Ed Heinemann
Encyclopedia
Edward Henry Heinemann, (March 14, 1908 – November 26, 1991) was a noted military aircraft
designer for Douglas Aircraft Company
.
, but moved to California
as a boy and was raised in Los Angeles
. A self-taught engineer
, he joined Douglas Aircraft
as a draftsman
in 1926, but was laid off within a year. After stints at International Aircraft
, Moreland Aircraft, and Northrop
, Heinemann re-joined Douglas when it acquired Northrop. Heinemann became Douglas's Chief Engineer in 1936. He remained with the company through 1960, when he left to join Guidance Technology. In 1962 he joined General Dynamics
as Corporate Vice President of Engineering. In this position he oversaw the development of the F-16. He retired in 1973.
His approach to aircraft design was simplistic, once saying that he simply took the most powerful engine available, and designed the aircraft
around it.
, including many that became legends in aviation history. His designs included:
One of the first aircraft to be designed by Heinemann was the Moreland M-1 Trainer of 1929, a braced
-wing parasol wing
monoplane
. Due to the 1929 recession
only a small number were sold before the company ceased trading in 1933.
The Naval Air Systems Command awards the "Edward H. Heinemann Award" annually to the individual or group that makes a significant contribution to aircraft design.
Military aircraft
A military aircraft is any fixed-wing or rotary-wing aircraft that is operated by a legal or insurrectionary armed service of any type. Military aircraft can be either combat or non-combat:...
designer for Douglas Aircraft Company
Douglas Aircraft Company
The Douglas Aircraft Company was an American aerospace manufacturer, based in Long Beach, California. It was founded in 1921 by Donald Wills Douglas, Sr. and later merged with McDonnell Aircraft in 1967 to form McDonnell Douglas...
.
Biography
Heinemann was born in Saginaw, MichiganSaginaw, Michigan
Saginaw is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of Saginaw County. The city of Saginaw was once a thriving lumber town and manufacturing center. Saginaw and Saginaw County lie in the Flint/Tri-Cities region of Michigan...
, but moved to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
as a boy and was raised in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. A self-taught engineer
Aerospace engineering
Aerospace engineering is the primary branch of engineering concerned with the design, construction and science of aircraft and spacecraft. It is divided into two major and overlapping branches: aeronautical engineering and astronautical engineering...
, he joined Douglas Aircraft
Douglas Aircraft Company
The Douglas Aircraft Company was an American aerospace manufacturer, based in Long Beach, California. It was founded in 1921 by Donald Wills Douglas, Sr. and later merged with McDonnell Aircraft in 1967 to form McDonnell Douglas...
as a draftsman
Draughtsman
A draughtsman or draftsman , is a person skilled in drawing, either:*drawing for artistic purposes, or*technical drawing for practical purposes such as architecture or engineering...
in 1926, but was laid off within a year. After stints at International Aircraft
International Aircraft
International Aircraft Corporation was an American 1920s aircraft manufacturer based at Cincinnati, Ohio.-History:The International Aircraft Corporation existed briefly in the 1920s and produced a three-seat open cockpit biplane the International F-17 Sportsman...
, Moreland Aircraft, and Northrop
Northrop Corporation
Northrop Corporation was a leading United States aircraft manufacturer from its formation in 1939 until its merger with Grumman to form Northrop Grumman in 1994. The company is known for its development of the flying wing design, although only a few of these have entered service.-History:Jack...
, Heinemann re-joined Douglas when it acquired Northrop. Heinemann became Douglas's Chief Engineer in 1936. He remained with the company through 1960, when he left to join Guidance Technology. In 1962 he joined General Dynamics
General Dynamics
General Dynamics Corporation is a U.S. defense conglomerate formed by mergers and divestitures, and as of 2008 it is the fifth largest defense contractor in the world. Its headquarters are in West Falls Church , unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia, in the Falls Church area.The company has...
as Corporate Vice President of Engineering. In this position he oversaw the development of the F-16. He retired in 1973.
His approach to aircraft design was simplistic, once saying that he simply took the most powerful engine available, and designed the aircraft
Aircraft
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...
around it.
Designs
During his long career at Douglas, Heinemann designed more than 20 combat aircraft, primarily for the U.S. NavyUnited States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
, including many that became legends in aviation history. His designs included:
- SBD Dauntless dive bomberDive bomberA dive bomber is a bomber aircraft that dives directly at its targets in order to provide greater accuracy for the bomb it drops. Diving towards the target reduces the distance the bomb has to fall, which is the primary factor in determining the accuracy of the drop...
- A-20 Havoc light bomberLight bomberA light bomber is a relatively small and fast class of military bomber aircraft which were primarily employed before the 1950s. Such aircraft would typically not carry more than one ton of ordnance....
/attack aircraft - A-26 Invader light bomberLight bomberA light bomber is a relatively small and fast class of military bomber aircraft which were primarily employed before the 1950s. Such aircraft would typically not carry more than one ton of ordnance....
/attack aircraft - A-1 Skyraider attack aircraft
- A-3 Skywarrior bomberBomberA bomber is a military aircraft designed to attack ground and sea targets, by dropping bombs on them, or – in recent years – by launching cruise missiles at them.-Classifications of bombers:...
- A-4 Skyhawk light bomberLight bomberA light bomber is a relatively small and fast class of military bomber aircraft which were primarily employed before the 1950s. Such aircraft would typically not carry more than one ton of ordnance....
- F3D Skyknight night fighterNight fighterA night fighter is a fighter aircraft adapted for use at night or in other times of bad visibility...
- F4D Skyray carrier-basedCarrier-based aircraftCarrier-based aircraft are military aircraft designed specifically for operations from aircraft carriers. The term is generally applied only to fixed-wing aircraft, as naval helicopters are able to operate from a wider variety of aviation-capable ships. Carrier-based aircraft must be relatively...
fighter aircraftFighter aircraftA fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed primarily to attack ground targets... - Douglas SkystreakDouglas SkystreakThe United States Douglas Skystreak was a single-engine jet research aircraft of the 1940s. It was designed in 1945 by the Douglas Aircraft Company for the U.S. Navy Bureau of Aeronautics, in conjunction with the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics...
and Douglas SkyrocketDouglas SkyrocketThe Douglas D-558-2 Skyrocket was a rocket and jet-powered supersonic research aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company for the United States Navy...
research aircraft
One of the first aircraft to be designed by Heinemann was the Moreland M-1 Trainer of 1929, a braced
Cabane strut
The cabane struts of a biplane aircraft support the upper wing over the fuselage and work in conjunction with other wing components such as spars and flying wires to transmit flight loads....
-wing parasol wing
Parasol wing
A parasol wing monoplane is an aircraft design in which the wing is not mounted directly to the fuselage, but rather, the fuselage is supported beneath it by a set of struts, called cabane struts...
monoplane
Monoplane
A monoplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with one main set of wing surfaces, in contrast to a biplane or triplane. Since the late 1930s it has been the most common form for a fixed wing aircraft.-Types of monoplane:...
. Due to the 1929 recession
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
only a small number were sold before the company ceased trading in 1933.
Awards and medals
- 19531953 in aviationThis is a list of aviation-related events from 1953:- Events :*The first year in which the world's airlines carried more than 50 million people*Argentina initiates a study of the feasibility of converting either a cargo ship or a heavy cruiser into an aircraft carrier in an Argentine shipyard....
: Collier TrophyCollier TrophyThe Collier Trophy is an annual aviation award administered by the U.S. National Aeronautics Association , presented to those who have made "the greatest achievement in aeronautics or astronautics in America, with respect to improving the performance, efficiency, and safety of air or space...
(for the F4D Skyray) - 1978: Guggenheim MedalDaniel Guggenheim MedalThe Daniel Guggenheim Medal is an American engineering award, established by Daniel and Harry Guggenheim. The medal is considered to be one of the greatest honors that can be presented for a lifetime of work in aeronautics...
- 19811981 in aviationThis is a list of aviation-related events from 1981:-January:* January 3 – Pan American World Airways makes its final Boeing 707 flight.* January 7 – A Boeing 747 of CAAC lands at John F...
: National Aviation Hall of FameNational Aviation Hall of FameThe American National Aviation Hall of Fame is located at the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, east Dayton, Ohio... - 1983: National Medal of ScienceNational Medal of ScienceThe National Medal of Science is an honor bestowed by the President of the United States to individuals in science and engineering who have made important contributions to the advancement of knowledge in the fields of behavioral and social sciences, biology, chemistry, engineering, mathematics and...
The Naval Air Systems Command awards the "Edward H. Heinemann Award" annually to the individual or group that makes a significant contribution to aircraft design.
External links
- Heinemann biography at Skyhawk Association site
- Edward H. Heinemann and Rosario Rausa, "Ed Heinemann - Combat Aircraft Designer", ISBN 0-87021-797-6