kelly johnson skunk works quotes

On one of these sorties, a P-38 attacked a Japanese Navy air convoy. By 1955, Johnson and his secret division of engineersdubbedSkunk Workslaunched the worlds first dedicated spy plane, theU-2, just nine months after receiving an official contract. Kelly Johnson lived a comfortable life with his family. As recounted by Ben Rich, the operation's brilliant boss for nearly two decades . FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK, TWITTER , OR SUBSCRIBE TO OUR BLOG SO YOU NEVER MISS NEWLY POSTED ARTICLES OR IMPORTANT ALERTS! $21.95 $ 21. I shall use my time. If you've got the gold, you make the rules. Theirs is the official Lockheed Skunk Works story: . The Air Tactical Service Command (ATSC) of the Army Air Force met with Lockheed Aircraft Corporation to express its need for . 95. Johnson contributed much to the early stealth designs of the F-117 and SR-71, as well as the high altitude spy plane, the U-2. 8. The history of Skunk Works, the top-secret division of Lockheed that specialised in extreme, highly classified military aircraft design. During one of the wind tunnel tests, Johnson discovered a flaw with the Electras directional stability. Although initially hesitant, the USAF grew to rely on the U-2, eventually becoming an almost indestructible tool. The Constellation was the first aircraft with pressurization, which made the cabin much quieter. We had the specks lab tested, and they turned out to be organic materialinsects that had been injected into the stratosphere and were circling in orbit around the earth with dust and debris at seventy-five thousand feet in the jet stream. "Skunk Works" is the official nickname of the Lockheed Martin's Advanced Development Programs. Lockheed built the plane at Skunk Works headquarters in Burbank, California, in just eight months, then sent it for testing at Area 51, which Johnson nicknamed "Paradise Ranch." He lived by the motto "Be quick, be quiet, be on time." So, while in London to finalize the sale of the new Hudson bomber, the British Air Ministry requested numerous design changes, and Johnson took on the challenge over three nearly sleepless days. Shortly after Johnson implemented a first variant of its Skunk Works idea, an experimental shop where a small team of engineers, mechanics and business people was co-located to solve a problem . "May the Darkness have mercy on me. Facebook gives people the power to share and makes the world more. The term "skunk works" comes from a tiny Lockheed Martin facility run by chief engineer Kelly Johnson in the 1940s, which started in a tent next to a malodorous manufacturing plant. That damn Swede, Hibbard said, can actually see air., 2023 Lockheed Martin Corporation. Many of the principles that Johnson implemented have since become a standard in the industry, and for Lockheed Martin in particular. 2. Whilst this works out at just over one a year for his entire career, naturally, some years were better than others. According to article published in May 2010 issue of the Mufon UFO Journal - Ben Rich, the Father of the Stealth Fighter-Bomber and former head of Lockheed Skunk Works,had once let out information about Extraterrestrial UFO Visitors Are Real And U.S. Military Travel To Stars In the later years, many of these aircraft were to do with the concept of stealth. Push more basic inspection responsibility back to subcontractors and vendors. Many of the systems Johnson pioneered on the Constellation were refined on the L-1011. Regarded as the father of stealth,[1] Ben Rich was responsible for leading the development of the F-117, the first production stealth aircraft. A moment later we were directly over central California, with the Blackbirds continual sonic boom serving as an early wake-up call to the millions sleeping below on this special day. Lockheed wanted to find out what pilots wanted for a second generation jet fighter. He has received the Collier Trophy twice, for his works on the YF-12 (a variant of the SR-71) and the F-117 Nighthawk. Lockheed Martin's Advanced Development Projects (ADP), known officially as Skunk Works, was a secret aeronautical research facility in Burbank, California. Ben Rich may very well have asked for the device to cure him but They refused his request. As such, the Lockheed management ordered Kelly Johnson to rename the division to Skunk Works in order to avoid legal issues. And then, in August 1962, they hit pay dirt and came up with the pictures that showed the Russians were planting ballistic missiles right next door, SS-4s and SS-5s. That includes both domestic and international flights. Both Imperial Japanese Navy and Luftwaffe pilots were afraid of this aircraft due to its incredible speed. The Skunk Works manager must be delegated practically complete control of their program in all aspects. Now, go on home and pour yourself a drink., Everything about this project was dark alley, cloak and dagger. 10. The book Skunk Works: A Personal Memoir of My Years at Lockheed by Ben Rich and Leo Janos (1996, Little Brown & Company) covers their historic achievements in great detail. The Skunk Works. Strong but small project offices must be provided both by the military and industry. Don Phillips, These UFOs were huge and they would just come to a stop and do a 60 degree, 45 degree, 10 degree turn, and then immediately reverse this action. Many of the specialized sub-divisions in the Skunk Works that Johnson set up during the 1960s and 1970s are still going strong. Skunk Works Projects: The Super Secret Approach To Innovation Business Cards View All Business Cards Compare Cards Corporate Card Programs For Startups For Large Companies Payment Solutions International Payments Employee Spending Vendor Payments Automated Payments View All Payment Solutions Business Class Business Class Before Rich died of cancer, Andrews took my questions to him. Siddiq Saunderson Moved to L.A. and Immediately Bought a Prius, Millennials and Zillennials Can't Get Enough of Manual Transmissions, Dollar Flight Club Premium Plus (Lifetime Subscription), Tesla Investor Day 2023 Was Pretty Great if You Ignored Elon. Will Rogers, It is vitally important that we implement immigration reform. We decided to cross France without clearance instead of going the roundabout way. Nearly all biomorphic aerospace designs were inspired by the Roswell spacecraft from Kellys SR-71 Blackbird onward to todays drones, UCAVs, and aerospace craft, 3. Here, Johnson became the lead engineer on several of Skunk Works most successful and futuristic projects. Copyright 2023 Famous Quotes & Sayings. No reports longer than 20 pages or meetings with more than 15 people. Let's go bwaa ha ha. 13. We encouraged our people to work imaginatively, to improvise and try unconventional approaches to problem solving, and then got out of their way. International Aviation HQ. Taking action to help you protect what matters most. 3. During World War II, he designed the speedyP-38 Lightning, which pummeled destroyers and intercepted enemy fighters and bombers from Berlin to Tokyo; late in the war his team developed Americas first operational jet fighter, the P-80, in less than six months. The game changing F-117, which quickly gave the U.S. air superiority in the Gulf War, wouldn't have been possible without Ben Rich, the second director of Lockheed's secretive Skunk Works. Imperious, passionate, and demanding, Johnson was just as likely to deliver a kick to someones pants as a compliment to his face. . We got these things that are handhold scanners that scan the body and determine what the condition is. I can tell you personally that it has already started. I don't have time to feel sorry for myself. Andrews was a close personal friend of "Skunk Works" CEO Ben Rich the hand-picked successor of Skunk Works founder Kelly Johnson and the man famous for the F-117 Nighthawk "Stealth" fighter, its "half-pint" prototype the "HAVE BLUE", and the top-secret F-19 Stealth Interceptor. Johnson ran the Skunk Works with what was known as Kellys 14 Rules. The 14 Rules of Skunk Works according to Lockheed Martin 1. I'm going to press on. Even our drawings bore the logo C & Jthe word Lockheed never appeared. We cannot evangelize until we have been evangelized. Restrict access to outsiders. The venerable U-2 'Dragon Lady' is a spy plane born from Cold War necessity that soldiered on. He has tied the knot with Althea Louise Young in 1937. Hear more revealing testimony from Disclosure Project whistleblowers. The shock wave thudded against a huge hangar under construction about five hundred yards away and nearly knocked four workers off the scaffolding, while Davey and I huddled out of sight behind the cement wall, giggling like schoolboys. Working isolated, under rules of tight security, instilled a camaraderie probably unique in the American workplace. In the pursuit of breakthrough designs, he tolerated errorswith the caveat that they were made just once. Johnson also helped on the construction of several air bases during his time at the Skunk Works, most notably, the one atGroom Lake, Nevada, now known asArea 51. He received a Bachelors degree in Aeronautical Engineering and later a Masters degree in Aeronautical Engineering. There are a number of lessons for technology entrepreneurs. Johnson lived by the simple motto: Be quick, be quiet, and be on time. This influenced his management style at Lockheed, which was subsequently adopted by several other members of the Lockheed management. The project was highly secret, very high priority, and time was of the essence., Inside the Skunk Works, we were a small, intensely cohesive group consisting of about fifty veteran engineers and designers and a hundred or so expert machinists and shop workers., I enjoyed the goodwill of my colleagues because most of us had worked together intimately under tremendous pressures for more than a quarter century. How The de Havilland Dove Became a British Aviation Icon. It was Ben Richs opinion that the public should not be told [about UFOs and extraterrestrials] . The young engineers name was Clarence Johnson, but ever since hed trounced a local bully in grade school, he went by the more defiant nickname: Kelly, which suited his fierce and pugnacious personality. If it looks ugly, it will fly the same. If he doesnt, he rapidly loses his competency to design other vehicles. From that day on, the boy and his friends stopped calling him Clara, instead calling him Kelly after a popular song at the time. He should report to a division president or higher. Our forte was building technologically advanced airplanes of small number and of high class for highly secret missions., 2 : We already have the means to travel among the stars, but these technologies are locked up in black projects, and it would take an act of God to ever get them out to benefit humanity. Shortly following this, Kelly Johnson met Hall Hibbard. Top Kelly Johnson Skunk Works Quotes It would be nice to redefine ourselves - at the moment we are drowning in diversity. All rights reserved. 10. Lord of the Skunk Works,, Oliver, Myrna. No video evidence of this alleged confession? Only in the last months of his decline did he begin to feel that the international corporate board of directors dealing with the Subject could represent a bigger problem to citizens personal freedoms under the United States Constitution than the presence of off-world visitors themselves.. Within 26 months, the Skunk Works had developed hundreds of revolutionary components and a 95-percent . Jack London The future rewards those who press on. As a child, he was bullied due to his name being Clarence. Taking action to help you protect what matters most. 7. Other boys used to gang up on him and call him Clara. The Lockheed Skunk Works, led by Kelly Johnson, was responsible for its Advanced Development Projects - everything from the P-80, the first U.S. jet fighter plane, to the U-2 and A-12 spy planes. But some complaints were for real. I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them. Due to Johnson designing the F-104 to be better than any other aircraft, many other countries were interested in the F-104. WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO REGISTER, LET'S BUILD A GREAT COMMUNITY TOGETHER Barack Obama 12. Moreover, his total net worth is about $2.5 million US dollars as of 2022. These were so successful that Skunk Works still use them today. CLARENCE LEONARD (KELLY) JOHNSON February 27, 1910-December 21, 1990 BY BEN R. RICH B E QUICK, be quiet, be on time. Another opponent was Ed Martin, who thought that anyone who hadnt been building airplanes since the propeller-driven days wasnt worth talking to, much less listening to. Lockheed prevailed. We learned from both crash retrievals and actual hand-me-downs. The Government knew and until 1969 took an active hand in the administration of that information. 5. The History of Barnstorming Explained! I had no idea what he was talking about, so I told him to stand by. Following his graduation, he enrolled at Flint Junior College (now Mott Community College) where he graduated a few years later. So Kelly approved my idea of painting the airplane black, and by the time our first prototype rolled out the airplane became known as the Blackbird. His favorite maxim? We have lost something in the aerospace engineering world, and I wish we has leaders like Kelly Johnson around so that we could somehow get it back. Dec. 22, 1990 12 AM PT. Although, he contributed the most to: During the 1930s, Lockheed, as with most other aircraft manufacturers, strived to make faster and more agile aircraft. Johnson worked on almost all of Lockheeds jet aircraft between the 1950s and 1970s. Yes, it is time. Nearing the time of his retirement, Johnson was a legend at Lockheed, with people dying to having a conversation with him. There must be a monthly cost review covering not only what has been spent and committed but also projected costs to the conclusion of the program. They should report to a division president or higher. And, yes, we really did get some technology from them. According to a CNI News report by Colorado resident Michael Lindemann, the design information was derived from forensic illustrations and numerous witness testimonies about the Roswell UFO, provided by William L. Bill McDonald. Friedrich Nietzsche, I'd like to say this was our worst game. This cuts down misunderstanding and correspondence to an absolute minimum. The result was an airliner better than Howard Hughes couldve asked for. Its criminal to not have video proof of any deathbed confession at this point. This certainly helped Johnsons career and reputation in the industry. Commercial bid procedures are often better than military ones. 4.7 out of 5 stars 455. Instead of giving the SR-71 weapons, Johnson designed the SR-71 to travel at Mach 3.32, making it the fastest aircraft ever. I am a true believer. His father, ran a construction company and his mother was a homemaker. After WWII, the Germans were no longer the enemy, but the US was skeptical of the Soviets. A very simple drawing and drawing release system with great flexibility for making changes must be provided. The attack on Pearl Habour by the Japanese in 1941 took the US by surprise. Kelly Johnson, the Skunk Works founder, with a test pilot in the early stages of the division. Here, he managed to convince him that the Model 10 was unstable, with Johnson leading the tails redesign. Documentary History War The history of Skunk Works, the top-secret division of Lockheed that specialised in extreme, highly classified military aircraft design. His professor told him it was negligible and chose to only report the positives to Lockheed. As such, they sent Johnson to South Korea to ask. Johnson hand-picked a small team to attack the problem and delivered the XP-80 in only 143 days. Help me out here. The Lockheed Electra, P-38 Lightning, Constellation, P-80 Shooting Star, F-104 Starfighter, C-130 Hercules, U-2 Dragon Lady, Jetstar, and of course the almost supernatural A-12 Oxcart and its SR-71 Blackbird successor are just a few of the nearly 50 designs Johnson worked on during his 50 year career with Lockheed. , , , . He asked only for hard work, good communication, and unwavering honesty. Lisa Norato, I certainly wasn't happy. His record of design achievement in aviation is both incomparable and virtually incredible. The Lockheed Rye Canyon Research and Development Center inSanta Claritawas renamed, the Kelly Johnson Research and Development Center in his honor. Many of these people subsequently became executives at Lockheed Martin. The oil and gas companies would not like a little device in anyones home that would provide ample energy thus eliminating the need for fossil fuels, electric grids, distribution systems and monthly income for them. 2. Kelly Johnson's 14 Rules and Practices. , . We have lost something in the aerospace engineering world. , , , , . The number of people having any connection with the project must be restricted in an almost vicious manner. Tell me in the comments! Kelly Johnson's 14 Rules & Practices 1. In the end, Lockheeds Skunk Works demonstrated the awesome capabilities of American inventiveness when free to operate under near ideal working conditions. In 1983, Lockheed formally recognized Johnsons 50 years of service to the company. Funding a program must be timely so that the contractor doesnt have to keep running to the bank to support government projects. The final thing youll need to know is dont half-heartedly wound problemskill them dead. Ursula K. Le Guin, She looked at him. 2. Use a small number of good people (10% to 25% compared to the so-called normal systems). McDonald said: Well Hal, you asked for it! , , , , , ., Dave Robertson, one of Kellys original recruits and aerospaces most intuitively smart hydraulic specialist, ridiculed our design by calling it a flying engagement ring. Dave seldom minced words; he kept a fourteen-inch blowgun he had fashioned out of a jets tailpipe on his desk and would fire clay pellets at the necks of any other designers in the big drafting room who got on his nerves. Dont duplicate so much inspection. 2023 Lockheed Martin Corporation. Johnsons work on the Constellation was stored for several years, until Lockheed decided to develop the L-1011 TriStar. Kelly: More Than My Share of It All by Clarence L. Johnson 605 ratings, 4.20 average rating, 56 reviews Open Preview Kelly Quotes Showing 1-26 of 26 "Listen; you'll never learn anything by talking. He should report to a division president or higher. This still involved illegally . At the highest levels, the Navy brass was equally unenthusiastic about the small number of stealth ships they would need to defend carrier task forces. The Skunk Works practice of having a specification section stating clearly which important military specification items will not knowingly be complied with and reasons therefore is highly recommended. The specifications applying to the hardware, including rationale for each point, must be agreed upon well in advance of contracting. The inspection system as currently used by the Skunk Works, which has been approved by both the Air Force and Navy, meets the intent of existing military requirements and should be used on new projects. Kelly Johnson had designed the fly higher than the U-2, at 85,000ft (26,000m). Lockheed's Skunk Works may be one of the earliest models for sustaining innovation inside an organization - never mind the nefarious mission of making flying machines to kill people. He declared his intention, then pushed through while his subordinates followed in his wake. The team (and its leader) must earn this trust. He can and must test it in the initial stages. 7. Top Kelly Johnson Skunkworks Quotes That's what a Congressman or a Senator is for to see that too much money don't accumulate in the national Treasury. ""Well, I don't think any of the boyos have figured it out, but all of the coven knows. Alya Kulikova is a Russian avgeek who loves nothing more than learning about new aircraft, and sharing that with her fellow avgeeks! I was catching up on the KC-46 Pegasus program when I read this story and this story, among others. Personal life Moving to their anticntic and private life he married three times. Our stealth ship might be able to blast out of the sky a sizable Soviet attack force, but in terms of an officers future status and promotion prospects, it was about as glamorous as commanding a tugboat. KISSKeep It Simple, Stupid. In 1956, he became Vice President of the Research and Development division, where he was the lead designer on several aircraft. This also enabled the Constellation to fly higher, and therefore faster than most contemporary aircraft. I didn`t see the craft, nor did I see the bodies, but I certainly know some of the people that did. This item: Skunk Works: A Personal Memoir of My Years of Lockheed $2375 Kelly: More Than My Share of It All $2495 Failure Is Not an Option: Mission Control From Mercury to Apollo 13 and Beyond $2178 Total price: $70.48 Add all three to Cart Some of these items ship sooner than the others. Using what Johnson had pioneered on the P-38, especially speed, Johnson led a group of engineers, including the famous Hall Hibbard and Willis Hawkins. But it was Hall Hibbard, Kellys boss, who summed up his abilities best. We used a mail drop out at Sunland, a remote locale in the San Fernando Valley, for suppliers to send us parts. Strong but small project offices must be provided both by the military and industry. And we have ones that can diagnose and cure cancer. . 9. He was the lead designer on several of Lockheed's greatest aircraft in the Cold War, as well as being the first leader of Lockheed's infamous Skunk Works division. Initially the USAF didnt like the design (mostly because Lockheed submitted it without asking for it). In 1940, the Society of American Engineers (now SAE) awarded Johnson theWright Brothers Medal. In 1928, Johnson graduated from Flint Central High School. Today, these are commonplace on almost all airliners, including those designed by both Airbus and Boeing. Following the success of the P-38, Lockheed tasked Kelly Johnson with working on a family of airliners that could replace the earlier Lockheed Model 18 Lodestars. And if the ship was totally invisible, it looked like a blank spotlike a hole in the doughnutthat was a dead giveaway, Kelly began receiving all kinds of complaints and threats of lawsuits from communities claiming the Blackbird had shattered windows for miles around. Will Rogers It is vitally important that we implement immigration reform. Today, Lockheed Martin is still at the forefront of stealth technology, mostly due to Johnsons earlier work. Access by outsiders to the project and its personnel must be strictly controlled by appropriate security measures. Clarence Leonard Kelly Johnson 19101990, National Academy of Sciences, accessed 8 September 2012. | Contact Us Johnson and his team developed the A-12 for the CIA.