Ed Heinemann, Combat Aircraft Designer Hardcover – January 1, 1980

If you're a serious student of American military aircraft it doesn't take long before you hear of Heinemann and the series of "Winners" (his favorite term flying r successful aircraft) that he designed for Douglas in the 40s-60s.This book gives you an inside look at how they were created.It's technical, but general enough for anyone to understand.My only complaint is that's not technical or detailed enough.His descriptions do seem to gloss over the some of the problems encountered.His job as head engineer meant that while he may not have personally come up with any necessary solutions, he would have certainly known if them. I would have liked a few more "nuts and bolts" about both the designs and testing as well as the military political story every post-war modern combat jet has.As such, I hound Bill Gunston's history of the A-4 Skyhawk more compelling in his book "Attack Aircraft of the West". (I can also highly recommend his back oaks "Bombers of the West" and "Fighters of the 50s" for excellent developmental histories of aircraft").Probably, he wanted to keep the book accessible to more general readers, (the fact the book was published by the Naval Institute seems to support this), and perhaps he didn't want to come across as critical of Douglas.He does give more details on older designs like the SBD, so perhaps he was less forthcoming out of security or proprietary concerns.All in all, this is an interesting combination of autobiography and history.If you're a fan of his many aircraft, I'd certainly recommend this. But a serious aviation buffs will want a few more details.

Ed Heinemann designed exactly what we needed, just before we needed it, in aviation. With his enormous intellect and vision, he was blessed to be given carte blanche by his boss, Donald Douglas. Ed was a down-to-earth, humble man, who never felt he was better than anybody, except any arrogant idiots who got in the way: he had no time for them.If you’re an aviation historian or were involved with Douglas aircraft from the 30’s through the 70’s, you’ll enjoy reading the backstory about the type you worked with.We also learn about Ed’s difficult personal life, which gives one an even greater appreciation of his abilities and the fact that he was a true gentleman in every sense of the word.Don Douglas’ son eventually took over the company and, being an unappreciative ignoramus, maneuvered Ed out onto the street. He became a consultant and helped out many budding aircraft firms before retiring.Very well written by Ed and well edited, too, so add “master story teller” to Ed’s long list of the things that make us wish we’d been friends with him, way back when.

Seldom do we have documentation from key individuals in key positions at key moments in history. In the history of aviation, this autobiography of Ed Heinemann fills that niche. One of a handful of key innovators who shaped military (and commercial) aviation in the 20th century, Heinemann lays out in very readable fashion the progress we made in this field from the late 1930's through the 1960's, an era that saw us going operationally from 200 mph propellor driven to supersonic jet aircraft, and even rocket powered resarch planes. The force of its first person narrative lends great credibility to the subject matter and I highly recommend it for anyone who seeks the details behind some of the great aircraft that came from the Douglas organization.

In a foreward, Adm. Tom Connolly quips: [The Skyraider was] " ...the greatest workhorse the Navy ever had. It was loved and trusted by those who flew it. A pilot who trusts his plane is a bold pilot. And bold pilots really do the job. " Heinemann had no greater pleasure than that his creations inspired confidence.Heinemann grew with Douglas Aircraft, while the industry evolved toward all aluminum, retractable gear, closed cockpit planes. Starting as a draftsman, he observed the planning, bid-placement and building of many trend-setters. Those rugged mounts of WW II did not appear fully formed; each was preceded by testbeds that he often flew in to observe operation.We read the development of the U.S. Navy's SBD divebomber, starting with BT-1, the fly-off against Vought's contender, especially the innovations that enabled SBDs to make stable, near vertical 250 mph dives and 9G (!) pullouts. This was the weapon that sank Japanese carriers at the Battle of Midway. Yet Douglas developed more military projects: A-20s, -26s, A-1 Skyraider, -3 Skywarrior, -4 Skyhawk, and numerous test models. Throughout, his mantra of saving weight and striving for simplicity is expressed with numerous examples. He had perserverance, even laying by runways to film aircraft tires as they deformed during hard landings.Last, the 'Heinmann way', is explained as extreme KISS method. Remember how violent carrier landings can be, test everything with that in mind, make design changes by consensus, keep staffs small, and assign responsibility down the organization. Utilize talented people. Listen to pilots.A highly readable companion to the books describing these tough birds in combat.

I knew Ed Heinemann, as he and my father worked at Douglas Aircraft, and they became close social friends . I didn't realize how famous he was at the time. I inherited an autographed copy of the book, which Ed gave to my parents in 1981

Legendary Douglas aircraft designer Ed Heinemann recalls his career with the help of co-author Rosario Rausa. Aviation enthusiasts will enjoy learning how several famous airplanes, including the SBD Dauntless, the A-1 Skyraider, the A-4 Skyhawk, the A-3 Skywarrior (and a few not so famous ones) were designed and built. Heinemann uses a conversational style that is easy to read, but one wonders how he remembers exact quotes years after they were spoken. The book has 277 pages and an index.

Ed Heinemann est l'un des plus grans ingénieurs aéronautiques américains et ce livre lui rend justice, enfin !