Mr. Bernard J. Mezger
“Bernie”

Bernie launched a career in aviation during his final year in college. He obtained his PRIVATE PILOT Airman Certificate No. 13004-40 on September 4, 1940. He was active in the Civil Air Patrol and flew from the Rochester, NY and Caldwell-Wright, NJ, Airports.

Bernie received a BS degree in Engineering from the University of Rochester and did graduate work in turbine design and thermodynamics among other subjects.

Following college he joined the Wright Aeronautical Division of the Curtiss-Wright Corporation as an Experimental & Development Engineer. His first assignments were component development projects on air-cooled engines, such as compressors, valves, cooling (Engines were C-9, C-14 & C-18 for Flying Fortress, B-29, & NATO fighter). Note: The C-9 had only 273 hp in Lindbergh's Spirit but was developed to over 1,000 hp in WW-11, lhp/#.

One project that Bernie managed (design, testing, development and production) was special cooling fans for PBM-3s & JRMs to increase their utility in the Pacific (cooling & thrust). This project aided in the basis for development of airfoils for axial compressors and turbines.

Bernie chaired the Advanced Engine Design unit for CW and participated in the following important projects:
a. 42-cyl. Liquid-cooled fighter engine for Howard Hughes.
b. Analysis of German Jet engine design, acoustic compressors, rotary engines.
c. Design of first CW jet engine, J-37.
d. Member NACA Committee on compressors & turbines (8 yrs.)
e. Engine design liaison with Armstrong-Siddely and Bristol Aircraft.
f. Engine performance observation on test flights with B-29s (Boeing/Seattle), PBMs {Martin/Baltimore}, Constellation(Lockheed).
g. Managed design & development for a nuclear powered engine.
h. Conducted liaison with all Aircraft Companies for Ops Sys. on g(above).
i. Construction, installation and operation of Nuclear Test Reactor.
j. Construction, installation and operation of Corp. Computing Center.

In 1960 Bernie accepted Management of RCA's Washington, DC Office for Technical Services. The RCA staff of Engineers and Scientist available for assignment was approx. 14,000. This involved both Air and Space projects. Major activities were Cape Kennedy Operations, Redstone Arsenal, Early Warning Radar, NASA and several flight and space/missile centers.