David Leo Posner Papers

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Personal papers in addition technical writings, publications, and digital images document the career of David Leo Posner, an aeronautical engineer who held senior roles with the Civil Aeronautics Administration, Lockheed Aircraft Corporation, and North American Aviation, Inc. from the mid-1940s until his death in 1968. Specific topics covered include aircraft propulsion systems, crash survival and fire prevention, propeller reversing technology, and design proposals for advanced commercial and military aircraft.

David Leo Posner served with the Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) in Washington, DC from the mid 1940s through 1954 in the capacity of Chief, Technical Staff Division. In November 1954, Posner took the position of Staff Engineer - Propulsion Systems at Lockheed Aircraft Corporation, a position he held until August 1959. In September of that year, Posner began working for North American Aviation, Inc. (Los Angeles Division) as Chief, Research and Transportation Systems, Advanced Systems Engineering. Posner worked for North American until his death in October 1968.

Identifier

NASM.2011.0001

Date

1953-1965

Provenance

D. Dustin Posner, Gift, 2011, NASM.2011.0001

Extent

.963 Gigabytes

Archival Repository

National Air and Space Museum Archives

Scope and Contents

This collection consists of personal papers such as correspondence, photographs, college transcripts, business cards, military orders, and certificates from the Personal Work File of David Leo Posner. Other materials include a 1964 issue of Los Angeles Skywriter (the newsletter of the Los Angeles Division of North American Aviation, Inc.), Galaxy (a yearbook for the Lockheed Management Club of Georgia), and an aircraft proposal for a SST (prepared for United Airlines by North American Aviation, Inc). The writings by Posner held in this collection are entitled Crash Survival and Crash Fires, Propeller Reversing Problems, and Service Experience with Personal Aircraft Powerplant Installations. Also donated with this collection was a CD containing surrogate and born-digital photography; specific subjects include Supersonic Transportation, the North American XB-70A (RS-70) Valkyrie, a North American VTOL aircraft prototype, and an artist's rendering of the North American X-15.

Arrangement note

Alphabetically arranged by topic or subject.

Rights

Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests.

Restrictions

No restrictions on access

Citation

David Leo Posner Papers, NASM.2011.0001, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.

Topics

Aeronautics
Supersonic transport planes
North American XB-70A (RS-70) Valkyrie
North American X-15
VTOL (General)l

Type

Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Gigabytes
Photograph prints
Personal papers

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