Willard Ray Custer

Willard Ray Custer ( born June 6 1899 in Warfordsburg, Pennsylvania, † December 25, 1985 in Hagerstown, Maryland ) was an American inventor and aviation visionary.

1925 observed the flight interested Custer, like a barn roof was raised by a storm. Then he examined the relationships and developed in 1928 the first models of a new aircraft wing whose operation he had patented in 1929. These so-called Channel Wings produced at low airspeed already big boost and allowed takeoffs and landings in a very short take-off and landing runways.

He developed the idea further, founded in 1939, the " National Aircraft Corporation " and launched on November 12, 1942 for the first time with the CCW -1 ( CusterChannelWing 1). With the later CCW 2 nearly vertical takeoffs, as well as helicopter -like flies were possible. The military launched a series of experiments was set despite interesting results. Later Custer founded the " Custer ChannelWing Corporation " and built until 1954, additional aircraft, the last of which, the CCW -5, was made even as a small series.

The principle of the Channel Wings was not understood by many contemporaries Custers and also discarded because of the peculiar wings. Custer was a brilliant experimenter and aviation visionary. He received several patents, but could be due to lack of theoretical training scientific and business not prevail. The Custer he founded Channelwing Corporation, a public company ceased its operations, and it was initially quiet about the Channelwing principle. There are currently two CCW aircraft. The CCW -1 is located in the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, Suitland, Maryland. The CCW -5 is the Mid-Atlantic Air Museum, Pennsylvania, issued.

The big breakthrough was his concept so far denied. But there are modern Channelwing concepts that may carry on his concept of a day.