Originally Posted by
Redback
Things I leaned chasing this question:
Kurt Tank and Willi Messerschmidt were born the same year (1898)
Lancaster designer Roy Chadwick was killed in a crash caused by reversed ailerons
Still don't have the answer though.
Terry
Redback; you are probably closer to the answer than you think. Keep trying; and here's a late night clue to aid your search. Thanks; Ernie P.
Question: What famed aviator designer do I describe?
Clues:
(1) He began as a world famous pilot; and won or placed highly in several international competitions.
(2) Then he became an aircraft designer. He began work with a couple of noted aircraft companies, then switched to a newly reconstituted, and famous, company; which already had the services of another pre-eminent designer.
(3) He assisted in the design of a famed commercial airplane; one which was the basis for an iconic aircraft known to all warbird enthusiasts.
(4) Then he became the chief designer for the company, and headed the team of designers working on a new project. This aircraft was not particularly successful in its original role, but was far more successful in follow on uses. It remained in every day use and production for a long time, for the period.
(5) He then moved to another, competitor, company. There he worked on a seminal aircraft which was not to see production; but one which was ground breaking in its design.
(6) He then designed another aircraft. This one, which was initially considered to be too complicated and too filled with innovative ideas, was not put into production. This lead to his being fired by the man “whose name is on the door”; although a simplified version of his design was later put into limited production and considered to be a great aircraft.
(7) After being abruptly fired, he moved to yet another aircraft manufacturer, where he worked on a collaborative effort between the aircraft manufacturer and an engine company. This work lead him into a famous rivalry with a very well known aerospace designer; a rivalry which would last for many years.
(8) Although the ground breaking research and design effort in which he was involved (7) was at first troublesome, he eventually discovered a flaw in the wing design. After correcting that, the design worked; as any modern History book will attest.
(9) After the end of the war in which he gained such exposure, he moved to the United States to work with his main rival. He developed a method of predicting system reliability which today is considered a law in the field.
(10) He then returned to his home country; working for one of the companies for which he had previously served as a designer. There, he predicted problems with that country’s modifications to a famous fighter aircraft; which was borne out in subsequent years.
(11) Strangely enough, one of his more famous inventions came about because of his interest in a sport; and an injury he suffered while practicing the sport. He designed new equipment, which is in common use even today; and started a sports equipment company which was a major manufacturer within its field.
(12) Oddly (To my mind), I can find no record of his having served in WWI; although he was definitely old enough to have done so.
(13) His life and career literally stretched from the dawn of flight and aerial fighting to the genesis of the space age and its greatest accomplishments.
(14) He did a reliability study of adaptations being made to license-built F-104 fighters. The study was initially considered to be alarming; and later prophetic.