Foil: 13 Panel: 4 Column: 2 Line: 75

Wall of Honor Level:
Air and Space Friend

Honored by:
Richard J. Smith

As a high school student at 16 in 1943, I worked for the GE Company in Lynn, Massachusetts on the 3-7 Victory Shift. I was assigned to the highly classified project for the development of the American Jet Engine. As a stock clerk, I organized and maintained the inventory and helped at the counter.
After a hitch in the USNR, I returned to the GE and worked in the famous Thompson Lab. My first two assignments were on Physical Testing and wet chemical analysis for future metals. In the mid 1950's I was transferred to the Bearing and Lubrication center. I was assigned to the testing of antifriction bearings with the Petroleum and (with the new replacement-nonflammable) synthetic base oils for the Jet Engines. Two early approved synthetic oils were rejected on flight tests because the pilots became nauseous and vomited in the cockpits. Eventually, two synthetic oils passed all military tests and I think they are still the same today - both the Navy and Air Force, undoubtedly with newly developed additives. In the late 1950's (as I understood it), the Navy's catapult system on the aircraft carriers was run by using a GE reduction gearbox with the pinion shaft running at max speed on demand to pull a cable to launch a plane. The Navy requested the GE to build a gearbox that could go faster to give the planes launching an increase in take-off speed. The problem was that gearboxes use journal bearings which has maximum speed limits based on many reasons, such as speed, load, oil, temperatures etc. The present gearbox pinions were operating at their max operating capacity at 42,000 rpm's.
It just so happens that I was working on my own time on designing a new feature to the present tilting pad journal bearing. I was using my knowledge on hydrodynamics and past experience to help conquer one or more of the controlling parameters for increasing the maximum speed. When I finished, I had a full scale end view drawing (sketch) for a 3" diameter internally lubricated tilting pad hydrodynamic journal bearing, with a 6" outside diameter on a 8 1/2" x 11" sheet of a note pad. There were three equal pads on the bottom (load centered on the center pad) and two pads on the top. Each pad was lubricated by a circumferential groove around the O.D. of the bearing housing and through holes in a holding screw that screwed into each pad (sealed with a "O" ring) to feed holes that supply oil to the axial grooves at the trailing and leading edges of each pad. The path of the oil was in red pencil and it stood out very nicely. I showed it to my colleague and he was overjoyed with what I came up with and said "Why wasn't that thought of before?" I didn't have to explain it to him very much, he understood it just by looking at it. He said let's go talk to the Boss. He said go set up a meeting with Gear Design Engineering. They said come over in a half hour. I made 12 copies of my design and colored in the oil paths in red. There were four Section Heads and four Engineers at the meeting. We didn't have to do much explaining. The meeting lasted less than 20 minutes and we went away with $15,000 to build one and test it ASAP.
About a month later, I had the bearing on test and after about a week I had a stack of unbelievable results. The Navy was given the news, if they wanted a gearbox with a pinion speed of 100,000 rpm's, they could have it about 2-3 months, maybe less. I continued the testing for 2 or more months to cover all the testing necessary to fully investigate the various configurations of the bearing. It turned out to be the most unchallengeable hydrodynamic journal ever designed, built and in operation. It continued to be in demand for years. We never heard about any Navy achievements with this bearing. I was sure it was classified information. It was also being considered to be used in a space mission in a power generating system. The U.S. Patent Award was a joint one which included my colleague.
In the early 1970's I was assigned to design and write a test procedure for the developmental air flow testing for the FA-18 Variable Afterburner. The testing was completed in the Lab's high volume air flow facility to find the optimum flow needed for any demand necessary on the pilots command. The results were excellent and I received a commendation for my efforts.
I retired in early 1987 with over 40 years with the GE Company. All in Research & Development - what better way to spend my working career and get paid for it. Twenty were devoted to the Steam Turbine, Generator and Gear Department, and twenty years with the Air Craft Engine Department. I only mentioned a few of many achievements associated with aviation and space exploration that was just part of the job. I was issued two U.S. Patent Awards and retired with five dockets on file to be reviewed.
Please forgive me for taking so long to review four of what I call as major achievements of so many and 100's of every project in over 40 years. Remember, in Research and Development, every project resulted from a problem and it must be replaced with a solution. That's where we come in. So, don't blame me, it was started by Bob Arnold's great letter getting me thinking. I am happy to be part in this huge undertaking. However, Bob, you started the fire under my butt and inspired me to think about my past and it brought back many memories. Now, you can review my Profile and put the fire out, well maybe put it on a lower heat.