grc-2011-c-00340

The National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) new Aircraft Engine Research Laboratory was built on a field adjacent to the Cleveland Municipal Airport. The 200-acre field previously served as a parking area for the National Air Races, which were normally held at the airport annually since 1929. A row of permanent grandstands separated the airport from the parking area. In this photograph, a section of the grandstand is still visible to the left. The other sections, which would have extended across the horizon, were removed in the months before. Despite their immense popularity, the Air Races were suspended in early 1940. The contract for the primary sponsor had expired, the event’s promotion team moved on to other projects, and pilots were having difficulty keeping up with the rising costs of participation. The onset of World War II and the City’s bids to host a new NACA laboratory ensured the end. The Air Races resumed in 1946 at a new location on the opposite side of the airport. The Flight Research Building, or hangar, is seen being built to the right. In December 1941, the hangar became the first completed structure at the laboratory. It was built near the airport property to facilitate the access of NACA aircraft to the airfield. Today the hangar is visible from both the airport and main road outside the gate. As such it has become a public symbol of the Glenn Research Center.