Jump to content

Robert H. Widmer: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous edit
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
No edit summary
Updated infobox, removed extraneous comma
 
(12 intermediate revisions by 9 users not shown)
Line 9: Line 9:
|birth_date = {{Birth date|1916|5|17|mf=y}}
|birth_date = {{Birth date|1916|5|17|mf=y}}
|birth_place = [[Hawthorne, New Jersey]]
|birth_place = [[Hawthorne, New Jersey]]
| death_date = {{dda|2011|6|20|1916|5|17|mf=y}}
|death_date = {{dda|2011|6|20|1916|5|17|mf=y}}
|death_place = [[Fort Worth, Texas]]
|death_place = [[Fort Worth, Texas]]
|education =
|education = [[Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute]]<br>[[Caltech]]
|spouse =
|spouse =
|parents =
|parents =
Line 20: Line 20:
|employer = [[Convair]]
|employer = [[Convair]]
|significant_projects =
|significant_projects =
|significant_design = [[Convair B-58 Hustler|B-58 bomber]], [[General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark|F-111 Aardvark]], [[General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon|F-16 jet fighter]]
|significant_design = [[Convair B-58 Hustler|B-58 Hustler]]<br>[[General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark|F-111 Aardvark]]<br>[[General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon|F-16 Fighting Falcon]]
|significant_advance =
|significant_advance =
|significant_awards =
|significant_awards =
|signature =
|signature =
}}
}}
'''Robert Henry Widmer''' (May 17, 1916 – June 20, 2011) was an American [[aeronautical engineer]] who specialized in designing aircraft for the military. He spent his career working for [[Convair]] which became [[General Dynamics]], then [[Lockheed Corporation|Lockheed]], and then [[Lockheed Martin]]. His feisty personality and at times insubordinate attitude at one time led company leaders to strongly consider firing him. However, his brilliance at envisioning and designing desirable aircraft years before there was even a market for them led to his appointment as Vice President for science and engineering for all of General Dynamics.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/03/business/03widmer.html?_r=1&ref=deathsobituaries|title=Robert H. Widmer, Designer of Military Aircraft, Dies at 95|date=July 2, 2011|author=Douglas Martin|work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref>
'''Robert Henry Widmer''' (May 17, 1916 – June 20, 2011) was an American [[aeronautical engineer]] who specialized in designing aircraft for the military. He spent his career working for [[Convair]] which became [[General Dynamics]], then [[Lockheed Corporation|Lockheed]], and then [[Lockheed Martin]]. His feisty personality and at times insubordinate attitude at one time led company leaders to strongly consider firing him. However, his brilliance at envisioning and designing desirable aircraft years before there was even a market for them led to his appointment as Vice President for science and engineering for all of General Dynamics.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/03/business/03widmer.html?_r=1&ref=deathsobituaries|title=Robert H. Widmer, Designer of Military Aircraft, Dies at 95|date=July 2, 2011|author=Douglas Martin|work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref>


Born in [[Hawthorne, New Jersey]], Widmer earned degrees from [[Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute]] and the [[California Institute of Technology]]. He began his career working for the California division of Convair, initially as a designer of marine aircraft. He eventually joined the company's main branch in [[Fort Worth, Texas]], where he notably designed the [[Convair B-58 Hustler]] which was the first [[United States Air Force]]'s bomber capable of Mach 2. He went on to lead the design teams for the [[General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark]] and the [[General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon]]. In 1983 he was awarded the Reed Aeronautics Award by the [[American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics]]. In 1962, he was awarded the Spirit of St. Louis Medal by the [[American Society of Mechanical Engineers]] for his work in aeronautics.<ref>{{cite web|title=Spirit of St. Louis Medal|url=http://www.asme.org/about-asme/honors-awards/achievement-awards/spirit-of-st--louis-medal|accessdate=4 July 2011}}</ref> In 2007, he was inducted into the Rensselaer Alumni Hall of Fame.<ref>{{cite web|title=Alumni Hall of Fame: Showcase of Achievement|url=http://www.rpi.edu/about/inside/issue/v1n4/alumnihof.html|publisher=Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute|accessdate=4 July 2011}}</ref>
Born in [[Hawthorne, New Jersey]], Widmer earned degrees from [[Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute]] and the [[California Institute of Technology]]. He began his career working for the California division of Convair, initially as a designer of marine aircraft. He eventually joined the company's main branch in [[Fort Worth, Texas]], where he notably designed the [[Convair B-58 Hustler]] which was the first [[United States Air Force]]'s bomber capable of Mach 2. He went on to lead the design teams for the [[General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark]] and the [[General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon]]. In 1983 he was awarded the Reed Aeronautics Award by the [[American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics]]. The award credited him with leading the design of four major Air Force aircraft, the B-36, B-58, F-111, and F-16, and for "pioneering the eras of supersonic cruise and fly-by-wire computerized flight control".<ref>{{Cite web |title=Reed Aeronautics Award |url=https://www.aiaa.org/get-involved/honors-awards/awards/award-reed-aeronautics-award |access-date=2022-07-31 |website=www |language=en}}</ref> In 1962, he was awarded the Spirit of St. Louis Medal by the [[American Society of Mechanical Engineers]] for his work on the B-58.<ref>{{cite web|title=Spirit of St. Louis Medal|url=http://www.asme.org/about-asme/honors-awards/achievement-awards/spirit-of-st--louis-medal|accessdate=4 July 2011}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Robert H. Widmer Obituary (1916 - 2011) Star-Telegram |url=https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/dfw/name/robert-widmer-obituary?id=13937856 |access-date=2022-07-31 |website=Legacy.com}}</ref> In 2007, he was inducted into the Rensselaer Alumni Hall of Fame.<ref>{{cite web|title=Alumni Hall of Fame: Showcase of Achievement|url=http://www.rpi.edu/about/inside/issue/v1n4/alumnihof.html|publisher=Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute|accessdate=4 July 2011}}</ref>


Widmer died in Fort Worth, Texas in 2011 at the age of 95.
Widmer died in Fort Worth, Texas in 2011 at the age of 95.
Line 34: Line 34:
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}


{{authority control}}
{{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]] -->
|NAME = Widmer, Robert H.
|ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
|SHORT DESCRIPTION = Aeronautical engineer
|DATE OF BIRTH = 17 May 1916
|PLACE OF BIRTH = Hawthorne, New Jersey
|DATE OF DEATH = 20 June 2011
|PLACE OF DEATH = Fort Worth, Texas
}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Widmer, Robert}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Widmer, Robert}}
[[Category:1916 births]]
[[Category:1916 births]]
Line 50: Line 41:
[[Category:California Institute of Technology alumni]]
[[Category:California Institute of Technology alumni]]
[[Category:Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute alumni]]
[[Category:Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute alumni]]
[[Category:American people of Swiss descent]]

Latest revision as of 21:08, 14 January 2024

Robert H. Widmer
Born(1916-05-17)May 17, 1916
Hawthorne, New Jersey
DiedJune 20, 2011(2011-06-20) (aged 95)
Fort Worth, Texas
EducationRensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Caltech
OccupationEngineer
Engineering career
DisciplineAeronautical engineering
Employer(s)Convair
Significant designB-58 Hustler
F-111 Aardvark
F-16 Fighting Falcon

Robert Henry Widmer (May 17, 1916 – June 20, 2011) was an American aeronautical engineer who specialized in designing aircraft for the military. He spent his career working for Convair which became General Dynamics, then Lockheed, and then Lockheed Martin. His feisty personality and at times insubordinate attitude at one time led company leaders to strongly consider firing him. However, his brilliance at envisioning and designing desirable aircraft years before there was even a market for them led to his appointment as Vice President for science and engineering for all of General Dynamics.[1]

Born in Hawthorne, New Jersey, Widmer earned degrees from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and the California Institute of Technology. He began his career working for the California division of Convair, initially as a designer of marine aircraft. He eventually joined the company's main branch in Fort Worth, Texas, where he notably designed the Convair B-58 Hustler which was the first United States Air Force's bomber capable of Mach 2. He went on to lead the design teams for the General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark and the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon. In 1983 he was awarded the Reed Aeronautics Award by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. The award credited him with leading the design of four major Air Force aircraft, the B-36, B-58, F-111, and F-16, and for "pioneering the eras of supersonic cruise and fly-by-wire computerized flight control".[2] In 1962, he was awarded the Spirit of St. Louis Medal by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers for his work on the B-58.[3][4] In 2007, he was inducted into the Rensselaer Alumni Hall of Fame.[5]

Widmer died in Fort Worth, Texas in 2011 at the age of 95.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Douglas Martin (July 2, 2011). "Robert H. Widmer, Designer of Military Aircraft, Dies at 95". The New York Times.
  2. ^ "Reed Aeronautics Award". www. Retrieved 2022-07-31.
  3. ^ "Spirit of St. Louis Medal". Retrieved 4 July 2011.
  4. ^ "Robert H. Widmer Obituary (1916 - 2011) Star-Telegram". Legacy.com. Retrieved 2022-07-31.
  5. ^ "Alumni Hall of Fame: Showcase of Achievement". Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Retrieved 4 July 2011.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Robert_H._Widmer&oldid=1195674841"