Most Successful Aircraft Designer
 

Just wondering who you all think was the most successful aircraft designer of WWII. It's a very august group. The top ones in my opinion are:

Sydney Camm: Hurricane, Typhoon, Tempest
Kurt Tank: Fw 190A, Fw 190D, Ta 152
Roy Chadwick: Avro Anson, Manchester and Lancaster.
Dutch Kindelberger: BT-9, AT-6, B-25, P-51
Ed Heinmann: A-20, SBD Dauntless
William Schwendler: F4F Wildcat, F6F Hellcat
Alexander Yakolev: Yak 1, 7, 9 and 3
Sergey Ilyushin: Il-2, Il-4
Tey Koyama: Ki-44 Shoki, Ki-84 Hayate

Re: Most Successful Aircraft Designer
 

What about to add Messerschmitt?

Re: Most Successful Aircraft Designer
 

The reason why I hadn't included Messerschmitt in the above is that other than the Bf-108 and Bf-109, most of the designs that came out of his company stemmed from other designers efforts - Robert Lusser and Waldemar Voigt being an example.

From 1938 Willy was appointed chairman and managing director, and as such moved away from design to running the company.

You may notice that Kelly Johnson (the brilliant chief designer of Lockheed) is also not amonst those mentioned. Thats because most of his creative work occurred after the war.

Re: Most Successful Aircraft Designer
 

You forgot R. Mitchell, who designed the Spitfire. Only one plane (he died in 1937 IIRC) but what a plane...in service for the start of the war, still one of the best fighters at the end of it.

Tony Williams: Military gun and ammunition website and discussion forum

Re: Most Successful Aircraft Designer
 

Jim - I think you'll find that Kelly Johnson was THE guy on both the P-38 and P-80.

You probably have to consider Nortrup as one of your candidates

Edgar Schmued is more properly the designer of the P-51, the P-82, the P-86 (future F-86), the B-45 (first USAF four jet bomber), the FJ-1 Fury for Navy and the FJ-2 plus the F-100 while he was at North American. The Navion was also his design... so his career extended well beyond WWII

Under his leadership at Northrup he designed the T-38 and F-5 before finally retiring for good as a consultant.

He would rank as my all time aircraft Design engineer..

Willy Messerschmidt certainly has to be one of the very top designers also.

Regards,

Bill Marshall

Re: Most Successful Aircraft Designer
 

Well, actually, Robert Lusser, who came to Mtt from Heinkel in the autumn of 1933, also shared with Mtt the design of the Bf 108 and the Bf 109.

And, Messerschmidt should be Messerschmitt.

Re: Most Successful Aircraft Designer
 

You forgot two brilliant Italian designers:
Mario Castoldi: Macchi 202/205
Giovanni Casiraghi: Piaggio P 108 B

Re: Most Successful Aircraft Designer
 

I'd like to second Kelly Johnson to be added to this list.

But Donovan Berlin, Alexander Kartveli, Jiro Horikoshi and Reginald Mitchell at least need an honorable mention.

What are the criteria for most succesful?

Whereas the original list appears to be based in part on the number of designs, IMHO success might be based on a single one - which is in a class of its own.

In a way a truly inspired and revolutionary design might not be a success, while it might lead to more successful designs.

Enjoying the subject nontheless

:grouph2:

Re: Most Successful Aircraft Designer
 

I must admit that when I compiled my list at the start of the thread I used the criteria of prolific designers of successful aircraft. But that was more for generating discussion.

Folks are welcome to use whatever criteria they desire. :)