(AMERICAN AIRCRAFT DESIGNER) REX B. BEISEL

(AMERICAN AIRCRAFT DESIGNER) REX B. BEISEL
(1893-1970) Naval aeronautical engineer, designer, inventor and manufacturer, the creator of the Corsair Fighting airplane, Corsair F4U-1 bomber, XF 3U-1 Navy Fighter, the Curtiss-Falcon and Hell Diver. At the time of his death, Beisel held no fewer than 100 aircraft patents. A historically important archive documenting Beisel's earliest endeavors as an aircraft designer while still enlisted in the U.S. Navy in his early twenties. Beisel proved to be so brilliant that the Navy Department placed him on detached service at Curtiss, Wright and Spartan Aircraft Manufacturing service, where he was allowed to formulate design changes. The archive consists of approx. 20 U.S. Naval documents dispatched from the Secretary of the Navy in the form of travel orders for Beisel, four of which are rubber stamped Franklin D. Roosevelt, with FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT adding initials next to the stamped signature. All documents are from 1918-1922, and include a T.L.S. by JOSEPHUS DANIELS, in part: '...You are requested to report to the temporary duty at LWF Engineering Co. in connection with changes in the design of the H.S. 2-L Flying Boat...'. Within four months and with the support of Roosevelt, Beisel received his appointment as aeronautical engineer. Roosevelt would undertake two inspection yours of Naval bases and war zones in Europe in 1918-1919, but during his brief return as Acting Secretary of the Navy, he orders Beisel, on Jan. 27, 1920, to: '...proceed to the Naval Aircraft Factory...in connection with sand load tests on the Loening M-8-0...'. Ironically, the same travel order was reiterated by FDR on Feb. 16, 1920, one of his last official acts as Asst. Secretary of the Navy. On Nov. 9, 1920, Beisel was assigned to Curtiss by newly-appointed Secretary of the Navy Gordon Woodbury, for the sole purpose of testing the wing of the CT Torpedo. So successful was his work that he was able to secure new patents in aviation design. With a T.L.S. by Commander of the Navy J. C. HUNSAKER, regarding the rudder on a plane and other details, and much more technical data and memoranda, resumes and ephemera. Worthy of further research, overall very good condition.