Horizons-Vol-2-Issue-2-2016
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Vol. 2 Issue 2 Copyright © 2016 Massachusetts Air and Space Museum 200 Hanscom Drive Bedford, MA 01730 www.massairspace.org General Electric Aviation It would not be uncommon for many to believe that era of the Spanish-American War. Then, the company a company like General Electric focused primarily on seized upon the public’s new-found fascination with all the manufacture of household things electrical. It developed appliances and large-scale gen- an elastic manufacturing model erating systems used in the that is still in use today; one production of electrical power. where innovation is the key ele- The company name in itself ment and driving force that al- M.I.T. Lincoln Laboratory photograph suggests just that. While such lows the business to turn its GEPhoto Aviation of L.E.S. CF6—-80C1 & jet 2 design engine an assumption would be par- eye toward the skies. tially correct, it would not rep- During the latter Nineteenth resent the complete scope of this very large and di- and early Twentieth Centuries, GE was intimately asso- verse modern corporation. Owing to its roots from the ciated with major advances in the general field of Edison General Electric Company, GE dates back to the Continued on Page 2 Continued from Page 1 witnessed first-hand what the amazing Whittle engine could do, and he was convinced that the mighty Arse- transportation. From railroad locomotives to piston- nal of Democracy needed them to stay ahead of the driven airplane motors, the company was involved in technological curve. both manufacturing and recon- figuring the motors that moved GE had extensive experience in America and the world. One of propulsion development dating its primary plants for accom- back to the 19th Century. plishing all this heavy lift capa- Steam turbines for both power bility was the River Works Plant generation and transportation in Lynn, Massachusetts. Seated were part of the company’s at the mouth of the Saugus Riv- stock and trade. It was this in- er, the plant is a spacious inter- depth knowledge of power gen- modal hub that is accessible by eration that made the company land, rail and sea. Skilled work- the logical place for developing a new turbine power source for ers were attracted to the area General Electric J31 Jet Engine because it offered plenty of aviation. Although initially fo- comfortable housing in well-ordered communities cused on improving the dynamics of aviation’s piston just north of Boston. Having a wealth of skilled labor engines, engineers and scientists turned their atten- available and the acreage to expand and grow as tion toward developing a turbine engine that could technology changed was part of the chemistry that out-perform the biggest and best piston engines. made, and continues to make, the GE River Works GE’s vast experience with the development of the Plant such a success. Today that sprawling plant turbo-supercharged aircraft engine was a key element hosts a technological building that is dedicated to the to the company’s progression into the development production of the most efficient jet propulsion en- of jet propulsion. In the early days, the terms jet and gines in the world. rocket often meant the same thing; propulsion with- How GE first came out propellers. Rock- to be involved in jet ets carry their own ox- engine production is ygen source for com- entrenched in the bustion, while jets use technological advances what air is available to in aviation that were them to combust fuel. forged in the crucible GE’s experience in the of World War II. Both development of turbo- the British and the Ger- charged engines in or- mans had engaged during the war in parallel develop- der to make use of thinner air at higher altitudes ment of jet propulsion, and both nations had inde- proved to be essential in the development of jet en- pendently produced jet-propelled fighter aircraft be- gines. In essence, the jet engine is a turbocharger fore war’s end. But the United States military had that produces thrust through the combustion of gases committed itself to piston-driven engines until Gen- under pressure. eral Hap Arnold stepped in and helped arrange for GE The first step toward developing a true jet engine to begin the development of an American jet engine was an intermediate design known as the turboprop to power the military aircraft of the future. He had Continued on Page 8 Inspired in high school by an educator at Phillips opportunity that may have arisen. Andover Academy, young Thomas Hudner, Jr. decid- Thomas Hubner’s wingman was twenty-four-year- ed upon service in the United States military. Upon old Ensign Jesse L. Brown; the first African –American graduation from Phillips, he became a midshipman at US naval carrier pilot. Prior to December 4, 1950, the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, graduating in Brown flew twenty missions and had earned the Dis- 1946 alongside fellow classmen James B. Stockdale, tinguished Flying Cross. Stanfield Turner and a Georgia farmboy by the name of Jimmy Carter. Stockdale would become a medal Ensign Jesse L. Brown On December 4, of honor recipient during the Vietnam War, Stand- 1950, Hudner and field Turner would later run the Central Intelligence Brown flew Agency, and Jimmy Carter would become the 39th through harsh win- President of the United States. ter weather some 100 miles to the Hudner initially had no interest in aviation and area of the Chosin served as a naval communications officer aboard Resevoir in the ship. But, while stationed at Pearl Harbor, he devel- north-central region of North Korea. There, some oped an interest in flying and eventually applied for 15,000 US troops were confronted with over 100,000 flight school. He was accepted and took his initial enemy soldiers. During the trip inland, Brown’s air- flight training in Pensacola, Florida, and advance craft was apparently hit by small-arms fire from the training at Corpus Christie, Texas. He was certified a ground and another pilot informed him he was trail- Navy pilot and assigned to fighter pilot duty with the ing something. The oil pressure dropped and Jesse Atlantic fleet. Hudner was assigned to fighter squad- was having trouble managing his airplane. After re- ron VF-32 aboard the USS Leyte. He was piloting the peated efforts to solve the problem, he eventually F4U Corsair which he considered to be a very com- ditched his aircraft on the remote side of a mountain fortable aircraft. seven to eight miles northwest of Chosin Reservoir. At the outbreak of the Korean conflict during the In the crash the airplane disintegrated. Brown was summer of 1950, the USS Leyte was pulled from duty badly injured and his leg was pinned under the wreck- in the Mediterranean and deployed to the waters off age. He signaled to the orbiting members of his the coast of North Korea because command felt their squadron that he had survived the crash, and the cov- pilots were better-trained than those on other carri- ering pilots scoured the area for enemy troops. ers. Once there, VF-32 flew sorties inland to provide When it became clear that his wingman needed help, close air support to US Marine ground operations, and to take out strategic targets and any targets-of- Continued on Page 4 Continued from Page 3 For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk Lieutenant Hudner found a patch of ground nearby of his life above and beyond the call of duty as a pilot and crash-landed his Corsair. He made his way to in Fighter Squadron 32, while attempting to rescue a Brown’s side and tried his best to free him from the squadron mate whose plane struck by antiaircraft fire battered fuselage, but was unsuccessful. Jesse and trailing smoke, was forced down behind enemy Brown lay dying while his squadron-mates above lines. Quickly maneuvering to circle the downed pilot radioed the ship at 14:40 hours for a helicopter to and protect him from enemy troops infesting the ar- help rescue him. The helicopter arrived at 15:00 to ea, Lt. (J.G.) Hudner risked his life to save the injured find Brown pinned under a crashed and burning air- flier who was trapped alive in the burning wreckage. plane, and Hudner furiously trying to extinguish the Fully aware of the extreme danger in landing on the flames by throwing snow at them. rough mountainous terrain and the scant Despite efforts by the helicopter pilot, hope of escape or survival in subzero tem- Hudner and Brown, Jesse’s leg remained perature, he put his plane down skillfully in pinned under the wreckage. Jesse suggest- a deliberate wheels-up landing in the pres- ed that they amputate his leg in order to ence of enemy troops. With his bare hands, free him, but they didn’t. The young pilot he packed the fuselage with snow to keep was in and out of consciousness, but man- the flames away from the pilot and strug- age to make one important request of his gled to pull him free. Unsuccessful in this, wingman before he passed out for the last he returned to his crashed aircraft and radi- time. Brown asked Thomas Hudner to, oed other airborne planes, requesting that “Tell Daisy I love her.” Daisy Pearl Nix was a helicopter be dispatched with an ax and the girl he’d fallen in love with back in high fire extinguisher. He then remained on the school, and she later became his wife.