'l
:'a
r:!:;:.1:.t
.-:,;;rl-:i
'.t
:-
IO
T IA AV *
M
a
N
a
...7
(L. to R.): Bortner, Kortveli ond members o{ his engineering teom ond Bowmon. (Ed. O'Donnell Kortveli' Weed, Mutftottona, Brice, obove 9rouP.) note: See p. 48 for two other members not in
,t LEXAnNDER K.\R I
VLLI' l{e
leadinl aircra[t dcsisnel-s and aeroclynamics Piollecrs' beiievcs in team
n,olk. During his carccr, hc iras been r.nore than li iitttc rt:sponsilllr: Ior srrch thir.rgs as ititi'tlilttcitrg metal inro aircraIt pr-otltrctior-r, thc: exhaust-<irivcn strllert:haiger', Repull-
)ic's Tlttmdcrltoit, Lnttcer' 7' lturt' dr:r1et antL Rrrirtl''r''zt" atltl for il r,r,iclc assortnrettt ol lrig alld iittle itle:is to irttpi'<tvr: lll:Il1's l)l'oil^l-ess ill the air. Hc :r<lrnits Lo a lot o['tvotk in this COI)llC(tirltt. llttt sltvs tltltt
''l{i:pulrlic's t:r.rqitlcerittc. tcatrt," rrorkitrg'rr'ith Pr-t:-titlcl)t )ltttttiv [' Pcaie :ttttl tll(' 1>t'otlt,r'tiolt t(llllll, rnacic tlrc 1,lllttits 1-rossilrlc. Iior a
lre tr':ts ltss<;cittl-tltl Nitl-, trrt0tltct' lilt.ttotts -'\lcxenrlcr in thc ailt'rllt tlt'siqrr fit:ltl---<lc Stlvcr'skv. l)c Scvclskt' still lttrtt:rs :tlr<lrrt a "(antastic arti(lC" irIittctt itftct'
rt11rttllCr- r)1' r,c'rlr
.lu
Llley partc(l "(:Ieditilis . . . Kartveli rvitir tl.rc corlccptioll ancl clcsign ol'
ilry plrtncs."
SaYs
Kartveli: "What
was (lesigncd rviren
I
rvas rryith de
to
Seversky shoul(l be (iredited
de
Scversk,v. He's a fitle t'uan, wrth a (leai o[ forcsieht al)ollt' aviaS-.l'c:rt iirlrr." Iltrt hr: u'orrlcl also g^ive cretlit
to thc cljgincerill!-l tcitlll
t'hfi'L
..,\:()l kc(l otr tlc Sevct'sk,v rrlotlcls, jrrst
lrs lt(: u'att tetl his rvllrllc tcallr :l t l{cprrl.rii< trl lrc l.tlttrrt:ti u'hclr thc: tlcsiqrr ol thc 'flttttrtlerltrtl'I \\'as I
):r1.(-n
tc(l.
(lrrrrt'r-rtlv thc [citlll
inr:lucles < lricl assisterlt I]<lr,r'ntart, li.it lrirrtl Ci. t'ngirtt'cr. rt'itlt K:tt'tvcii lor tttot tr
,1r,,,, ,, tlt'r:rtlt'.
strtr('tillg iIt IIlrnitattil|r College' l)r. O'iionncll is a gradr'rare ol Cooucl UItir.rtt irrsti.trrte oI Tech-
nology antl hrts sttrtlictI rrr Corncll ancl tntholic University, u'herc hc
C LL
pttblic Avi:tr iorl Corpor-ation's r,ice prcsidcnt irl cl)argc of engiueerinq ancl otre of rhc wolld's
A
IA ED
: or mnPuBr.rc AvrffiTroru
iI I)rivllt(' lrilot, :irltl
l q-r;rtltr;ttc oI tlttl (iugqcr']lreirn Sr lrool ol ,'\cl-<ttllttt i< s, Ncrr' \'olk (lrrivrrsilr'; rttrrl I)r" \'Villiarrr ()'I)orrrrcll. t lrit'l tlcr t:lt)l)ll)c'l'lt cllql'
rrt'i'r'. :rnolltct- Iorlg'tirltt' K:tl tveli lrs'
sotilttt rr'ltost' ('lllc('l' lras l;c:cn tiivitlt'tl l,rt' tltr: tltost 1'r:lt'l lrt'trtt'ttt rr'rlr'kirrg rr'itli I{ellLrblic illl(1 irl
(:onecelltr.ltecl ou acrodyllamics' Kartvcli's assistant since I)ecenlirer, 1946, has bceu I''E'R' (Phil) I'rrice, itlsrl :l11 olt[-tit'ner on tllc tcartt, attd a q-ratltrltc ctrgiil<'ct" I ivi: otllcr stiirs irl thc lleptrtlli<: clrgilr.rerillg 1l:rt:1<.llcld ll'c. I)onalcl
\V. \\/ectl. assisl-itt'tt exe(ltlt lvc ellgtnecr atttl {otrrlcrly t'itlt (ltrrtissWrislrt, (lorrsoli<iirretl, ilrltl ()lctrr L. triartin; R- (). l"clgh, <hicI staff crtgittct'r. [il'ttrt:rt. )'e:t1 s irt l{<'1;trl>lic' :rrri a l'r'irtt:cl-()lli:ltr rtlto tlirl gt-;rtltt;rLc \\'()l'k ilt N('\r Yillk' ['trivet-sitv: I{. I-. l}ortrrcr' t lric:l :ttlrtriltistratir'c t'rtqitttcr. :r lilrltitrtolt' I)ol-r'tt'tlttrit: Irstittttt: gt'lttlLr:llt: lr'itlt t:x1>ct'icncc :rt ;r rrtttrtltt'r' ol ll- S. :rit'< t:rl't r:orlrt.t:tltit':. lrltrr .\' li sr''rttli:r "\cro('<'tstlri L l';t1'1r:rs' 1,1.,,r. S,'ctl, rt' (()tttttitttt(d r:rr /ralr {8)
///?s-o
\}-R0
I)I(;I:S,]
I ?" ,;1
i7
,J
:I l# ;ii
ttl,,
1+i
;* ie9
iL
$g
,$
lurrt[ into t-clrtots in
I(AETVELI (Crtrt.tin.tu:d
{rolt Pagc 46)
clriel. lcrrxlvrl:rtrric cngillecr all(l all-
other NYU {lrlt(lLlate; and FraIlk Mulhollancl, assist:tl-rt clrief acrotlynamic engirrcer, a NYU grirtltr-
ate and a rveight and stress cx[)crt.
Many o[ the Kartveli
t.c:trll
t.nrned dorvn better offers Irrrrn elsewherc tlrrring the lean per'iocl zrt Republic after World War II. When times are good, he is a quiet but incessant frghter for more cngineering funcls. As a chief engineer, his associates report, he is fair, unpredictable-and always stimulat-
How the
team
works
is
illus-
trated by a recent job done by"Re-
public's engineers.
llla neLrvers,
were tlcsietrcd. All possible nrcans ol :rttr< k :rrrrl tlc[cusc werc (ll'ciuuc(l
Puzzling over
ul). (ln tlris kind oI rvork, says I(:rrtvcli, vorr Irlrvc to be ln "eneiirccr", a tlcsierrcr._arrd a clrcanrer.")
WIrcn lrll rrnulcs oI the problenr rv<'t'c fitut'etl clown to the last <let.irrtal poirtt, O'Donnell and his teanl (::une out lr-orn the sidelincs ancl a [ull-panel garne,began among all oI the K:rrh,cli tearn, Air Force bomber :rnd intcrceptor pilots, and air-
T IA AV
rvhat he's done and frercelv defends his ideas and achievements. He
N
IO IA ED
M engineer
Kartveli claims only his share o[ tire credit wa.s a propulsion analysis for long range transl>ort airplanes rn hich Republic completed r-ecently.
credits the team out of realism"no one man can build anything in aviation today," he says. At work, he is equallv forceful u'hen the occasion arises. How forceful may be gathered from his favorite derogatory, uttered with a strong accent: "Ha-that iss cottam no good!" He shortens conferences they
are one oI his pet dislikes- by l,orking out complicared rnathemat-ical problems in his head- Men close to him say that he also possesses
a remarkable memory. This
C LL
gested that there !!'as no poirrt in building an interceptor until it u'as
problcrn.
"l'hc sudden burst o[ air transport activities in England makes it mandatory that we do . something trut this'rnuch can be said: Repub- about it," he says. "If we are to lic's tearn lvon another round in k'eep our air supremacy over the the incessant fight toward better seven seas, it is imperative that the U. S. battle aircraft-and another industry start without any loss of big contract rvitl-r the Air Force. time to develop turbo-prop transAnother team job for which liort pianes for fast, long-range service, and pure jets for short-range, -'' '. ,.. "ii"' high-speed hauls." Engineers at Republic tell you rhat the Kartveli team concePt is not out of modesty: he's proud of
Two members of Republic's engineering teom: Costos E. Poppos (L.),
bombing equipmer-rt, someone sug-
spcctl, rclativcly Iow range tlights urltiI cnuirrcs with more eflicicnt I rrcl r:olrsun)ption are availal,rle." Flc lrclicvcs also that a tcan'r bigl,;cr Ilr:rn ut any one lJ. S. aircr:rf t 1rl;rnt rrrrrst l;rce thc jct trirnsJrort
cra[t designs and the templates. The results are a militarv secret,
chief trerodynomics engineer ond R. C. .Bergh, chief stoff
Air Force interceptor requirements and potential encmy long-range
orrtirrcntal Iliglrts, thc turbnprolr is thc ;rnswer. . F-or runs of 2000 rnilcs or lcss, thc prire jet will eive r rrrrsitle r:tlrly higher speed, but. I)ul'c ict-s:rrc <:onRnccl to high
r
he has employed to learn half a clozen languages, including Latin, rt'hir:h he is likely to quote at length on occasion. A minor change on a blueprint-a nanre or titlc heard once-nothing is [or-
"Evervbody worked on it," Kartfisured down to the last split second what would be required of it. veli reports. Design ancl project cngineers What conclusions were reached? gottell. "It depends or1 altitude," he "'fen years aso a[ a dinner party joined with Kartveli in enthusiastic cndorsement of tl-re idea. The proj- says. "I)ut this mucll is certain: the in l)ayton a swing band leader ect got quickly trnder \,r,ay cap- qreater the speed and the longer asked him it he had a reqlrcst nulntained lry Dr. O'Donneil. Rill the range, the less usettrl is the re- ber'," an associate relatecl recentiyO'Donnell and most o[ his staff at'e ciprocal engine. "He loves classical music but knowi "With present-day clesigns, the nothillg al>out jazz, so I srrggestcd not pilots, but they became pilots o[ t]rem enemy 1:ilots-over- turboprop at higher altitudes o[- llegin the Beguine. The other -half night. Using secl'ct data, tl'rev fers cor.rsiderable more range ruith nigbt at:rnother party in Nelt "flerv" "enerny" l;onrbers to\\,ar-(l a given fucl load than does thc York rn,v u,ife requested titc saure vital U. S. rargcts. U. S. inrercep- 1:urc jet. Ilut the ptrle let rrans- tLnle. He irnrnediately rernindcd tOrS carne up to illeet thertr. J'er-n1;ort ofiers higher s1>ceds or,er the nre th:rt I had asked for thc sarne piates, based on split-scconcl time- shortcr distilnces. rruurbcr tell ,veal-s ago." "We mily thrrs concluclc tlrat [or' speed schedules, rvirir speed curves I{c is an ornnivorous reacler, ancl indicating the slxeds o[ bombers llorl-stop transoceanic anr'l ttans([,otttinued on pa.r;e 88) .18
((ktrrlittrtcd
lron fage
it.lr lttttttot-, lltlcl \^/itll tl)(' 't 'f ltuttd.crjcl t losirlt irt on ;l tilrtct, lrc tlcltlrrtls tlrt: :rcstltct.it: <;rr:rlitics ol Iris tlcsigrrs. I lis rrr:r.ior' t,rrrl('l: to lttrilt[ "lrt':rttlilrrl" plrrrrt's
I(An,TVELI
POWER
Iii|st.
(Oort.Littttcd front, lta.gc 48)
82)
rt
r;1rt:crl <rl
N
IO
T IA AV
:ln(l tllcrc lt;rvc Iollor.rt'rl lc{irins ;rlrriosI cvcrytlrirrg, irtt lrrtl irre tlrt' llruc ntrntl1t:r :rl :r slrt:rilir :rn(l tlle Dr?r. ii,illr sorrn<i <orrtlrirl Pot.t'rrt.i;rlitics. (llr()lirtiolt. 'l'o lrlt ltssist:tlll tl'lttt Ir;rtl irrr\ rrrosl 1rr'ortrisinu cr)t-{in(:, Ilr(' .,\lcxrtrrtlcr ("Sascltir") K:rrtvt'li (l/1,111' o'1i111rr[ thc {irst frrll rrrilitrrri' r lt':rst'tl tltc siz.t: ol lr <lcsiiirr's lrtscI)y his aerodynirrrrics tltc lr:rltl :rrrtl civil tyl)c test ccrtilitatt:,:rrrtl t:rrrrc l:rgt' lry tlre [t'lrr:tiort ol :ttt itrr lt itr iv:ry. IJrrt.il he was gr{)lvll, intltr<'tl, rr,us sllor.r,n t<t lrc calrlrlllc ol vcr'-t' t() ltc(:()lll()(llttc ('lc(:tl'()lli(: oltlct' lriulr por.r,t:r' rittirrgs '"r,itlr a Iort' Irrr'l Irt: lr:r<l llo intcrest irr:rirpl:rrrcsr'<lrriprttctrt, hc rt:<crltly [irc:tI t.lrcl I Ic u,:rs cdrrcate<l to bc :ut ;rrtil- (lucstiort: "Wlr:rt t.lrc lrcll lrl (: y()tt corrsrrurlrtion. LInIorIrrtrrrtclv, llolls It'r'y ollir:cr in thc Czitr's :trnry. llc tiyirtg to (lo, trtttkc a [,<llre Isl:lll(l I{oyt:c rvcre irrtuttlatcrl rvitlr orrlcls rvlrs born in Gcorgian ll-rrssi:r I lrc lor otlrcr l)()wel' yrlan ts, rrrrrl lx)t:rto ottt oI ]]ry airPl:rrrc?" (,'l1,dc lurcl to l.re shelvcd aftcr it Stulirr's houre counrry. In I{)19, Irr: "Do it your lvay," he rt:rrllrrkccl had {lon,n expcrimentally in rr llr-o- \^/:ls sent to Paris to cornPlctc his on anotltcr occasiotl, "ancl t'orr will nrilitary education as a stu(lenI o[ lic brrilcling a Iricc, snlooth flYinu tol"ypc ll/yuer'n-an aircral't'r,vlriclr clectrical engineering. Revolution siclcr,valk." Iater \^/ent to the Rolls Roycc cxIn private life, Kartveli is oft-cn periDrental establishment for de- ])rcvcntecl his return. It rvas at this trrrning point that he began as unpredictable as hc is prolcsvcl<.r1>nrcnt 'rvork and tcsting. sttr<iyirrt lor an aeronaut.ical cngi- sionally. nccring <leqrce at L'.Lcole SuPcrie-A collcagrre, rcadinii^ itl a rn:rsitDart rrrc d'Aeronautique, putting' lrirll- zine articie that one <i[ his Ilollllies In {r"rll 1:roduction is thc l)arl, sclf tirrough school t y teaching 1,.'as \,vatching football qanles, intcstcd in three versions, a:rrl noru il)athcrnatics and performing on a r,itccl him to one. Karl-vcli wils dclivering as the Dart 504, 1400 trapezc in a circus. rcady to leave after the lirst <1uars.h.p. plus 365 Ib. thrust for takr:A designer in the Frcnch itir- tcr. off r,vith a fuel consunlption o[ 1;lane industry, in 1927 hc w:r.s clisLike many another engilleer and I,165. Design of the ensinc rvas covered and brought to this coun- clesigner, he is sarcastic abrlut hirncomr.nenced in 1945. I-irst Darl try by Charles Levine, who fi- self when it comes to cloing^ things rvas running by the stimmer of nanced' and flew lvith Clarence 'r.vith his hands, "I'rn the kincl rvho 1946, since when consicleraltie dc- Chamberlin to Germany. C)nce picks up a hammer bY it.s head," vclopment testing has bccn carried here, Kartveli worked with Levine, he says. Yet he was surPrisecl one out, including rnorc tlr:in 6,000 r\nthony Fokker, and the,'l r,r'ith de clay reccntiy putting new (ioors on hrs. ground running, and rtver 3,- Seversky. Out of the cle Seversky his garage. 000 hours in the air. 1)nrls have company came Repubiic. "I was in the mood." he cxbeen frtted t"o a Dakota, thc tr/i.s\,Iost recent of the Republic 1;lained. count and a Lanca.ster. "I have an electrical cngilleering achievements is the F-84 -['hunclet'Abotrt 20 lb. of air 1;er se<:on<l is jet, which flew for the fir'rt tirne- <legree {rom rvlten I rvas in Paris," :rncl successfully in Fel;rrrary, Ire told another frientl, "but if a rlr:r'lvn into the eneine (:onrpressor throlrgh an annnlurr intake. A trr,o- 1946. As a rnatter-of Iact, trvo jol;s Iuse bler.t' out at the house, I rvould stage ccntri[ugal collli)l cssor in- vJere llolvn within a forrr-rvcck r;al1 an electrician." creases the air I)ressure lty altcut Socially, he is rcsen'c(l arl(1 lrot 1;eriorl in February, '46, the other 5.5 atmospheres and lrasscs it irrto beins the Republic XR I2, [:tst re- given to snall talk, even though his scvol cornbustion charllters ancl cortnaissancc 1.rlane. sharp rvit descends on lriends wlten l'he F 84 is nou, in lrirse-scalc lcasr cxpected. Strangers tnay \\ronthence to a tr,r'o-stage trlrl)inc. pro(hlctiorl. i\tlore than a tlrous;rncl rlcr how X{rs. Karn'cli fcels al>out Ir:lve lrccn built anri uror-c than 950 it until thcy lc:rrn that slte kttou's Maintenance Are no\,y or h;n,c llcen in Iiurol>e l{cpul>lic, ulttl p:rrtictrlarlv ){e1>ub\\rlrcn installed on thc I'isr:ourtt in thc lirst four n1()Dtl)s. lic crtgirtccritre, upsitlc-<l<rr';n. I]ot'tr 70 I on ortlcr for I]ritislr I:rrropcarr \Vhat rvill lie lor-thcunring frorn .Jc:rnnc Robbins ol Arrrit,vvillc, Aii'rvays, the ensine anrl irrstull:r- I{c1xrb}ic irr thc l)ear futrrrc is I.Jeir,York, slte r'r,as llcr lruslllrncl's tion 1-ltovirlc vcry c:lsY rrrairlt:r'r:trrce s;hrorrtlc<1 in sccrrrit,v. I)rrrl tlte Air sccrc:lrry urlti I the-\' rtarrictl a [<',\\' ancl scrvicing. ,,\rrrililrr-v ultits strlr- I-orcc trrlks l;riehtly abr>ut the ltzrr:k. plyint the variotrs rrircr:rlt scrviccs Ii-84I a1d tfic X]'-91, ()nc a fislrtcr_ 't::rr.s As a lrook \\()1'11), Klttt.r'cli lltvot's are lnountcd rllt tltc ge:rrllox ;rlt rlI Ilorrrllcr. tht' rtt'ltcl lut intcrrcl.rtot, c\.erytllil)g Il'9ttt tttlstt't)' \t()l'ics L() thc crtgitre atttl <lriycn tl1',utlt :r lrotlr u,ith :rrn:rzirtg <'u1r;rl;ilitit:s. hcar'1' totncs ot) his(()r1', lrolitical trrtivcrsal .joirrt tr,1-tc rlrivc. Activitics ol' tlrc Ii;rrtvc:li c'ng-i- scictttc, all(l etlgillccring.,'\llcgctl 'I-rvo I)(-1.3s alc l-lcirrg flrrctl rvith ;rccrirrg tcutn go lot'tr';tt<l in an irt- ri()t to takc lris ttot'k ltotttt:, hc ltas /)ni'l 50ils, arrcl rr,ill l>c rrsr:rl lor lorrrr:rl eturospherc, splrkctl l,)' :r stttrlr, 'rr.itlt tlr:rrt'irrg llo;url. llrtt r'(:ccntlv it t'c'r-rttrirlctl icllc. it: I)):lstcr farniiiariz:rtiorr, arrtl r'csclrrclr.'I'hey I(ultvcli's dly u'it. rvill e:rrn thcir kecp ltv opr:r';rting I-lis staff Irits lcat'rtctl tlr:rt lrc is ruotkinu tt'll horrrs:lt thc lrlltnl ro inlanrl carqo scrviccs. 'I-lrt: Dor.l pilrti('r.r'lrrrlv lrllcrg^ic t<l lorrq 1)lrlr)()- kt:cp trp rtitll lLcllllrlit's n'ttstirtr{l)' "gct hcetrr to rr'r.ite t'ct :rct clct ittittg tlcI'cnsc l)l'(x.lI .lIII. 503 gives 1,200 b.h.p. lrlus i3ir0 lb. r ulrrlrrrls residual thnrst. l{e ]rrrtcs liurs. ENI) in ljeeccrrelish!" --Fxr:u ] Lr rr t.lN
IA ED
M
1!
rj 1
t
4 ti
!
';
I I
; .;
C LL
88
\liIl()
DI(;I:S'1-
t a.
t
it I
* \E $ ,_*
4