Aircraft designers.

[renrich]

Ed Heineman worked for Douglas and helped design several of the Douglas transports as well as the A20, SBD and the Able Dog. Leroy Grumman had a hand in the design of all the Cats as well as early Grumman fighters. Rex Beisel was the chief designer of the F4U. Kelly Johnson worked for Lockheed and I can't name all the aircraft but there was the P38 all the way through the SR71. Seversky designed all the Seversky air craft and started the design of the P47.

 

[Njaco]

I would pick Mitchell and his Spitfire. More than proved its worth.

 

[bigZ]

Many of the WWII designers also designed before and after WWII. Should we consider just these designs or their complete list of works? Which years do you have in mind 1930-45, 1935-45??

Forgot to answer your question. Definately 1930-45 perhaps even 1930-43 as some people might just consider the pinacle piston/early jet aircraft rather than a more broader range of aircraft types.

Thanks for the info renrich.

Kris a short biography as requested.

Kurt Tank born in Bromberg-Schwedenhohle 24/02/1898.

During the WWI became a company commander of a calavary regiment wounded several times and had numerous awards for bravery.

Studied after the war as an Electronics Engineer at the Technische Hochshue located in Berlin(built his first glider(named Teufelchen) whilst studying).

After completition of his studies Tank declined a posistion as assistant at Siemens to work at Rohrbach Metallfugzeugbau(Feb 1924). tank began his work at Rohrbach with theoretical research into flight performance and handling characteristics aswell as flight testing after gaining his license. His first project the Ro III flying boat revealled the forward suffered unacceptable streess when landing in rough seas. Due to the flat hull bottom ahead of the first step. tank proposed a cushioned hull which he confirmed by towing various model keel shapes hundread of km's. His ideas where subsequently used on the Robbe I, Robbe II, Rocca, Romar and Rostra keeled flying boats. Tank's subsequent experiments and experience with the above led to a new basic design of wings and empennage. the constant-chord rectangular wing giving way to a taper wing.

Tank spent six years at Rohrbach and regarded them with affection but small production runs and a looming economic crisis, caused Tank cause for concern of the future of Rohrbach. Tank also rightfully thought the future in civil airtravel lay in land planes.

In Jan 1930 Tank became dirctor of the project department at the Bayerische Flugzugwerke in Ausberg at a time Messerchmitt's company was suffering a rash of accidents due too structural weaknesses. It was here that although Messerchmitt's structures adhered with the construction guidelines of the day Tank thought the guidelines where set too low and could not follow Messerchmitt's demands. In consequence he departed from Willy M's employ in Sept 1931 to join FW in Nov of the same year.

 

[bigZ]

I would pick Mitchell and his Spitfire. More than proved its worth.

I was thinking about Mitchell but not much breadth as a designer. Seaplanes and the Spit no civil airliners, no bombers, recon etc. Died in 37 so the rest of the Spit development is taken up by Joe Smith. Sydney Camm could be argued as the better British fighter designer if this poll is 30-45 but he too lacks for breadth of designs.