Wong Tsu
Encyclopedia
Wong Tsu was born in Beijing
, China
. At the age of 12, he was selected as a naval cadet, and at 16 he was sent to England to study naval engineering, then to the U.S. to study aeronautical engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Graduating in 1916, he learned to fly at the Curtiss Flying Boat School in Buffalo, New York. He was then hired by the fledgling Boeing
aircraft company and designed its first product, the Boeing Model C, more than 50 of which were acquired by the U.S. Navy. In 1917, after two years at Boeing, he returned to China where he became chief secretary of the airline China National Aviation Corporation. When the Kuomintang
government was defeated in the civil war, Wong went to Taiwan where he became professor of aviation at Cheng Kung University.
During his lifetime, Wong is believed to have had a hand in designing 30 aircraft. In 2004, at a time when it was hoping to increase its ties to the Chinese aviation industry, Boeing unveiled a plaque and exhibit at its Museum of Flight
in Seattle, Washington
, honoring his work as its first engineer.
In the U.S. his name is sometimes inverted to Tsu Wong, to put the family name last.
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. At the age of 12, he was selected as a naval cadet, and at 16 he was sent to England to study naval engineering, then to the U.S. to study aeronautical engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Graduating in 1916, he learned to fly at the Curtiss Flying Boat School in Buffalo, New York. He was then hired by the fledgling Boeing
Boeing
The Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...
aircraft company and designed its first product, the Boeing Model C, more than 50 of which were acquired by the U.S. Navy. In 1917, after two years at Boeing, he returned to China where he became chief secretary of the airline China National Aviation Corporation. When the Kuomintang
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
government was defeated in the civil war, Wong went to Taiwan where he became professor of aviation at Cheng Kung University.
During his lifetime, Wong is believed to have had a hand in designing 30 aircraft. In 2004, at a time when it was hoping to increase its ties to the Chinese aviation industry, Boeing unveiled a plaque and exhibit at its Museum of Flight
Museum of Flight
The Museum of Flight is a private non-profit air and space museum at King County International Airport , south of downtown Seattle, Washington. It was established in 1965 and is fully accredited by the American Association of Museums...
in Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
, honoring his work as its first engineer.
In the U.S. his name is sometimes inverted to Tsu Wong, to put the family name last.