The Aircraft Designers: A Northrop Grumman Historical Perspective, Volume 1 & 2

[overscan (PaulMM)]

This looks interesting.

The Aircraft Designers, A Northrop Grumman Historical Perspective, Volumes 1 and 2 tell the story of the aircraft designers and teammates who created, designed, developed, and tested many manned and unmanned aircraft over the course of more than 100 years, starting from the days when Jack Northrop was a draftsman engineer in 1916. These innovators, who devoted their time, intellect, and passion to the most demanding of technological industries, are remembered and brought to life in these books through stories and photos. Eagerly awaited follow-ups to Ciminera’s 2013 book The Aircraft Designers: A Grumman Historical Perspective, these volumes are more comprehensive than their predecessor as they cover a longer historical period (nominally 100 years versus 65 years); provide a deeper look at the design evolution and characteristics; allow the reader to graphically see design trends with the addition of special charts as opposed to just verbal descriptions; and include a large chapter devoted to targets and unmanned autonomous systems.

In this first volume, Chapter 1 is devoted to Jack Northrop’s ‘formative’ years from 1916 until 1938, during which time he worked for aircraft companies as an engineer and later as president of divisions, as well as owning a small research aircraft company. This is followed by World War II and post-war years from 1939 through 1952 that consume two more chapters. Since so many conventional and flying wing aircraft were designed with many variants, along with developing an advanced guidance system for the SNARK missile and a new turbojet engine, Chapter 2 addresses conventional aircraft, followed by the flying wing story in Chapter 3. Northrop retired during 1952 with a ‘changing of the guard’ involving company and engineering leadership that ushered in a dynamic time from 1952 to present day that led to the ascendancy of Northrop Grumman as one of the leading aerospace manufacturers in the world. There are informative chapters with excellent photos, graphics, and tables to enable the reader to grasp technical advances in aircraft design, stealth, and advanced avionic systems brought about by a skilled workforce and key acquisitions led by Kent Kresa, Northrop Grumman CEO. Chapter 4 is devoted to the lineage of trainer and fighter aircraft. Presenting research and photographs from over 150 sources including interviews, private collections, museums, libraries, universities, letters, company periodicals, past stockholder reports, and more, The Aircraft Designers: A Northrop Grumman Historical Perspective, Volume 1 is a valuable resource for engineering students, faculty, historians, pilots, military personnel, government agency personnel, collectors, hobbyists, model aircraft builders, and the aerospace community at large.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

For over 50 years, MICHAEL CIMINERA , played an integral role at Grumman and Northrop. Beginning as a college apprentice for Grumman at the age of 17, he became a Vice President managing such areas as Advanced Programs, Systems Group, Electronic Systems, JPATS, F-18A/B/C/D Hornet program, and Joint STARS. In 2000, he became a Sector Consultant for Northrop Grumman where he provided technical and program management oversight of programs including Fire Scout, UCAS, and the X-47B. Mike continues to lecture, write, and serve on several boards, including as Chair of the Leadership Council of the School of Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; president of the Western Museum of Flight, Torrance, CA; and a member of the COA (Christian Outreach in Action) Board, a non-denominational center in Long Beach, CA that cares for those in need.

https://arc.aiaa.org/doi/book/10.2514/4.106941

In this second volume, Chapter 1 covers the evolution of stealth and the lineage of the B-2. Chapter 2 gives the reader an extensive look at targets and unmanned autonomous system developments from 1935 until today; and Chapter 3 examines technology demonstrators, attack aircraft, and legacy programs from the Grumman acquisition in 1994 including the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye airborne early warning system and the EA-18G Growler electronic counter measures system. Chapter 4 discusses how the challenging role of the aircraft designer has changed, including selected designer profiles numbering over forty individuals, followed by a tribute to the Northrop and Northrop Grumman retirees, many of whom are well into their nineties.

Presenting research and photographs from over 150 sources including interviews, private collections, museums, libraries, universities, letters, company periodicals, past stockholder reports, and more, The Aircraft Designers: A Northrop Grumman Historical Perspective, Volume 2 is a valuable resource for engineering students, faculty, historians, pilots, military personnel, government agency personnel, collectors, hobbyists, model aircraft builders, and the aerospace community at large.

https://arc.aiaa.org/doi/book/10.2514/4.106965

(h/t Aldo Spaldoni)

 

[aim9xray]

Amazon has the release date for both volumes as 29 September 2023 and is accepting pre-orders (at what looks to be a discount price). AIAA is not accepting orders yet. AIAA members can expect a discount.

 

[ChocolateCrisps]

So these are expanded from the original rather than sequels to it, right? I've been meaning to pick it up for a while - more detailed versions instead are fine with me!

 

[overscan (PaulMM)]

The book you are thinking of was about Grumman. This book is about Northrop, plus post merger with Grumman,.

Completely different.

 

[ChocolateCrisps]

Ah thank you - the nearly identical title caught me out! Assumed it would cover both and that the original had too, I now see that I was misremembering that!

 

[BillRo]

Yes, Mike Ciminera moved over to the Northrop side after the Grumman merger, and is well connected. After the Grumman book he decided to do one (or two) on Northrop people. An interesting change when most authors concentrate on the aircraft themselves,

 

[gatoraptor]

The title is misleading. The name Grumman should be taken out. These books are strictly about Northrop.

 

[overscan (PaulMM)]

@gatoraptor

Chapter 3 examines technology demonstrators, attack aircraft, and legacy programs from the Grumman acquisition in 1994 including the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye airborne early warning system and the EA-18G Growler electronic counter measures system.

So its Northrop, plus Northrop Grumman, no Grumman.

 

[overscan (PaulMM)]

Yes, Mike Ciminera moved over to the Northrop side after the Grumman merger, and is well connected. After the Grumman book he decided to do one (or two) on Northrop people. An interesting change when most authors concentrate on the aircraft themselves,

Yes, I agree - normally you get only a mention of the chief designer at most. It's nice to know more about the other people.

 

[flateric]

...

 

[Desertfox]

Oh tempting! Volume IV might include my college professor who was a structural engineer on the F-5 thru the YF-23.

 

[fightingirish]

...

An interesting lecture for a Sunday evening on the couch.

The Aircraft Designers A Northrop Grumman Historical Perspective with Michael Ciminera
Celebrity Lecture Series: The Aircraft Designers A Northrop Grumman Historical Perspective with Michael Ciminera, Northrop Grumman Vice President, Retired. Mike Ciminera has covered the incredible saga of the Northrop lineage from the earliest days of the flying wings to the modern era of highly successful strategically deterrent aircraft and some of the most formidable tactical aircraft in the modern combat aviation inventory. Mike, who himself has played a significant role in the development of modern tactical aircraft, will share his insights with us which has led us to the eagerly anticipated volumes that preserves a significant portion of American aviation history.

Video:

View: https://youtu.be/hcq9XAyoZ_I?si=6XJfq-AiZvwQKDZz

Link:

https://youtu.be/hcq9XAyoZ_I?si=6XJfq-AiZvwQKDZz

 

[BillRo]

Since Mike Ciminera interviewed me for the books, of course I had to buy them. I am most of the way through the first one and will do a review when I finish. There are many books on aircraft, some biographies of chief designers and pioneers, but nothing like Mike's which goes down to the real people who were doing the work and solving the problems. A brilliant addition to Northrop's history.

 

[BillRo]

Mike Ciminera worked in Grumman Advanced Design and rose to be a Senior Vice President there when Northrop acquired Grumman in 1994. In 2013 he published “The Aircraft Designers. A Grumman Historical Perspective”. What is unique about Mike’s book is that it covers not only the aircraft developed by Grumman but the people involved - not just the boss and the chiefs, but many of the people who did the grunt work and solved the problems in design, test, manufacturing and in the service department.

At Northrop, now Northrop Grumman, he held several senior positions including running the legacy F/A-18A/B/C/D Program. He decided to write a similar book about Northrop and the two-volume set “The Aircraft Designers. A Northrop Grumman Historical Perspective” is the result. His contacts at Northrop gave him access to many current and retired engineers, corporate archives and historical documents, sources not available to the usual aircraft history author.

Volume 1 covers Jack Northrop’s brilliant early aircraft designs and pioneering structural concepts developed for Loughead, Douglas, and Boeing before starting Northrop Aircraft in 1939. The war years up to 1950, the flying wings, trainers and fighters (T-38- YF-23) make up the rest of Volume 1. The development of each design that flew is fleshed out by interviews with the people involved - Mike used over 150 sources, many of them interviews with current and retired Northrop employees.

Volume 2 covers the evolution of stealth at Northrop that culminated in the B-2, and the lineage of unmanned systems, starting with Reginald Denny, evolving to the designs built at Northrop Ventura. Ryan is covered too, since Northrop Grumman acquired them in 1999, and with Global Hawk a series of successful pilotless vehicles were flown. There is a chapter on Technology demonstrators - X-21 and lifting bodies, the A-9 prototype, and some of the newer developments of the Grumman E-2D and F/A-18G Growler.

In all these books are a valuable addition to a Northrop history library and a must-read for anyone who has worked in engineering for Northrop Grumman over the last 50 years. For me, it was really interesting to see how the careers of people I hired had developed - they could not tell me what they were doing at the time!

The books are available through Amazon for $44.95 in the US or through AIAA.