Convair General Dynamics Corporate Records, 1935-1995

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Summary

Creators:
Consolidated Aircraft Corporation, General Dynamics Corporation. Convair Division, Consolidated Vultee Aircraft Corporation, and Convair San Diego
Abstract:
The Convair General Dynamics Corporate Records consists of around 150 boxes of various documents, booklets, plans, photographs, correspondence, and other administrative and facility papers relating to Fleet, Consolidated, Stinson, Consolidated Vultee, Convair, and, finally, General Dynamics in San Diego since 1935.
Extent:
187.5 Cubic Feet 150 Gaylord archival U1215 boxes, 12x15x10 inch dimensions per box.
Language:
English .
Preferred citation:

The Convair General Dynamics Corporate Records from the Library and Archives of the San Diego Air and Space Museum

Background

Scope and content:

The Convair General Dynamics Corporate Records documents the heritage of Fleet, Consolidated, Stinson, Consolidated Vultee, Convair, and, finally, General Dynamics in San Diego since 1935. The materials include engineering proposals, reports, correspondence, press releases, and many other documents pertaining to the inner workings of this renowned lineage of companies.

In addition, the collection has over 400,000 images, of which 250,000 are from the General Dynamics' Space Systems Division documenting the Atlas ICBMs and Space Launch Vehicles from the late 1950s to the mid-1980s. The Atlas is noted as being the nation's first Intercontinental Ballistic Missile, the booster for the first satellite to project a human voice from orbit, the launch vehicle for America's first astronaut to orbit the earth, and the launch vehicle for the Surveyor missions that laid the foundation for the Apollo program.

Biographical / historical:

Consolidated Vultee Aircraft Corporation (Convair) was formed in March 1943 with the merger of Consolidated Aircraft and Vultee Aircraft corporations. General Dynamics purchased a majority interest in Convair in 1954 and it continued to produce aircraft and components until General Dynamics began divesting itself of its aircraft and spacecraft divisions in the mid-nineties.

For half a century, Convair was the largest civilian employer in San Diego. Employment peaked in 1943 at 41,000 employees, of which forty percent were women. "Nothing short of right is right" was a popular slogan espoused by Consoliated to instill pride of workmanship in its thousands of employees. Consolidated/Convair was responsible for building some of the most significant aircraft in aerospace history, including the PBY Catalina, the B-24 Liberator, Convair 880 airliner, F-102 Delta dagger, and the nation's most reliable launch vehicle: the Atlas.

Acquisition information:
The materials in this collection were acquired by the San Diego Air Space Museum in 1995 and 2013. The collection that came in 2013 has some ITAR (International Traffic in Arms Regulations) and proprietary restrictions.
Physical facet:
Collection contains documents, photographs, pamphlets, booklets, blueprints, plans, letters, correspondence, and other materials.
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

The collection is open to research. Some restrictions may apply.

Terms of access:

The collection is open to use. Some restrictions may apply.

Preferred citation:

The Convair General Dynamics Corporate Records from the Library and Archives of the San Diego Air and Space Museum

Location of this collection:
2001 Pan American Plaza, Balboa Park
San Diego, CA 92101, US
Contact:
(619) 234-8291
archives@sdasm.org
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