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Classic Wings Magazine WWII Naval Aviation Research Pacific Luftwaffe Resource Center
When Hollywood Ruled The Skies - Volumes 1 through 4 by Bruce Oriss


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hairy
PostPosted: Sun Jun 26, 2005 10:23 pm 
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In your opinion who is the greatest aircraft designer (of all periods), and why. :D

My personal vote would be Lockheeds Clarence "Kelly" Johnson for producing sucessful cutting edge designs for soo long and for making them soo darn good looking (did he ever have an ugly design?). 8)

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O.P.
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PostPosted: Sun Jun 26, 2005 10:28 pm 
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I'm with you, Kelly Johnson all of the way. He is the greatest.


A favorite, though I don't think the greatest, is Kurt Tank.

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RickH
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PostPosted: Sun Jun 26, 2005 10:32 pm 
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For cutting edge, lets not forget Jack Northrop or for number of successful designs Ed Heinemann.
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Aircraft Mech Paul
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 27, 2005 1:10 am 
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WOW !

Good poll question. Of course, Kelly Johnson for being probably the most cutting edge aerodynamic engineer given the designs he came up with. But I also agree that Jack Northop was a very close second. If not for the governmental intervention on behalf of then Consolidated, now General Dynamics, think of where we would be as to our aerospace and military aviation advancements today.

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Neil Medcalf
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 27, 2005 1:19 am 
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How about some pioneer designers like Harry Hawker? Or some modern day wiz kids like Burt Rutan? After all there are several great designers, not just one...


Neil Medcalf
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Mike
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 27, 2005 1:55 am 
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Mike
 Post subject: Harry Hawker
PostPosted: Mon Jun 27, 2005 1:58 am 
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Neil,

Harry Hawker was a test pilot for Sopwith's, and later for Hawker's. He was not a designer as such.
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Dan Jones
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 27, 2005 2:10 am 
RJ Mitchell & Joseph Smith.
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mrhenniger
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 27, 2005 6:39 am 
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Great topic! The engineer's rarely get any of the glory! :wink:

Anyway... my vote would be for Kelly Johnson. Not only for his expertise in his field, but also for spanning three generations of aircraft with his designs.

Mike

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Jiggersfromsphilly
 Post subject: Greatest
PostPosted: Mon Jun 27, 2005 8:02 am 
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I would have to agree with the ones mentioned and have to add the name of

ED WELLS of the Boeing Corporation.
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CorsairFreak
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I got to go with Kelly Johnson. Desgining such planes as the P-38, P-80, F-104, SR-71, and U-2. With a list like that I think he was the greatest.
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agent86
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 27, 2005 10:26 am 
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The name that I dont see yet that belongs here is Mr.Jack Northrup
He definitely belongs here. Tim. :shock:

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Mike
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agent86 wrote:
The name that I dont see yet that belongs here is Mr.Jack Northrup
He definitely belongs here. Tim. :shock:

...except in the 3rd and 4th posts! :roll:
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Tom Crawford
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 27, 2005 10:41 am 
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A lot of famous designers listed so far but let's don't leave out Wilbur and Orville for without them some of these aforemention names might have gone in other directions...
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Jack Cook
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