Rex Buren Beisel was an aeronautical engineer who led the design of the Vought F7U Cutlass, Vought F4U Corsair and won the Wright Brothers Medal

Wright Brothers Medal

Conceived of in 1924 by the Dayton Section of the SAE, the SAE established Wright Brothers Medal in 1927 to recognize individuals who have made notable contributions in the engineering design, development, or operation of air and space vehicles...

 in 1934 for work related to the cooling of radial aircraft engines. Beisel grew up in Cumberland, Washington

Cumberland, Washington

Cumberland is an unincorporated community in King County, Washington. Originally a mining camp, Cumberland was named by F.X. Schreiner in 1893 after the Cumberland coal region of the Appalachian Mountains. Cumberland gained a post office on October 13, 1894. Today, the Enumclaw post office serves...

 and graduated from the University of Washington

University of Washington

University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...

. He worked for numerous aircraft companies, including Curtiss-Wright

Curtiss-Wright

The Curtiss-Wright Corporation was the largest aircraft manufacturer in the United States at the end of World War II, but has evolved to largely become a component manufacturer, specializing in actuators, aircraft controls, valves, and metalworking....

, Vought

Vought

Vought is the name of several related aerospace firms. These have included, in the past, Lewis and Vought Corporation, Chance Vought, Vought Sikorsky, LTV Aerospace , Vought Aircraft Companies, and the current Vought Aircraft Industries. The first incarnation of Vought was established by Chance M...

, and United Aircraft Corporation

United Aircraft and Transport Corporation

The United Aircraft and Transport Corporation was formed in 1929, when William Boeing of the Boeing firms teamed up with Frederick Rentschler of Pratt & Whitney to form a large, amalgamated firm, uniting business interests in all aspects of aviation—a combination of aircraft engine and airframe...

, until his retirement in 1949.