Willard Ray Custer
Encyclopedia
Willard Ray Custer was an American engineer and aircraft visionary, inventor of the channel wing
concept. He was a great grandnephew of George Armstrong Custer
.
The inspiration to the channel wing concept came in 1925, when Custer had observed how the roof of a barn was lifted during a very strong gust of wind. He started investigating the phenomenon, and by 1928 he had developed the first Model of a new air plane wing that he subsequently, in 1929, filed a patent for. This channel wing
managed much lift even at very low airspeeds, and allowed start and landing on very short airfields.
In 1939 Custer founded the National Aircraft Corporation, and on November 12 1942 started development of the CCW-1 (CusterChannelWing 1) experimental aircraft
. With the CCW-2 that followed, he could achieve almost vertical starts, and flight almost like a helicopter
. The military started a number of trials, that was subsequently cancelled despite some interesting achievements. Later, Custer founded the Custer ChannelWing Corporation, and in 1954 built more aircraft. The last one, the CCW-5, almost reach series production.
The principle of the channel wing was not well understood by many, especially at the time . Custer was a splendid experimenter and visionary, with many patents filed, but he did not have a strong theoretical and scientific background. The Custer Channelwing Corporation had to cease its activities, and the channel wing principle was mostly forgotten. Today, only two CCW aircraft survive. The CCW-1 is displayed at the Smithsonian´s National Air & Space Museum, Suitland, Maryland, while the CCW-5 is at the Mid-Atlantic Air Museum
, Pennsylvania
.
The big break-through for the channel wing never happened, although attempts to revive it is seen from time to time, which would possibly be a revival for the concept.
Channel wing
The channel wing is an aircraft wing principle developed by Willard Ray Custer in the 1920s. The most important part of the wing consists of a half-tube with an engine placed in the middle, driving a propeller placed at the rear end of the channel formed by the half-tube.- Development :In 1925,...
concept. He was a great grandnephew of George Armstrong Custer
George Armstrong Custer
George Armstrong Custer was a United States Army officer and cavalry commander in the American Civil War and the Indian Wars. Raised in Michigan and Ohio, Custer was admitted to West Point in 1858, where he graduated last in his class...
.
The inspiration to the channel wing concept came in 1925, when Custer had observed how the roof of a barn was lifted during a very strong gust of wind. He started investigating the phenomenon, and by 1928 he had developed the first Model of a new air plane wing that he subsequently, in 1929, filed a patent for. This channel wing
Channel wing
The channel wing is an aircraft wing principle developed by Willard Ray Custer in the 1920s. The most important part of the wing consists of a half-tube with an engine placed in the middle, driving a propeller placed at the rear end of the channel formed by the half-tube.- Development :In 1925,...
managed much lift even at very low airspeeds, and allowed start and landing on very short airfields.
In 1939 Custer founded the National Aircraft Corporation, and on November 12 1942 started development of the CCW-1 (CusterChannelWing 1) experimental aircraft
Experimental aircraft
An experimental aircraft is an aircraft that has not yet been fully proven in flight. Often, this implies that new aerospace technologies are being tested on the aircraft, though the label is more broad....
. With the CCW-2 that followed, he could achieve almost vertical starts, and flight almost like a helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
. The military started a number of trials, that was subsequently cancelled despite some interesting achievements. Later, Custer founded the Custer ChannelWing Corporation, and in 1954 built more aircraft. The last one, the CCW-5, almost reach series production.
The principle of the channel wing was not well understood by many, especially at the time . Custer was a splendid experimenter and visionary, with many patents filed, but he did not have a strong theoretical and scientific background. The Custer Channelwing Corporation had to cease its activities, and the channel wing principle was mostly forgotten. Today, only two CCW aircraft survive. The CCW-1 is displayed at the Smithsonian´s National Air & Space Museum, Suitland, Maryland, while the CCW-5 is at the Mid-Atlantic Air Museum
Mid-Atlantic Air Museum
The Mid-Atlantic Air Museum is membership supported museum and aircraft restoration facility located at the Carl A. Spaatz Field, the regional airport serving Reading, Pennsylvania. The museum, founded by Russ Strine, the current President, collects and actively restores historic war planes and...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
.
The big break-through for the channel wing never happened, although attempts to revive it is seen from time to time, which would possibly be a revival for the concept.
External links
- Custer ChannelWing Corp.
- Custer Channel Wing 1, 1942, the Aviation History Online Museum