Virginius Evans Clark
Born (1886-02-27 ) February 27, 1886Uniontown, Pennsylvania Died January 30, 1948 (1948-01-31 ) (aged 61)Santa Monica Hospital Service/ branch Navy, U.S. Army Aviation Section, Signal Corps Rank Colonel Commands held McCook Airfield
Virginius Evans Clark (February 27, 1886 – January 30, 1948) was an officer in the United States Army , a military aviation pioneer, and a World War I engineer. Clark designed the 1922 Clark Y airfoil used by many early aircraft.[1]
Biography
Clark Y airfoil
He was born on February 27, 1886, to Harry Scott Clark in Uniontown, Pennsylvania .[2] Clark graduated the United States Naval Academy in 1907. He participated in the 1908-1909 round-the-world battleship voyage with the Great White Fleet . Later he was part of the Coast Artillery until 1912. In 1913 Clark joined the Aeronautical Division, U.S. Signal Corps . In 1914, Clark attended Massachusetts Institute of Technology for an aviation engineering course.
In 1917, Clark became a NACA member, and a member on the Joint Army and Navy Board on Rigid Airships. In 1917 Clark became the Commanding officer of McCook Field founding the current Aeronautical Systems Center . While at McCook, Clark and Verville designed the VCP-1 , and Engineering Division TP-1 aircraft. Clark was sent to Europe in June 1917 representing the Army on the"Bolling Mission ", an aeronautical commission on aviation for the acquisition of airplanes to fight World War I.[3] In 1922 Clark was also the Vice President of the Society of Automotive Engineers . In 1920 he became the chief engineer of the Dayton-Wright Company . In 1923, he became the vice president of Consolidated . Clark later worked for the Duramold division of Fairchild Aircraft in 1938. Clark designed the Fairchild 100 , Fairchild 150 , and the 46 Duramold (later the Fairchild 46-A ). He became a consultant at Hughes Aircraft Company .[4] Clark's Duramold process would later be used on the Spruce Goose .[5]
He died in Santa Monica on January 30, 1948.[2]
References
People and aircraft Campaigns and battles Entente Powers air services Central Powers air services