Aerospace, Post WW II - Greatest Half-Century of Achievement

National Geographic Documentary, Among the modest bunch of aviation organizations that rose up out of World War II, North American Aviation (later Aircraft Division of Rockwell International. Corp.) soon got to be one of the spearheading pioneers of the prospering aerocraft industry. Other noted US organizations were Lockheed Aircraft, Grumman Aircraft, and so on. However, after moving on from Illinois Institute of Technology with a B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering, class of '43 (3.93 avg,, Honor Man of All Departments), I was offered and acknowledged a position by North American as a Stress Analyst "B" ($1.01 every hour) at their Los Angeles plant.

National Geographic Documentary, Amid the last years of World War II, North American had delivered the P-51 Mustang contender plane for England; its prevalent rate and execution rapidly accomplishing a murder proportion of 10:1 over German warriors; Then, before long, NAA created the main plane contender, the F-86.. Cooperating with the other claim to fame Engineering bunches: Aerodynamics, Thermodynamics, Loads Analysis, Dynamics, and so on., and continually concentrating on expanding execution and lessening weight, the Design, Stress and Materials/Processes bunches started investigating basic weight minimization through higher quality to-thickness materials (aluminum, steel, magnesium, titanium) and more productive auxiliary ideas (e.g. sandwich arrangements). Prodding on the NAA bunch group improvement approach, US Aerospace Technology Conferences were held, highlighted innovative advances in all the fields, with energetic investment by NAA. (On my tenth year, I got a M.S, degree in Aerospace Engineering from University of Southern California, evening school - amid the years, position headways had likewise been gotten - my title now was Chief of Structural Sciences.)

National Geographic Documentary, A paramount accomplishment by North American had been the principal flying machine to accomplish supersonic rate, the Mach 1 F-100. From that innovation soon came the main supersonic mentor flying machine, the T-28. (Note: An intriguing individual tale created from that program - a noteworthy setback had happened amid the machining of the lower principle fight top - which conveys the best load in the flying machine. As Chief of Structures, I had affirmed the repair. Months after the fact the Chief Engineer called me, "Recollect that T-28 fight top joint you approved - well, there's an Air Force commander who says he needs the d-mn engineer who OKed it to sit before him while he pulls max Gs!" He held up a few moments, then included, "I trust you're certain of your examination - you're flying down to his runway tomorrow morning!"