Ed Woll
Ed Woll | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 29, 1914 New York City, New York |
| Died | December 17, 2010 (aged 96) Westwood, Massachusetts |
| Alma mater | Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute |
| Employer | General Electric |
| Known for | Jet propulsion engineering |
Ed Woll (1914-2010) was an American engineer who developed the first modern gas turbine engines for General Electric.[1]
Woll led development of the T58, T64, and T700 turboshaft engines. Woll also led the F404, F101, F110 turbofan military engines, and GE27, and CFM56 civilian engines.[2]
Early life
[edit]In 1946 Woll worked at the Power Plant Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Field in Dayton, Ohio and Edwards Air Force Base in California.[3]
Woll developed the afterburner for the J35 engine, later developing the J47 variable afterburner.
GE career
[edit]Woll led the General Electric T58 and T64 helicopter and turboprop engine programs starting in 1953 with innovations such as corrosion-resistant high-temperature coatings.
Woll was a lead in developing the J85, CJ610, and CF700 engines which enabled lightweight jet fighters, such as the Northrop F-5, Northrop T-38 trainers, and early business jets like the LearJet and Fanjet Falcon. Woll resisted the urge to consolidate GE engineering, saving the GE's Lynn (MA) River Works from shutdown.[4]
In 1964, Woll led development of the 14,300 lbf (64 kN) thrust GE15 (later YJ101) which evolved into the F404 used in the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet and other aircraft.[5]
Woll later led the F101X, evolving (via the "Great Engine War")[6] into the F110 used to re-engine the F-14, F-15, and F-16.
Championing customer service and support, Woll retired in 1979 after developing the CF6, and CFM56 with Snecma.[7]
References
[edit]- ^ Aviation Week and Space Technology. 3 January 2011.
{{cite journal}}: Missing or empty|title=(help)[clarification needed] - ^ Richard A. Leyes, William A. Fleming. The history of North American small gas turbine aircraft engines.
- ^ General Electric. Seven decades of progress: a heritage of aircraft turbine technology.
- ^ Brian H. Rowe, Martin Ducheny. The power to fly: an engineer's life.
- ^ Robert V. Garvin. Starting something big: the commercial emergence of GE aircraft engines.
- ^ Colin Clark. "The Great Engine War Is Over". Archived from the original on 2013-05-22.
- ^ Richard A. Leyes, William A. Fleming. The history of North American small gas turbine aircraft engines.