George S. Schairer
| George S. Schairer | |
|---|---|
| Born |
May 19, 1913 Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania |
| Died | October 28, 2004 (aged 91) Kirkland, Washington |
| Citizenship | United States |
| Alma mater | Swarthmore (BS 1934), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MS 1935) |
| Occupation | Aeronautical engineer |
| Known for | Aircraft design |
| Spouse(s) | Pauline |
| Children | George, Mary, Sally, John |
| Awards | Daniel Guggenheim Medal (1967) |
George S. Schairer (May 19, 1913 – October 28, 2004) was an aerodynamicst at Consolidated Aircraft and Boeing whose design innovations became standard on virtually all types of military and passenger jet planes.
George Swift Schairer was born in Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania, on May 19, 1913. His father, Dr. Otto Schairer, was one of the founders of KDKA, the first commercial broadcasting station in the U.S., and also a pioneer in electronic television. He received a bachelor's degree in engineering from Swarthmore in 1934 and a master's degree in engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1935.
After working for Bendix Aviation he joined Consolidated Aircraft, where he led the aerodynamic design effort of the Consolidated XP4Y Corregidor and the Consolidated B-24 Liberator. In particular, he was one of the engineers responsible for the incorporation of the Davis wing in these designs. At Consolidated Aircraft, he also gained extensive experience in the design of controls for aircraft.
In 1939, Edmund T. "Eddie" Allen hired Schairer to be chief of the aerodynamics unit at Boeing, replacing Ralph Cram, who had been killed in the crash of the Boeing 307 prototype. In this position, he helped develop and test the Boeing 307 Stratoliner, the first pressurized airliner, including the redesign of the vertical tail in response to the March 18, 1939 crash of the prototype. He also was involved in the development of the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, in particular, the incorporation of aerodynamically balanced control surfaces on the B-17E, replacing spring tabs. During the design of the Boeing B-29 Superfortress he was responsible for the incorporation of the Boeing 117 wing airfoil, previously designed for use on the Boeing XPBB Sea Ranger. Working with the head of the company's Research Division, test pilot Edmund T. "Eddie" Allen, he also helped defend the use of a much higher wing loading (69 lbs/sq foot) on the B-29 than had been used on previous designs. This was accomplished by the use of a powerful flap system that allowed good low-speed performance.
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