Whirlwind Computer Collection, 1945-1949.

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Whirlwind Computer Collection, 1945-1949.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/83660340

Includes summary reports, correspondence, notes, memos and other reports. Project records include Summary Reports nos. 1-2 and biweekly reports for the period December 1947 to January 1959. Project Whirlwind was sponsored by the Special Devices Center of the Office of Naval Research under Contract N5 ori 60. The original objective of the project was the development of a device that would simulate airplanes in flight. As the project progressed, other applications of the computer evolved. The project was centered in the Servomechanics Laboratory of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T.). In the course of the research, Whirlwind evolved from an aircraft simulator into a high-speed digital computer and finally into a key element of the United States' early air defense system. In 1958, M.I.T. decided that it was not appropriate for an educational institution like itself to be so heavily involved in air defense research, and the MITRE Corporation was formed to carry on the work. Most of MITRE's employees, facilities and equipment were transferred from M.I.T.

29 document boxes (2,516 items).

American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library

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SNAC Resource ID: 8305568

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Massachusetts Institute of Technology

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6sv8d0k (corporateBody)

The Department of General Studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) did not officially exist until 1882. Courses in general studies were offered as early as 1865, when the MIT Catalog offered a curriculum option called the Course in Science and Literature. At that time, all regular MIT students were required to take “general studies” classes from the Course in Science and Literature, in addition to English, history, and modern languages. In 1882 the Course in Scienc...

Mitre Corporation

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The MITRE Corporation is a not-for-profit organization based in Bedford, Massachusetts and McLean, Virginia. MITRE operates federally funded research and development centers (FFRDCs) to provide the United States government with support for systems engineering, research and development, and information technology. It manages FFRDCs for the Department of Defense, the Federal Aviation Administration, the Internal Revenue Service, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Homeland Securi...

Massachusetts institute of technology. Servomechanisms laboratory

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Project Whirlwind was centered in the Servomechanics Laboratory at Massachusetts Institute of Technology with its original objective being the development of a device that would simulate airplanes in flight. In the course of the research, Whirlwind eventually evolved into a key element of the U.S.'s early air defense system. Since M.I.T. did not view this as an appropriate action for an educational institution to take part in, it transferred the entire project to the MITRE Corp. From...