemaster, and plane early-warning proximity sys- on into the jet age with the F tem. Early in the development process, the realities -86 Sabre Jet, Hanscom has hosted a wide and varied of modern aviation were recognized and TCAS was array of aircraft types. the result; providing pilots with a This broad list of airplanes cockpit system that could aid in acci- that have worked out of dent-avoidance without the direct Hanscom is matched only by intervention of a ground controller. the diversity of the missions Having MIT’s Lincoln Laboratory and that have been undertaken by a major player like Raytheon “on- both the military and civilian campus,” so-to-speak, was instru- organizations alike. The U.S. mental in Hanscom’s development Air Force, working in concert as a major technology research and with Massachusetts Institute development center for the United of Technology’s Lincoln La- States Air Force. Although the air boratory, pioneered and perfected both ground and base continued to serve as a major airlift operations the Route 128 Corridor, and its proximity to down- center, the ongoing research and development being town Boston. Landing and parking at Bedford is easy carried out under USAF Systems Command yielded compared to the air and ground-space competition at great advances in defense systems. Air Force Systems Boston’s Logan Airport. Non-commercial, even char- Command would eventually be absorbed into USAF ter operations, are being moved away from Logan to Material Command, but the change did not result in outlying airports, and Hanscom is among the closest any significant reduction in Hanscom’s operations. and largest to handle the overflow. - The research and development on next generation Several of Boston’s major sports teams have dis- technologies continues. Operating under the USAF covered the virtues of flying in and out of Hanscom. Life Cycle Management Center, Hanscom plays a vital It’s an easier commute for players, coaches and staff role in evaluating the life cycles of America’s weapons to find their way to Hanscom for their charter systems, and makes recommendations flights than it is to fly out of Logan or to command on what works and even Providence. While the what doesn’t. aircraft involved may not But Hanscom Field as yet be housed or ser- is both a military viced in Bedford, base, and a com- more and more mercial and gen- trips originate or eral aviation hub terminate there in eastern Mas- due its conven- sachusetts. ient location. Aside from the Hanscom Field research and hosts many development small and medi- that is carried out um-sized business- there, commercial es that are not relat- and charter air flights ed to aviation. Instru- are available at the civil- mentation Laboratories, ian terminal, and general Inc. is a medical-technology aviation facilities abound. Over corporation that develops and the course of this past year, Boston manufactures state-of-the-art medical test MedFlight has moved its operation center to a newfa- equipment that is establishing a new standard for cility in order to broaden its reach to all of New Eng- medical evaluations and diagnosis. land as an air-ambulance, and to shorten flight times to many metropoolitan locations in the Greater Bos- The future of technological advancement has been ton area. MedFlight also services long-distant medi- growing exponentially since the advent of the digital cal transports to as far away as Chicago with fixed- age, and Hanscom Field is poised to be the garden for wing aircraft. This new facility in Bedford was built the next evolution in scientific achievement. From specifically to accommodate its new fleet of Airbus H- computer systems to medical analysis, Hanscom 145 helicopters. offers fertile ground for revolutionary advances in fu- ture technologies, all while offering an abundance of Corporate aircraft frequent Hanscom Field in or- space and services for charter and general avia- der to take advantage of the convenient proximity to tion. The National Aeronautic Association, the more than a dozen air races beginning in 1954. oldest national aviation club in the United Her individual achievements in aviation, States, has awarded the coveted 2018 Kathe- while impressive, are not her only contribution rine Wright Trophy to Anne Bridge Baddour of to the field. Anne has engaged in leadership Massachusetts for her personal contribution roles with numerous institutions and organiza- over her lifetime “… to the advancement of tions that helped sculpt aviation and mold the art, sport, and science of aviation and generations of both pilots and ground person- space flight.” Within the citation that accom- nel. She has helped establish scholarships in panied this honor, Anne’s six-plus decades of many schools and organizations such as Daniel experience in 42 types of aircraft was noted, Webster College, Society of Experimental Test along with her two-decades work as the first Pilots, the Ninety-Nines, the Aero Club of New female research pilot for the Massachusetts England, the Smithsonian Air & Space Muse- Institute of Technology. Working in conjunc- um. tion with the U.S. Department of Defense and Massachusetts Air and Space Museum has the Federal Aviation Administration, she was had many supporters since its inception, but one of the pioneers who tested the Global Po- none more stalwart or generous than our own sitioning System (GPS) that has become the Anne Bridge Baddour. She has helped shape bulwark of navigation in modern aviation. the organization, and has greatly influenced Anne Baddour also set some 27 speed records the direction of the museum. The Wright Tro- between 1985 and 1991, and competed in phy was bestowed upon the right flyer! By Chad Trautvetter All-electric aircraft startup manufacturer Eviation Aircraft has selected Hartzell Propeller as a de- velopment partner for its first model—the nine-seat, 565-nm Alice. Under the partnership, Hartzell will provide customized and optimized propellers and support systems. The all-electric Alice business and regional airplane will have a three-blade main pusher propeller at the tail and two-blade pusher propellers at each wingtip. According to Hartzell, the design and manufacture of these propeller systems will build on technologies developed for its five-blade car- bon fiber props and Bantam hub series, providing “the optimal combination of reduced weight and maximum performance.” “Eviation's new aircraft provides an exciting opportunity to be a part of thext ne generation in air- craft powered by electricity,” said Hartzell Propeller president Joe Brown. “The Alice will be test flown at the 53rd Paris Air Show in June 2019,” Hartzell said, but a spokes- person for Tel Aviv-based Eviation told AIN that the aircraft will not be flown before the Paris show. Eviation has also not yet publicly announced who will develop electric motor and battery system for the airplane. Photograph and article reprinted with permission from: A five-times weekly subscriber e-newsletter from Aviation Publications, which is an independent media company focused on the aviation sector. www.ainonline.com/subscribe It is again that special season of the year when pioneers. It is accessed from the MASM website and giving is on our minds. And while Santa is making his provides viewers with great insights from the past. list and checking it twice, we make out our holiday gift Educational outreach is among the museum’s lists, we need to include a note to renew our member- most important undertakings.