The Descriptive Finding Guide for the Edward Henry Heinemann Personal Papers SDASM.SC.10066
Alan Renga
San Diego Air and Space Museum Library and Archives
1/06/2016
2001 Pan American Plaza, Balboa Park
San Diego 92101
Language of Material:
English
Contributing Institution:
San Diego Air and Space Museum Library and Archives
Title: Edward Henry Heinemann Personal Papers
Identifier/Call Number: SDASM.SC.10066
Physical Description:
5 Cubic Feet
The Edward Henry Heinemann Collection is contained in seven archival boxes collection measuring 16 ½ x 13 x 10 ¼ inches. There
is a CD in the first box containing JPEG images of the photographs.
The aircraft drawing designs are stored in three blue clamshell oversized boxes.
Date (bulk): bulk
Abstract: Edward Henry Heinemann, (14 March 1908 – 26 November 1991) was a noted military aircraft designer for Douglas Aircraft.
Conditions Governing Access
The collection is open to researchers by appointment.
Conditions Governing Use
Some copyright may be reserved. Consult with the library director for more information.
Preferred Citation
Edward Heinemann Personal Papers at the San Diego Air and Space Museum
Biographical / Historical
Edward Henry Heinemann began designed aircraft in 1926 as a draftsman with Douglas Aircraft Company. He moved to International
Aircraft, and then to Moreland Aircraft as chief engineer. Heinemann took an active role in proving many of his concepts by
being the test pilot on some of the aircraft he designed. In 1930 he joined Northrop Aircraft Corporation as project engineer,
but it was as vice president for Military Engineering of the Douglas Aircraft Company in 1936 that he achieved his greatest
design triumphs. In 1962 he became corporate president of Engineering with General Dynamics, a position he occupied until
his retirement in 1973.
Heinemann was responsible either totally or in part for the design and development of more than 20 outstanding military aircraft.
Just some of the aircraft include the SBD Dauntless dive bomber of World War II fame, of which 4982 were built; the A-20 and
A-26 light bombers, of which over 8000 were built; the A-I Skyraider; the F4D Skyray; the supersonic research aircraft D-558
Skystreak; and his crowning achievement, the outstanding A-4D Skyhawk which is still current in the Navy’s operational arsenal
and is in use worldwide.
In addition to aircraft designs, Heinemann and his staff were responsible for the development of a number of aircraft components
and weapons such as ejection seats, cartridge ejector bomb racks, low-drag streamlined bombs, fuel tanks, autopilots, and
flight data computers.
Edward Heinemann’s career was devoted to solving engineering problems in aeronautical science. A genius of the times, his
intellect and creativity contributed greatly to the advance of world aero science.
Scope and Contents
The Edward Henry Heinemann Collection is contained in seven archival boxes collection measuring 16 ½ x 13 x 10 ¼ inches. The
majority of this collection consists of business and corporate correspondence. There is also a box that contains index cards
that correlate to the correspondence (in box 1), several speeches, personal correspondence, newspaper articles, periodicals,
drawings and designs, seven oversized books of aircraft designs, and hundreds of photographs. The oversized books will be
placed separate from the main collection due to the size of the books. The collection was previously distributed among fourteen
smaller boxes by year and by topic. The collection has maintained the same order, but placed into larger boxes, and there
are cardboard dividers labelling each section.
There is a CD in the first box containing JPEG images of the photographs.
The aircraft drawing designs are stored in three blue clamshell oversized boxes.
One oversized foreign magazine has been placed in the Oversized Material Special Collection, OMSC_00001.
Related Materials
“The Ed Heinemann Story”; VT-0635, Audio Visual.
Interview with Ed Heinemann, December 1, 1985; AS-VT 1846, Oral Histories.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The collection was donated to the San Diego Air and Space Museum
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Douglas Aircraft Company
Douglas A4D (A-4) Skyhawk Family
Douglas AD (A-1, BT2D) Skyraider Family
Douglas SBD Dauntless
General Dynamics
Northrop Aircraft, Inc
Heinemann, Edward H.
Series I: Inventory & Appraisals
Folder 1 – Complete Inventory Listing
Physical Description: This folder contains a descriptive list of everything that Ed Heinemann donated.
Folder 2 – Inventory/Donation Listing
Physical Description: This folder contains a descriptive list of everything that Ed Heinemann donated to different institutions, as well as an index
of what was donated to whom.
Folder 3 – IAHF Aircraft Memorabilia Proposal
Physical Description: This folder contains an appraisal covering a collection of historical aircraft memorabilia. The appraisal is valued at approximately
$100,000.
Series II: Speeches & Articles
Folder 4 – Speeches & Articles Vol. I (unknown – 1955)
Physical Description: Folder 4 and Folder 5 contain twenty-eight speeches about aircraft production, aircraft technology, and aircraft design.
Folder 5 – Speeches & Articles Vol. II (1959 – 1972)
Physical Description: Folder 4 and Folder 5 contain twenty-eight speeches about aircraft production, aircraft technology, and aircraft design.
Folder 6 – Heinemann Portrait Photographs
Physical Description: This folder contains many portrait and professional photographs of Heinemann.
Folder 7 – Heinemann with Aircraft
Physical Description: This folder contains photographs with various types of aircraft in the picture.
Folder 8 – Heinemann with Acquaintances
Physical Description: This folder contains photographs of Heinemann with his peers during events and gatherings
Folder 9 – Heinemann at a Ceremony
Physical Description: This folder contains photographs of Heinemann and many other corporate and military officials, personnel, and others at a
ceremony (believed to be the retirement ceremony for the A-4 Skyhawk).
Folder 10 – Heinemann Presentations & Meetings photographs
Physical Description: This folder contains a few photographs of Heinemann presenting diagrams and meeting with associates.
Folder 11 – Heinemann at Events/Meetings
Physical Description: This folder contains several photographs of Heinemann with his peers at events, meetings, and ceremonies.
Folder 12 – Heinemann & Military Officials
Physical Description: This folder contains photographs of Heinemann with military officers at events.
Folder 13 – Pt. Barrow, Alaska, Naval Arctic Research Lab Photographs
Physical Description: This folder contains the photographs taken by Heinemann and the Naval Research Advisory Committee. There are dozens of aerial
photographs of central Alaska, the Arctic ocean, the DEW Line, and Pt. Barrow research and drilling facilities.
Folder 14 – Miscellaneous Photographs
Physical Description: This folder contains several photographs that did not fit in the other categories. There are unidentified individuals, drawings,
and miniature photographs of Aero Corp., and Northrop on cardboard.
Folder 15 – Duplicate Photographs
Physical Description: Duplicates
Series IV – Correspondence Index Records (stored in a box in Box 1)
Physical Description: This box contains hundreds of index cards organized alphabetically with names, subjects, and dates. The box is labelled “Set
10: Subject Index to Correspondence.”
Series V – Cassette Tape
Physical Description: Inside the correspondence index records box is a tape labelled “Heinemann – 15 Jan 1987; Audio For Slide Presentation 3/3
(one sided).
Series VI: Correspondence
Subseries 1: Correspondence (1926-1961)
Subseries 2: Correspondence (1962-1972)
Subseries 3: Correspondence (1973-1975)
Folder 14 – 1973 January – June
Folder 15 – 1973 July – December
Folder 16 – 1974 January – June
Folder 16 – 1974 January – June
Folder 17 – 1974 July – December
Subseries 4: Correspondence (1976-1977)
Folder 19 – 1976 January – June
Folder 20 – 1976 July – December
Folder 21 – 1977 January – June
Folder 22 – 1977 July – December
Subseries 5: Correspondence (1978-1979)
Folder 23 – 1978 January – June
Folder 24 – 1978 July – December
Folder 25 – 1979 January – June
Series VI: Correspondence (cont.)
Subseries 6: Correspondence (1979-1980)
Folder 1 – 1979 July – December
Folder 2 – 1980 January – June
Folder 3 – 1980 July – December
Subseries 7: Correspondence (1981-1982)
Folder 4 – 1981 January – March
Folder 5 – 1981 April – June
Folder 6 – 1981 July – December
Folder 7 – 1982 January – June
Subseries 8: Correspondence (1982-1983)
Folder 8 – 1982 July – December
Folder 9 – 1983 January – June
Folder 10 – 1983 July - December
Subseries 9: Correspondence (1984-1985)
Folder 11 – 1984 January – June
Folder 12 – 1984 July – December
Folder 13 – 1985 January – June
Folder 14 – 1985 July - December
Subseries 10: Correspondence (1986-1987)
Folder 15 – 1986 January – June
Folder 16 – 1986 July – December
Folder 17 – 1987 January – June
Folder 18 – 1987 July – December
Series VI: Correspondence (cont.)
Subseries 11: Correspondence (1988-1992)
Series VII – Designs, patents, & projects (Sets 12 & 13)
Folder 4 – Airplane Design & Performance Trends
Physical Description: This folder contains several graphs and charts with aircraft data. Data includes speed, time, comfort, weight, altitude, and
more.
Folder 5 – Patents
Physical Description: This folder contains patents for aircraft designs ranging from 1935 to 1956.
Folder 6 – Heinemann Design Studies 1
Physical Description: This folder contains several different document types. There are characteristic charts, sketches, reports, a Douglas book,
and some blueprints.
Folder 7 – Heinemann Design Studies 2
Physical Description: This folder contains several different document types. There are characteristic charts, sketches, reports, a Douglas book,
and some blueprints.
Folder 8 – Speeches
Physical Description: This folder contains predominantly untitled speeches and speeches from Douglas Aircraft Co. There are also a few speeches
from General Dynamics, as well as attack aircraft and aircraft problems.
Folder 9 – Heinemann Interview
Physical Description: This folder contains the interview script between Edward H. Heinemann and Daniel R. Mortensen, Office of Air Force History.
It took place in Rancho Santa Fe, California, on April 5, 1984.
Folder 10 – Douglas Aircraft Co. Reports
Physical Description: This folder contains a few reports from Douglas Aircraft Co. concerning aircraft speed, weight and cost reduction, a trip
to the pacific, and external bombs and stores,
Folder 11 – General Dynamics paper
Physical Description: This folder contains one report titled “Effect of Wing Tilt and Variable Sweep upon Aircraft Takeoff and Landing,” to be delivered
to the 8th International Aeronautical Congress on May 29-31, 1967.
Folder 12 – Heinemann Turbo Proposals
Physical Description: This folder contains a few proposals for civilian and military turboprop and turbojet aircraft.
Folder 13 – Carrier Based Aircraft Proposals
Physical Description: This folder contains three proposals for carrier based attack aircraft.
Folder 14 – Heinemann Speeches
Physical Description: This folder contains three speeches – one from the fifty-third Wilbur Wright Memorial Lecture; one from proceedings of the
Technological Obsolescence Symposium; and one that is addressed to Admiral Hague and Gentleman regarding aircraft production
issues and propositions for the future.
Folder 15 – Aircraft Graphs
Physical Description: This folder contains two graphs. The first graph charts the speed versus year for fighter and attack aircraft. The second
graph (large and folded) charts thrust loading versus wing load for 81 different aircraft.
Series VIII – Biographical Publications (Set 14)
Folder 16 – Heinemann Biography
Physical Description: This folder contains documents that describe Edward Heinemann and the actions, events, and challenges that he faced to become
one of the most respected men in the aviation industry.
Folder 17 – Magazine Articles & Journals
Physical Description: This folder contains several magazine articles, journals, and newsletters ranging from 1949 to 1972.
Folder 18 – News Magazines & Corporate Periodicals
Physical Description: This folder contains several corporate magazine articles, journals, and newsletters ranging from 1952 to 1987.
Folder 19 – Foreign Magazine
Physical Description: This folder contains a few magazine articles in French and German from L’Air and Flug-Revue.
Folder 20 – Newspaper Articles
Physical Description: This folder contains dozens of newspaper articles and clips with news about Edward H. Heinemann. It dates from the mid-1940s
to the mid-1980s following his death.
Folder 21 – Awards/Nominations
Physical Description: This folder contains several booklets and invitations to ceremonies that nominate or award Edward Heinemann. He is memorialized
by the Michigan Aviation Hall of Fame, the International Aerospace Hall of Fame, the Guggenheim Medal Board, and the United
States Naval Aviation Hall of Honor.
Folder 22 – Heinemann Death
Physical Description: This folder contains a few periodicals that honor Edward Heinemann following his death on November 26, 1991.
Folder 23 - Miscellaneous
Physical Description: This folder contains documents that did not fit into other categories. It contains a telegram, correspondence on blue-line
paper, a list of business jets, and two poems.
Series IX – Aircraft Design Drawings
Physical Description: There are seven aircraft design books. Book 1 contains studies, preliminaries, and sketches. Book 2 contains 3-views of many
aircraft including the Texaco Sky Chief and the Dauntless Book. Book 3 contains blueline 3-views of the Texaco Sky Chief and
the Dauntless Book. Book 4 contains glossy 3-views of the Texaco Sky Chief and the Dauntless Book, as well as many other aircraft.
Book 5 contains 3-views and 3-view transparencies. Book 6 contains the history of Douglas designs (compiled by Heinemann himself)
from 1938 to 1943. Book 7 is a continuation of book 6 with the same date range.
Item 1 – Airplane Drawings, Design Studies, Book 1
Item 2 – Airplane Drawings, 11 x 17 Three-Views, Book 2
Item 3 – Airplane Drawings, Blueline Three-Views, Book 3
Series IX – Aircraft Design Drawings (cont.)
Item 4 – Airplane Drawings, Glossy Three-Views, Book 4
Item 5 – Airplane Drawings, 8 ½ x 11 Three-Views, Slick Paper Three-Views, Miscellaneous Size Three-Views, Three- View Transparencies,
Odd Size Drawings, Book 5
Item 6 – Airplane Drawings, History of Design Studies, Book 6
Series IX – Aircraft Design Drawings (cont.)
Item 7 – Airplane Drawings, History of Design Studies (Continued), Book 6A
Series X – Oversized Materials
Physical Description: There is one item in the OMSC_00001 box. I is a French newsletter Lair. The sleeve contains multiple pages of this newsletter.
