Vladimir H. Pavlecka
May 20, 1901 - June 28, 1980
Legacy
Few men have contributed as much to aeronautical research and development as Vladimir H. Pavlecka. His legacy, which spans six decades, from the 20s through the 70s, includes inventing more than 40 pioneering patents including; Straight-8 Engine (General Motors), aluminum Monocoque Structure beginning with the ZMC-2, Steam Turbine, Automatic Wing Folding, Flush Riveting, first Pressurized Fuselage, first Tricycle Landing Gear on a large plane, Heliarc (TIG) and Argonarc (MIG) Welding, P-61 Black Widow, America's first jet engine, the Turbodyne changed to the Turboprop fitted with a propeller, and the first TurboFan as well as the Supercharger. Pavlecka even fixed the Hydrogen Pump design on the Apollo J-2 Rocket Engine helping launch the U.S.A. and the first man to the moon. He went on to create innovative patents for the Wind Motor Rotor (Wind Turbine) and the Automatic Extracting Mechanism (Coffee Maker). Despite inventing the Modern Airplane airplane (DC-3 and DC-4) for Douglas Aircraft (Boeing), the Metalclad Airship was Pavlecka's first love. He spent thousands of hours perfecting the design elements necessary for a modern airship, the MC-7, before he passed away and flew to heaven at age 79. Pavlecka is an eligible first-year ballot nominee for enshrinement into the National Aviation Hall of Fame in Dayton, Ohio.
Buick Fireball Straight-8
Metalclad ZMC-2
Conversations with Vladimir H. Pavlecka
Lee Payne, a Photojournalist for the Orange Coast Daily Pilot, and Author of Lighter Than Air, covered Vladimir H. Pavlecka's storied career in the 70s.
NotesTape #1
Tape #2
Tape #3
Tape #4
Tape #5
The Man Who Invented The Airplane
Douglas DC-3
Douglas DC-4
Douglas XB-19
Patents
AirplaneInternal Hexagonal Stop Nut
Airplane Having Folding Wings
Sealed Joint
Method of Riveting
Percussive Tool
Bucking Tool
Monocoque Structure
Electric Arc Welding Torch
Draw Press
Structural Joint
Airplane Structure
Centrifugal Impellers
Turbine Stator
Airplane Power Plant
Turbine Blade
Compressor
Hydraulic Turbine
Thermal Power Plant
Gas Turbine Power Plant #1
Centripetal Subsonic Compressor
Gas Turbine Power Plant #2
Gas Turbine Power Plant #3
Gas Turbine Power Plant #4
Automatic Extracting Mechanism (Coffee Maker)
Aerostatic Bearings
Dynamic Steam Cycle
Combustion Chambers
Supersonic Centripetal Compressor
Sub-Atmospheric Gas Turbine Circuits
Supercharger
Bypass Jet Engines
Methods of Compressing Fluids
Gas Turbine Power Plant #5
Radial Dynamic Machine
High Energy Conversion Turbines
Wind Motor Rotor (Wind Turbine)
Air Transport and Lifting Vehicle
Gradation of Skin Thickness
Thrusters for Airship Control
Douglas A-1 Skyraider
Douglas A2D-Skyshark
Historical Literature
Betting Heavy On Lighter-Than-AirCountersunk Rivet Method Is Patented For Airplanes
Development of Aircraft Engines
Hangaring In There
Innovation In Carrier Aviation
Interest Rises In Lighter Side Of Air Travel
In the Cause Of Flight
Lighter Than Air - The Future Of The Airship
New Riveting Method For Use On Airplanes
Studies In Arc Welding
The Great Jet Engine Race; And How We Lost
The James F. Lincoln Arc Welding Foundation
Welding Magnesium
Vladimir H. Pavlecka Obituary
Vladimir H. Pavlecka Resume
Northrop XP-56 Black Bullet
Northrop P-61 Black Widow
Northrop XT-37 Turboprop
Northrop EB-35
Rocketdyne J-2 Apollo Engine
Airships International, Inc.
Air Buoyant Vehicles: Energy Efficient AircraftAirships International, Inc. Brochure
Metalclad Airships
State of the Art of Metalclad Airships
The Present State of Meltalclad Airship Technology
Affiliations
Former Employers
Boeing, General Motors, Lockheed Martin, MD Helicopters, McCulloch, Northrup Grumman, Pratt & Whitney, RAND, Raytheon, Rockwell, Curtiss-Wright