Transpo '72 facts for kids
Amtrak UAC TurboTrain at Transpo '72
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| Date | May 27 – June 4, 1972 |
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| Venue | Dulles International Airport |
| Location | Washington, D.C. |
| Also known as | Transpo '72 |
| Type | transportation trade show |
| Budget | $10 million |
| Organized by | U.S. Department of Transportation |
Imagine a huge show all about how we travel! The U.S. International Transportation Exposition, also called Transpo '72, was a massive event. It took place at Dulles International Airport near Washington, D.C. for nine days in 1972. The show cost $10 million and was put on by the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Over a million people from all over the world came to see the latest in transportation technology. One newspaper called it "the biggest show the government has put on since World War II." Transpo '72 featured the world's largest air show, new large passenger planes, high-speed trains, and modern automated guideway transit systems.
The event also showed off futuristic ideas like "flying trains." It covered all kinds of transportation, from cars to planes. The goal was to show how all parts of transportation could work together in the future. John Volpe, the U.S. Secretary of Transportation, officially opened the event.
Contents
How Transpo '72 Started
The idea for Transpo came from L. Mendel Rivers, a leader in the U.S. government. He had visited the Paris Air Show in Europe many times. These shows were big events where aviation companies sold their newest planes. Rivers wished the U.S. had a similar show for its own industries.
He started planning a U.S. version, choosing Washington, D.C., because of its many military connections. The recently expanded Dulles Airport was also a perfect spot. Rivers first asked for $750,000 to fund the show.
At that time, the aviation industry was changing a lot. Big projects like the Vietnam War and the Apollo program were ending. Aerospace companies needed new ways to use their skills. The government was also funding many mass transit projects. Rivers decided to make the show about all types of transit, not just aircraft.
The show grew much bigger, and so did its cost. Rivers received $3 million at first, but needed another $2 million later. Some critics, like William Proxmire, thought the real cost would be closer to $10 million. By the time Transpo '72 was ready, it included displays, industry meetings, and many presentations. Over 1.25 million people attended the show.
Amazing Aircraft on Display
Transpo '72 featured many new and exciting aircraft. On the first day, the very first Boeing 707 prototype, called the "Dash 80," arrived. It was on its way to become an exhibit at the Smithsonian Museum. On the same day, BOAC ordered five Concorde supersonic jets.
Major aircraft companies like Douglas Aircraft, Lockheed, and Boeing used the show to sell their latest planes. These included the DC-10, L-1011, and 747. Many military planes were also there, such as the giant C-5 Galaxy.
Airbus Industrie promoted their A300 jet. They said their longer-range A-300B-4 model would be cheaper to fly than the American L-1011 and DC-10. Airbus pointed out that their plane had two engines, which was enough for flights within North America. The American planes had three engines, which was good for long flights over oceans, but not always needed.
American companies responded by suggesting two-engine versions of their own planes. Lockheed talked about a "BiStar" version of the L-1011. Douglas also brought back the idea of a two-engine DC-10. Boeing hinted at a new "long, thin" plane, which later became the Boeing 757. This was the only one of these two-engine ideas that actually got built.
Smaller planes were also at the show. These included the Fokker F.28, business jets like the IAI Commodore, and propeller planes like the DeHavilland Twin Otter.
NASA and the FAA showed how they were working to make air travel quieter and cleaner. They demonstrated new ways for planes to land and new engine technologies. They hoped these changes would make future airliners much more fuel-efficient.
Major electronics companies also attended. Goodyear showed a computer system that could help control air traffic. It could even use a computer-generated voice to talk to pilots.
The United States Coast Guard displayed its Air Cushion Vehicle hovercraft. Tens of thousands of visitors saw it every day. The hovercraft also performed daily test flights, amazing thousands of onlookers.
Automated Transit Systems
In the 1960s, the government invested a lot in automated guideway transit (AGT) systems. These were like small, driverless trains designed for cities and suburbs. Aerospace companies, looking for new projects, saw AGT as a great opportunity.
By the time Transpo was planned, the Urban Mass Transit Administration (UMTA) had spent $12 million on AGT research. Companies added another $45 million. UMTA wanted to move from experiments to real prototypes. They funded three major projects, and four companies brought their AGT systems to Transpo '72.
These systems included the Bendix Dashaveyor, the Ford ACT, and the Rohr ROMAG. Boeing and Vought also showed cars from their larger systems. The goal was to get city leaders excited about buying these AGT systems, but this didn't happen as much as hoped.
Car companies at the show were careful about the future of AGT. Henry Ford II said that only a small part of highway funds should go to public transportation research.
High-Speed Trains of the Future
The U.S. Department of Transportation was also funding studies into high-speed trains. One project was the UAC TurboTrain. One of these prototype trains visited Transpo '72.
However, the Department of Transportation was interested in even faster trains. They had chosen a test site in Pueblo, Colorado, called the Transportation Technology Center (TTC). This site would help test advanced train designs. Several U.S. companies were building hovertrain systems, similar to the French Aérotrain project. These were called "Tracked Air-Cushion Vehicles" (TACV).
Models of proposed high-speed trains were shown at Transpo. These included designs from Garrett AiResearch, Grumman Aircraft, and General Electric. A full-sized model of a futuristic Rohr design was also there. Like the AGT systems, none of these super-fast TACV ideas ever became commercial projects.
British Rail brought a model of their Advanced Passenger Train. The French exhibit showed the Aerotrain and early designs of the TGV, which would become a very successful high-speed train in France.
Modern Mass Transit
Transpo '72 also highlighted more common public transportation. The government was working on new buses and trams for existing transit networks. Three big projects were the US Standard Light Rail Vehicle (LRV), the State of the Art Car (SOAC) for subways, and the Transbus for city buses.
Boeing Vertol showed the prototype SOAC subway car and their LRV design. Other aviation companies, like Rohr, were also developing similar vehicles. Rohr showed subway cars for BART and designs for the Washington Metro. They also displayed Transbus designs from their recently bought bus division.
One company, Pullman, decided not to attend the show. They complained that the government was unfairly helping aerospace companies enter the rail transit business.
Motor Coach Industries (MCI), a Canadian and U.S. bus maker, introduced their MC-8 "Crusader" bus. This bus became very popular, and another company, General Motors, eventually stopped making such buses.
Vehicle Safety Innovations
The U.S. Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) was a big part of Transpo '72. They hosted a conference on vehicle and highway safety. A major attraction was an exhibit of twelve different experimental safety vehicles. These cars were designed to be much safer than regular cars.
Air Show Events and Accidents
The air show at Transpo '72 featured amazing aerial acrobatics. However, three sad accidents happened during the show.
One accident involved a hang glider being pulled by a vehicle. The glider broke apart, and the pilot died.
Another accident happened during a sport plane race. Two planes touched wings during a turn, and one plane crashed, killing the pilot.
On the last day, the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, the Navy's Blue Angels, and the Royal Air Force's Red Arrows performed. Sadly, a Thunderbirds jet crashed during a maneuver. The pilot ejected, but winds blew him into the crash site, and he did not survive.
Because of these accidents, no other air shows have been held at Dulles International Airport since Transpo '72.
Records Set at Transpo '72
Transpo '72 set some records! A balloon release of 100,000 balloons was the first to be included in the Guinness Book of World Records.
Also, pilot Howie Keefe set a world speed record for flying from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C. He did this in his P-51 Mustang plane, Miss America, finishing at Dulles during the show.
