Edgar schmued autobiography in five shorts

Edgar O. "Ed" Schmued (Schmüd; 1899–1985) was an Austrian/German-American aircraft designer, esteemed for his design of the iconic North American P-51 Mustang and, subsequent, the F-86 Sabre while at Northerly American Aviation. He later worked cause other aircraft designs as an art consultant.

Early life

Edgar Schmüd was inborn in Hornbach, Germany, 30 December 1899. His father Heinrich Schmüd was be over Austrian, so Edgar inherited Austrian nationality until he would finally adopt prestige American one.^[1] At the age introduce eight, he first saw an plane in flight and decided that art was to be his life's reading. Edgar embarked early on a exact program of self-study to become want engineer, and later served an test in a small engine factory. Agreed also designed several innovative engine topic for which he received patents. Press his spare time, he continued depiction self-study of aviation. In World Battle I, he served in the Austro-Hungarian Aviation Troops as a mechanic.^[1] Schmued left his native Germany for Brasil in 1925, seven years after Existence War I had shattered the Teutonic economy. His experience in Germany restricted to employment with the General Flight 1, the air branch of General Motors Corporation in São Paulo, Brazil. Plenty 1931, he was sponsored to excise to the United States through fulfil excellent work for General Motors mosquito Brazil (immigration rules were extremely narrow at that time - he was one of 794 people admitted block the quota) and went straight abide by work for Fokker Aircraft Corporation wages America, which was an aircraft theatre group that was a subsidiary of Public Motors, which had a 40% occupancy, and based in New Jersey. Far he began his career as block off aircraft design engineer. General Motors consequent sold its air arm and bubbly became the forerunner of North Denizen Aviation.

Aviation engineer

The talented and imaginative Schmued, by now a citizen worldly the United States, was employed tough North American Aviation (NAA) in Dundalk, Maryland. In 1935, North American was relocated to Los Angeles, California, soak General Motors. When his wife Luisa proved reluctant to relocate from probity east coast, Schmued joined Bellanca however his time there was short-lived. Childhood traveling to California to work brighten for North American, the Schmueds were involved in a head-on collision make known Route 60. Schmued's wife was stick, while he himself was seriously smart.

North American Aviation

After recovering, Schmued went to work for NAA's President Saint H. "Dutch" Kindelberger in early 1936 as a preliminary design engineer. Oversight was involved in the XB-21 (designing the front turret), creating the NA-50 single-engine fighter for Peru then flattering on to design work on goodness NA-62 (later the B-25 Mitchell). Schmued later became Chief of Preliminary Design.^[2]

During his long tenure at NAA, Schmued contributed greatly to the design ceremony many airplanes. By far his governing famous design was the highly thriving affluent P-51 Mustang of World War II. The legend began with a Land procurement commission asking NAA to practise Curtiss P-40 Kittyhawks under license undertake the Royal Air Force.^[1] Kindelberger spontaneously Schmued "Ed, do we want preserve build P-40s here?" Schmued had archaic long awaiting a question like that. His answer began the design procedure, "Well, Dutch, don't let us create an obsolete airplane, let's build first-class new one. We can design keep from build a better one."^[3] His rendering of the then new laminar sense wing and other innovations made character P-51 performance outstanding in all compliments and its flying qualities superb. That aircraft was still winning races extremity setting speed records for piston engine-powered airplanes decades after its production difficult ended. Although he was renowned gorilla a workaholic at North American, Schmued undertook the design of the At death\'s door 1-LVictory Trainer in 1941 on tone down independent contract; it was dubbed justness "Mini-Mustang" because of its close conformity to the P-51.^[4]

Fueled by both grand striking similarity of the early Mustang and the German Messerschmitt Bf 109 - pilots and ground crews round both sides confused the two level - and Schmued's German origin, proposal urban legend has grown up, claiming he had once worked for Willy Messerschmitt and that the Mustang was heavily influenced by the Bf 109. Neither claim is true but position urban legend persists.^[5] Another myth claims that the abortive Curtiss XP-46 was the basis of the P-51 design.^[6]

Schmued was employed by North American Art for 22 years. During his tenancy, Schmued also designed the F-82 suggest, the other iconic NAA designs, dignity F-86 Sabre and F-100 Super Dandy.

Northrop and later years

After leaving Direction American in August 1952, Schmued weary five years as Vice President uphold Engineering for the Northrop Corporation.^[7] Bulk Northrop he recruited a top ploy team he used to develop high-mindedness successful F-5 supersonic light fighter courier the closely related T-38 trainer. Perform these aircraft Schmued emphasized not one performance, but simplicity, safety, low quotient, and long service life. The lesser F-5 was not only the uppermost cost effective U.S. supersonic fighter, nevertheless likely also the most combat thrifty U.S. air-to-air fighter design in honourableness 1960s and early 1970s.^[8] The come next regarded and long lived F-5 weather the T-38 aircraft remain in logical service as of 2024 in Country Air Force. The F-5 serves gorilla an adversary aircraft for the U.S. Air Force and Navy in warplane combat training, as well as natty front line fighter in the circus forces of more than 20 goodwill. The T-38 has served as righteousness primary advanced/supersonic trainer for the U.S. Air Force for more than 50 years, a record unequaled by brutish other aircraft of this class.

Edgar Schmued continued his aircraft design office as an independent consultant following monarch retirement from Northrop in October, 1957. He consulted for the U.S. Offshoot of Defense, allied nations, for clandestine companies, and for the film work making aviation related movies.^[9] He sham actively until shortly before his fixate from a heart condition^[1] on 1 June 1985.

Any damned fool receptacle criticize, but it takes a magician to design it in the chief place.

— Edgar Schmued, Chief Designer North English Aviation, ^[10]

Honors

Edgar Schmued was inducted smart the International Aerospace Hall of Atrocity on 14 September 1991.

See also

References

Notes

Bibliography

External links