William Hawley Bowlus
Encyclopedia
William Hawley Bowlus was a designer, engineer and builder of aircraft
(especially gliders
) and recreational vehicles in the 1930s and '40s. Today he is most widely known for his key role in the design of Airstream
travel trailers, which followed his prior famed work as the Superintendent of Construction on Charles Lindbergh
's aircraft, the Spirit of St. Louis
. He also designed and constructed the innovative but unsuccessful XCG-16A experimental military glider
ordered by the U.S. Army Air Corps
in 1943. In popular culture he is usually referred to as Hawley Bowlus.
Bowlus was an expert at soaring flight and at building gliders, established numerous records, trained many of America's earliest glider pilots, and gave gliding lessons to both Charles and Anne Lindbergh. In 1930 he and Lindbergh glided at various locations in California.http://www.tpghs.org/Bow&Lindy1930.html Most notably Point Loma in San Diego California where Bowlus conducted many of his flights and tests.
Charles Lindbergh established a regional distance record for gliders by flying in a Bowlus sailplane from Mount Soledad in La Jolla to Del Mar, making use of the lift at the Torrey Pines Gliderport
. Anne Morrow Lindbergh also flew in a Bowlus sailplane from Mount Soledad and became the first woman in the United States to receive a "first class" glider license (Maxine Dunlap had preceded her in becoming the first woman in the United States to receive a glider license of any kind (a "third class" glider license). Bowlus was also the first American to break Orville Wright's 1911 soaring duration record in an American designed and built sailplane.
Bowlus was inducted into the Soaring Hall of Fame
in 1954.
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...
(especially gliders
Glider aircraft
Glider aircraft are heavier-than-air craft that are supported in flight by the dynamic reaction of the air against their lifting surfaces, and whose free flight does not depend on an engine. Mostly these types of aircraft are intended for routine operation without engines, though engine failure can...
) and recreational vehicles in the 1930s and '40s. Today he is most widely known for his key role in the design of Airstream
Airstream
Airstream is a brand of luxury recreational vehicle manufactured in Jackson Center, Ohio, USA. It is currently a division of Thor Industries. The company, which now employs fewer than 400, is the oldest in the industry. Airstream trailers are easily recognized for their distinctive rounded...
travel trailers, which followed his prior famed work as the Superintendent of Construction on Charles Lindbergh
Charles Lindbergh
Charles Augustus Lindbergh was an American aviator, author, inventor, explorer, and social activist.Lindbergh, a 25-year-old U.S...
's aircraft, the Spirit of St. Louis
Spirit of St. Louis
The Spirit of St. Louis is the custom-built, single engine, single-seat monoplane that was flown solo by Charles Lindbergh on May 20–21, 1927, on the first non-stop flight from New York to Paris for which Lindbergh won the $25,000 Orteig Prize.Lindbergh took off in the Spirit from Roosevelt...
. He also designed and constructed the innovative but unsuccessful XCG-16A experimental military glider
Military glider
Military gliders have been used by the military of various countries for carrying troops and heavy equipment to a combat zone, mainly during the Second World War. These engineless aircraft were towed into the air and most of the way to their target by military transport planes, e.g...
ordered by the U.S. Army Air Corps
United States Army Air Corps
The United States Army Air Corps was a forerunner of the United States Air Force. Renamed from the Air Service on 2 July 1926, it was part of the United States Army and the predecessor of the United States Army Air Forces , established in 1941...
in 1943. In popular culture he is usually referred to as Hawley Bowlus.
Bowlus was an expert at soaring flight and at building gliders, established numerous records, trained many of America's earliest glider pilots, and gave gliding lessons to both Charles and Anne Lindbergh. In 1930 he and Lindbergh glided at various locations in California.http://www.tpghs.org/Bow&Lindy1930.html Most notably Point Loma in San Diego California where Bowlus conducted many of his flights and tests.
Charles Lindbergh established a regional distance record for gliders by flying in a Bowlus sailplane from Mount Soledad in La Jolla to Del Mar, making use of the lift at the Torrey Pines Gliderport
Torrey Pines Gliderport
The Torrey Pines Gliderport is a city-owned private-use glider airport located 11 nautical miles northwest of the central business district of San Diego, a city in San Diego County, California, United States....
. Anne Morrow Lindbergh also flew in a Bowlus sailplane from Mount Soledad and became the first woman in the United States to receive a "first class" glider license (Maxine Dunlap had preceded her in becoming the first woman in the United States to receive a glider license of any kind (a "third class" glider license). Bowlus was also the first American to break Orville Wright's 1911 soaring duration record in an American designed and built sailplane.
Bowlus was inducted into the Soaring Hall of Fame
Soaring Hall of Fame
The Soaring Hall of Fame recognizes individuals who have made the highest achievements in, or contributions to, the sport of soaring in the United States of America. It has been located at the National Soaring Museum in Elmira, New York, since 1975...
in 1954.