Ed Heinemann

Gustave Henry Edward "Ed" Heinemann (born 14 March 1908 in Saginaw, Michigan; † 26 November 1991), was an American aeronautical engineer.

Heinemann grew up in Los Angeles, was a self-taught engineer and from 1926 as a design draftsman at Douglas Aircraft Company. After a year he returned again dismissed on activities at International Aircraft, Aircraft Moreland ( where he designed the training aircraft Moreland M1, his first plane ), which filed for bankruptcy in 1933, and Northrop to Douglas back as this Northrop took over. In 1937 he became chief engineer of the branch El Segundo. In 1958 he became vice president for military aircraft development. He remained until 1960, at Douglas, went as Vice President for Technology and Guidance to General Dynamics in 1962 as Corporate Vice President of Engineering. There he oversaw the development of the General Dynamics F -16 ( Viper ). In 1973 he retired and worked as a consultant.

Among his designs at Douglas (mainly military aircraft for the U.S. Navy ) include the Dive Bomber Douglas SBD Dauntless, the bombers Douglas A-20 Havoc and Douglas A-26 Invader, the Douglas A-1 Skyraider, Douglas A-3 Skywarrior, the Douglas A- 4 Skyhawk, the night hunter Douglas F3D Skynight, the Hunter Douglas F4D Skyray and the Douglas F5D Skylancer.

Moreover, he was early Jet Fighter Experimental Aircraft: Douglas D -558 -I Skystreak 1945, Douglas D- 558- II Skyrocket (the first manned aircraft to Mach 2 reached ),

In 1981, he was inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame. In 1983 he received the National Medal of Science. In 1953 he was awarded the Collier Trophy for the Douglas F4D.