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Who are the top 10 in experimental aviation?

comfortcat

Well Known Member
My wife knows nothing about boxing, but she knows who Muhammad Ali is. I know nothing about golf, but I know Tiger Woods (and Arnold Palmer just to show my age). You may not be a computer expert and know who Bob Metcalfe is but you know who Steve Jobs is.

The true greats of any field rise above the limitations of the "club" they are a part of.

So who are the top 10 true greats of Experimental Aviation?

I think of 5:

* Orville and Wilbur Wright (I count them as 1 because they are the first successful experimental aircraft builders)
* Paul Poberezny - Founder of the EAA
* Burt Rutan - Father of composite aircraft
* Richard VanGrunsven - Greatest designer and manufacturer of Experimental kits
* Jim Bede - First experimental jet and MANY designs.



So, who are the top 10?


CC
 
I would add Greg Richter and John Thorp to the list.
 
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Have you seen my RV-7A? I figure I'm somewhere around number 6 or 7. 8 tops. :cool:
 
:)

Ukraine. Yuri Yakovlev - Aeroprakt
Russia. Boris Chernoff - several models of amphibians.
Bulgaria. Tony Illieff - AeroplanesDAR
Canada. Yvan Desmarais - Dreamaircraft Tundra.
 
Greg Richter? I'll see that and raise you Jim Bede.

I'll raise you Troy Woodland!

For those that don't know who Greg Richter is, he started Blue Mountain Avionics, basically the forbearer of all of our modern experimental EFIS's.

I might even add Klaus from Light Speed to the list because he was the first "successful" electronic ignition manufacture for experimental aircraft.
 
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I know it's a fixed wing forum but Mr. Igor Sikorsky has to be top ten for his work in rotorcraft as well as some pioneering work in airplanes. Probably have to include Wernher von Braun for aerospace engineering even though he got his start with the Nazi party and didn't believe in staged rockets for the moon mission.
 
interesting list

The listed names are very appropriate, however I think only us experimental aviation types will know all these names. My Wife is a 2100hr CFII, but not really into the experimental side of aviation, and she knows less than half the listed names. Outside of aviation circles (as the OP suggested) only the Wright Brothers, out of the current list, are widely known. I would suggest Chuck Yeager and just maybe Billy Mitchell for the WW2 generation are widely known by non-aviation types.....go ahead and ask someone outside of aviation circles, you will be surprised by who they don't know. Sadly the general public knows very little about aviation, its history and notable names. This is a good opportunity to raise awareness regarding our corner of the aviation world. Forward progress on many issues near and dear to the aviation community may benefit from a better educated and informed public. my .002:) Russ
 
I always think of Steve Wittman first, but I really like the whole list. I actually recognize most of the names.
I just want to add: There are many aviation legends alive right now (although they would likely deny it) so go meet them while you can!
I should talk (flying hermit) but my wife is a social flier, and has us joined to Washington Pilots Association, Western Antique Fliers, she's a 99, and I'm in EAA 326.
These are some of the people that will be on the next issue of 'the list'.
Vlad; Thanks for opening up the border, so to speak.
I liked the first person description of Montgolfier's first balloon flight in the movie Highlander.
 
I only saw one person pick Richard Van Grunsven. Amazing! This guy has put more pilots in the seats of affordable, high-performing experimental planes than anyone else, by an order of magnitude. He's number 3. Orville and Wilbur Wright - 1, 2.
Once listed, there is not much else to say.

Jimmy Doolittle
Among his many achievements, the first experimental instrument flights.
I took the OP's post to mean homebuilt experimental only. If not, I would have mentioned names like Bill Lear, Vincent Bendix, Elmer Sperry, Kelly Johnson, Ed Schmued, and a few others.
 
Bob Bushby - first all metal experimental homebuilt



just a little note Van's made fiberglass parts for the Bushby mustang before he made airplanes.
 
As a Kitfox guy I have to throw in Dan Denney.

But as already mentioned; the general public knows nothing of these guys. Heck, many people don't even know that you can build your own plane.
 
As a Kitfox guy I have to throw in Dan Denney.

....

I would list Dean Wilson, the Avid Flyer designer, before Dan Denny since the KitFox was based on the Avid but included that oh so cool radial cowl. It was all about marketing for Denney.
 
tangent.....

I would list Dean Wilson, the Avid Flyer designer, before Dan Denny since the KitFox was based on the Avid but included that oh so cool radial cowl. It was all about marketing for Denney.

Actually, Denny and Wilson were business partners initially with Dean doing the primary designing, and Dan handling the business plan and marketing ideas.
Before they sold the first kit, they had split and Denny marketed his own (very similar) airplane.
Dean filed suite and they fought in court for a number of years. As usually the only ones that came out ahead on that were the lawyers...
 
Actually, Denny and Wilson were business partners initially with Dean doing the primary designing, and Dan handling the business plan and marketing ideas.
Before they sold the first kit, they had split and Denny marketed his own (very similar) airplane.
Dean filed suite and they fought in court for a number of years. As usually the only ones that came out ahead on that were the lawyers...

Yea, but it was two pages into the listing of obscure names. Surprising.

True on both counts!
 
Huge Howard

......with out Howard Hughes the RV would not have flush rivets. They just would not be the same aircraft, look at your wings and imagine them made with 470 rivets on the skins. More like a nightmare than the dream machine we have!
 
Bob Nuckolls definitely deserves mention for all his contributions to the experimental aircraft electrical knowledgebase.

Randy Schlitter (Rans Aircraft) has definitely made his mark on experimental aircraft too.
 
just a little note Van's made fiberglass parts for the Bushby mustang before he made airplanes.

He also made wheelpants for Pipers too.
My old Cherokee 140 had a set of Vans Aircraft wheelpants on it and the original sales receipt for them from 1973 was still in the logbook along with the STC and 337 paperwork for their installation.
 
I cannot believe nobody mentioned Chuck Yeager! Read his bio and tell me he was not working on experimental airplanes when he broke the sound barrier and did many other daring and risky test flights at Edward Air Force Base.
I would put him in the top 5.
 
I cannot believe nobody mentioned Chuck Yeager! Read his bio and tell me he was not working on experimental airplanes when he broke the sound barrier and did many other daring and risky test flights at Edward Air Force Base.
I would put him in the top 5.

Bob Hoover was the better pilot and would have made that flight except for a bit of rowdy behavior...both are notable...the list should be top 100 there were (are) many.
 
Wedell-Williams

How about Jimmy Wedell and Harry P Williams of Patterson, LA.? First to break the 300mph barrier with their Model 44. They had many other successful designs and were working on a fighter for WWII, but both died in crashes before they could finish. John
 
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