The Descriptive Finding Guide for the Robert Reedy Personal Papers SDASM.SC.10163

San Diego Air and Space Museum Library and Archives

7/16

2001 Pan American Plaza, Balboa Park

San Diego 92101

URL: http://www.sandiegoairandspace.org/

Language of Material: English

Contributing Institution: San Diego Air and Space Museum Library and Archives

Title: Robert Reedy Personal Papers

Identifier/Call Number: SDASM.SC.10163

Physical Description: 3 Cubic Feet The collection contains items reflecting Mr. Reedy’s career and his lifelong passion for aviation. There are papers, photographs, albums, scrapbooks, drawings and patents, reports, models and other memorabilia, from the late 1920s up through the 1980s. Included are Swallow and Stearman files; AiRover/Vega models and the Menasco Unitwin; patents for aircraft design; photos, proposals and specifications for the "Sky Skooter"; and files relating to Hiller and Radioplane. Lockheed files include promotional material, program and engineering notes, corporate information, and photos of the Big Dipper and Little Dipper, Constellation, Electra, Orion, F-104, SST, and L-1011. SDASM also has many of the donor’s scratch and manufacturer models, including the prize-winning TriMotor, and other memorabilia. This collection consists of four archival boxes, 12-1/2 x 15 x 9-3/4H, three of which contain folders, and one containing scrapbooks, photograph albums, presentation slides, and photographs. There is also one oversized archival box, 18 x 24 x 6H that contains scrapbooks, photograph albums, and other memorabilia. In addition, SDASM received models, calendars, glass plates, a tea tray, coffee mugs, a leather helmet and goggles, plus other memorabilia, which has been turned over to Curatorial.

Date (bulk): bulk

Abstract: The collection contains items reflecting Mr. Reedy’s career and his lifelong passion for aviation. There are papers, photographs, albums, scrapbooks, drawings and patents, reports, models and other memorabilia, from the late 1920s up through the 1980s. Included are Swallow and Stearman files; AiRover/Vega models and the Menasco Unitwin; patents for aircraft design; photos, proposals and specifications for the "Sky Skooter"; and files relating to Hiller and Radioplane. Lockheed files include promotional material, program and engineering notes, corporate information, and photos of the Big Dipper and Little Dipper, Constellation, Electra, Orion, F-104, SST, and L-1011. SDASM also has many of the donor’s scratch and manufacturer models, including the prize-winning TriMotor, and other memorabilia.

Biographical / Historical

Robert Reedy's career in military and commercial aviation lasted over 50 years. He was born on October 7, 1912, in Texas, and as a boy in the Texas panhandle in the 1920's, the plane-crazy boy built scratch models and drew planes at every chance. At the University of Wichita, a top aviation engineering school, Bob flew gliders and was elected branch president of Tau Omega, the national aviation fraternity. When Will Rogers autographed Mr. Reedy’s prize-winning model Ford TriMotor in 1933, Rogers commented, "This is better than some planes I have ridden in." From 1934 to 1937, Reedy worked part-time and summers at the Swallow Airplane Company in Wichita, doing everything from preliminary designs to selling tickets for airplane rides; he took some of his pay in the form of flight instruction.

After graduating cum laude from the University of Wichita in 1934, Mr. Reedy joined Stearman Aircraft (later Boeing) in Wichita. He was design engineer on detailed aspects of more than a dozen models, including variants of the Stearman Kaydet, PT-13, and XOSS-1. In 1937, Reedy and Mac Short, VP/Chief Engineer of Stearman, produced a design for a "4-place monoplane with dual geared engines, powered by Menasco." Ties between Stearman, Lockheed and Menasco led to the establishment of the AiRover Company in Burbank. Mac Short took Reedy and three other engineers out to Burbank to form the engineering nucleus of the new company.

In 1938, AiRover became the Vega Airplane Company, where Reedy headed Preliminary Design. His team was involved in development of the 'Unitwin' Model 2, guided missiles and targets, patrol and scout-observation types, the PV-2 and early development of the P2V Neptune. By 1944, Vega had become part of Lockheed. Reedy was Chief Project Engineer in the Special Projects Branch at Lockheed, focusing on the Model 33 "Little Dipper" and the Model 34 "Big Dipper." Work ended abruptly after Big Dipper crashed in February 1946.

Later in 1946, Mr. Reedy joined his former Lockheed colleague, John Thorp, at the new Thorp Airplane Company as VP Sales for the "Sky Skooter." The postwar period was difficult for private aviation; many on the Thorp team were working on reduced pay, so Reedy also worked for Radioplane as Assistant Chief Engineer to make ends meet.

In late 1949, Mr. Reedy rejoined Lockheed full-time as Manager of Sales Engineering, and there his team promoted the Constellation and Electra worldwide. When President Kennedy announced a competitive National Supersonic Transport (SST) program in 1963, Reedy became Program Director for Lockheed's SST project. When Lockheed's SST ambitions ended in December 1966, Reedy was needed on the new L-1011 TriStar. He led Commercial Programs and Marketing Administration until 1981, when Lockheed announced it would soon cease production. Bob Reedy continued to represent Lockheed in a number of industry bodies until retirement in 1984. He passed away on December 20, 1995 in Los Angeles.

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open to research by appointment.

Scope and Contents

This collection consists of four archival boxes, 12-1/2 x 15 x 9-3/4H, three of which contain folders, and one containing scrapbooks, photograph albums, presentation slides, and photographs. There is also one oversized archival box, 18 x 24 x 6H that contains scrapbooks, photograph albums, and other memorabilia. In addition, SDASM received models, calendars, glass plates, a tea tray, coffee mugs, a leather helmet and goggles, plus other memorabilia, which has been turned over to Curatorial.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

This collection was donated to the San Diego Air and Space Museum.

Related Materials

Lockheed aircraft files.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Lockheed Aircraft

Lockheed Model 34 Big Dipper

Lockheed Model 33 Little Dipper

Thorp Airplane Company

Vega Aircraft Corporation

Lockheed R7V-1 Super Constellation

AiRover Company

Thorp Sky Skooter

Reedy, Robert

Thorp, John

Short, Mac

Box 1 of 5

Series I: Correspondence

Folder 1 - Miscellaneous project correspondence, including re: corporate historian.

Series II: Project Documents

Folder 2 - School Report, "Performance Calculations For Swallow Model H-W," Bob Reedy, Student, University Of Wichita, March 21, 1933.

Folder 3 - Report, "High Lift And Lateral Control Devices," Stearman Aircraft Company, including drawings, 1932-1933.

Folder 4 - Report, "Stearman Aircraft Co., Model 70 Training Plane; Model 80 High Speed Utility Plane."

Folder 5 - Report, "Longitudinal Static And Dynamic Stability XOSS-1 Airplane," Stearman Aircraft Company, April 29, 1937.

Folder 6 - Report, "Special Features And Innovations, Stearman Model 85."

Folder 7 - Stearman Alumnus Club, correspondence, 1970-1971.

Folder 8 - AiRover Company, "Mock-up Board Report 2," #20964, March 30, 1938; "Unitwin Development History," #S-103, March 30, 1938.

Folder 9 - P2V Neptune Series, notes, correspondence, and Lockheed Star articles.

Folder 10 - P2V, bound Lockheed articles, reports, including "Lockheed P2V-7 Neptune, U.S. Navy Patrol Bomber," brochure with drawing; "The Lockheed P2V Neptune Series, Development and Characteristics," J. B. Wassall; "Jobs for the Neptune," Lockheed, February 1, 1950; "Model XP2V-1 Mock-up Conference," November 30, 1943, R. E. Reedy (2 copies); "PV-2 Pilot's Pocket Manual," Mac Short.

Folder 11 - P2V, reprints and articles, including magazine Airborne ASW Log, Vol. III, #4, December 1972; U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings; reprint "P2 and P3 on Patrol," Capt. S. Dombroff, USN; Air Classics magazine, "Neptune History," Parts I-IV; Naval Aviation News, "Navy Neptune."

Folder 12 - Vega Airplane Company, including article "Birth Of Vega Airplane Company," 1938.

Folder 13 - Report, "The Private Owner Airplane," John Thorp, Market Survey, December 5, 1941.

Folder 14 - Promotional Booklet, "Vega Engineering," Vega Aircraft Company, approximately 1942.

Folder 15 - Large Book, brown cover, "Engineering Development Facilities," Vega Airplane Company, 1937-1940.

Folder 16 - Large Book, black & maroon cover, "Sales Conference Board Report," Lockheed and Vega, 1941.

Folder 17 - Report, black cover, "Special Features And Innovations - Vega Target Airplane," #40-103, Vega Airplane Company, 1939.

Folder 18 - Design Sketches, "Four-Place Monoplane, Dual Geared Engines," Mac Short & Robert E. Reedy, Vega Airplane Company, April 1937.

Folder 19 - Report on cardboard, "Vega 35," Vega Airplane Company, 1940-1941.

Folder 20 - Brochure, blue cover, "Vega 82, Transitional Training Airplane," Vega Airplane Company, 1937-1940, includes article from Aviation Scrapbook.

Folder 21 - Report on cardboard, "Vega Model V-146 (XP2V-1) Land-Based Patrol Airplane," prepared for US Navy, Vega Aircraft Corporation, 1944-1947.

Folder 22 - Lockheed Vega, includes Vega 5C equipment list, article in Lockheed Aircraftsman by Joe Barry, Vega drawing, 1944.

Folder 23 - Report, "Airplane Model Specification," marked up draft, Model 33-82-01, Little Dipper, Vega Aircraft Company, January 1, 1945.

Folder 24 - Report, "Flight Test Analysis," #X03-1288, Model 33, Little Dipper, Lockheed Aircraft Co., March 16, 1945.

Folder 25 - Report, "Preliminary Cost Estimate," #X03-1290, Model 33, Little Dipper, Lockheed Aircraft Corporation, April 10, 1945.

Folder 26 - Little Dipper, including Air Trooper article, miscellaneous promotional material.

Folder 27 - Report, "Cost Analysis," #X03-1317, Model 34, Big Dipper, Lockheed Aircraft Co., February 12, 1946.

Folder 28 - Report, "Model 34 Big Dipper," Lockheed Aircraft Corporation, 1945-1946.

Folder 29 - Design Specification Experimental Airplane, Model 34, Big Dipper, report, documents, photos.

Folder 30 - Thorp Aircraft Company, Thorp T-11 Sky Skooter "Basic Data for Airplane Manufacturing Venture for Argentina, June 20, 1947.

Folder 31 - Thorp Aircraft Company, correspondence and articles on Sky Skooter.

Folder 32 - Thorp Aircraft Personal Letters, 1947-1948.

Folder 33 - Thorp Aircraft Co., promotional material for Sky Skooter.

Box 2 of 5

Series II: Project Documents (continued)

Folder 1 - United Helicopters - Robert E. Reedy, includes notes, reports, articles, and correspondence.

Folder 2 - American Helicopter Society, correspondence, articles, 1948-1952.

Folder 3 - United Helicopter, R. E. Reedy, report "Engineering Requirements for Permanent Competition in Helicopter Field," April 24, 1946.

Folder 4 - Green 3-ring binder, "DO-6" on spine, steno notebook of R. E. Reedy, reports, articles, drawings, United Helicopters, Inc.

Folder 5 - Lockheed Constellation, promotional brochures.

Folder 6 - Lockheed Constellation, brochures and photos.

Folder 7 - Model 1649A, Lockheed Constellation, sales plan, miscellaneous reports.

Folder 8 - Hardbound book, "A New Airline Star, 1649A Turbo Compound Super Constellation," Lockheed, April 1955.

Folder 9 - 1449/1469 Development, Lockheed documents and reports.

Folder 10 - Spiral bound book, "Super Constellation Pocket Handbook," Lockheed Models 1049G and 1049H, Lockheed Aircraft.

Folder 11 - Report, "Electra-Pedia," media package for Lockheed Prop Jet Electra, Lockheed Aircraft Corp, 1958.

Folder 12 - Lockheed Electra booklets, "American Airlines Makes History Again;" "Eulogy for the Electra;" "Electra CL-355 Airport Performance;" and "Electra Turbo-prop Transport."

Folder 13 - Lockheed Electra, includes five promotional booklets, "Lockheed Turboprop Electra Special Air Mission Transport," 1958; "Mission of the Lockheed Turboprop Electra in the World Air Transportation System," 1956; "TWA Electra Campaign Log," 1959; "Electra 10-E Transport Specification," May 15, 1938; and "New Look for the Front Office."

Folder 14 - Lockheed F-104, includes four reports, "Test Pilot's Notebook," 1961; "TF-104G Multipurpose Fighter/Trainer," 1963; "Off for a Spin," Hangar Flying Magazine, March 1968; "F-104G Starfighter, European Production of Systems," by Mark Lambert, reprinted from Flight International, March 14, 1963 (two copies).

Folder 15 - Lockheed F-104, includes five bound promotional booklets, "F-104 Super Starfighter," December 1962; "F-104-17 New Wings for the Air National Guard," May 1962; "MAP F-104 Joint Conference," February 1963; "Proven Performance F-104-17," April 1962; "Aerospace Trainer NF-104A," November 1962.

Folder 16 - Lockheed Orion (P3), large drawing of Orion WASP 7-place retractable landing gear, April 15, 1931.

Folder 17- SST Reference Data.

Folder 18 - SST, Boeing brochure, "A Short History of Man on the Move," November 1964.

Folder 19 - SST, Concorde, brochures, reports re: British Airways Concorde.

Folder 20 - SST Program Status, including four reports/brochures, "SST Development Chronology"; "Who's Who on the Lockheed SST," 1966; "SST Program Status"; "Progress on the SST Program," Robert A. Bailey March 2, 1966; "Evolution of Commercial Transport Airplanes and the Analogy to the Supersonic Transport," April 10, 1964 (2 copies).

Folder 21 - SST Program Reports, including four reports, "The Case for the Supersonic Transport," June 1959; "SCAT Mid-term Review Team," June 3-5, 1963; "SST Program Paper," J. F. McBearty, November 23, 1964; "Program Management Personnel," Supersonic Transport Economics, Hibbard, August 29, 1962.

Folder 22 - Report, "The Supersonic Transport - An Essential Program for the United States," R. E. Reedy, Lockheed, June 1965.

Folder 23 - Report, "Technical Challenges of the Supersonic Transport," Lockheed, June 1966.

Folder 24 - Two bound reports, "Supersonic Transport," Federal Aviation Agency, 6/19/63; "SCAT Proposal for Feasibility Studies of Supersonic Commercial Air Transport Configurations," Lockheed, January 1963.

Folder 25 - Medical Data - SST, including report, "Human Elements in Supersonic Transport Planning," Robert E. Reedy, July 15, 1964 (2 copies); miscellaneous correspondence and notes.

Folder 26 - International Air Transport Association (I.A.T.A.) - SST, correspondence.

Folder 27 - Flight Forum (sponsored by Connecticut General), two reports, "The SST and National Priorities," Spring 1965; "Status and Promise of New Aeronautical and Space Technology for Transportation," Raymond L. Bisplinghoff, May 1963.

Folder 28 - SST Miscellaneous, industry articles re: SST and supersonic transport.

Folder 29 - SST, press releases, correspondence, organization charts, publicity re: Lockheed Supersonic Transport.

Folder 30 - Lockheed Star (in-house newspaper) articles re: SST and R. E. Reedy.

Box 3 of 5

Series II: Project Documents (continued)

Folder 1 - Lockheed L-1011 Tristar Characteristics, drawings and notes.

Folder 2 - Lockheed L-1011 Flight Management Systems, press releases, publicity

Folder 3 - Lockheed L-1011, history, chronology, organization.

Folder 4 - Lockheed L-1011, publicity photos, notes.

Folder 5 - Lockheed L-1011, phase-out of L-1011 program, 1981-1983

Folder 6 - Lockheed L-1011, brochures, press releases, miscellaneous information.

Folder 7 - Lockheed L-1011, report, "The Lockheed L-1011 Tri-Jet Transport," Willis M. Hawkins and Robert A. Bailey, presented to Royal Aeronautical Society, October 17, 1968 (2 copies).

Folder 8 - Lockheed L-1011 reports and booklets, including "Development of Requirement, Configuration and Design for the L-1011 Jet Transport," W. M. Magruder, October 7-11, 1968; "Tri-Star: The Most Intelligent Jet Transport in the World," publicity booklet; "L-1011-500 Tristar Technical Profile"; "Lockheed's Latest Tristars: Out in Front with Pan Am," Air International magazine, April 1980; "Airline Cash Flow," Lockheed Airline Credit Department, March 1970.

Folder 9 - Hardbound book, "The Lockheed 1011 Jet Transport," general characteristics, passenger features, performance and economics, systems, ground operations, May 1968.

Series III: Speeches and Presentations

Folder 10 - Presentation "Capabilities of the Supersonic Transport," R. A. Bailey, to Air Force Association, April 7, 1965.

Folder 11 - Presentation, "Supersonic Transport Capabilities," Robert A. Bailey, to Inter-American Aviation Law Conference, April 8, 1965.

Folder 12 - Presentation, Supersonic Transport, R. A. Bailey, to Aviation/Space Writers Association, May7 18, 1965.

Folder 13 - Presentation, L-1011, R. E. Reedy, to U.S. Navy Research Reserve, February 15, 1968.

Folder 14 - Presentation, "The Story of the Lockheed L-1011 Air Bus," R. E. Reedy, to Purchasing Management Association of Los Angeles, October 10, 1968

Folder 15 - Presentation, Lockheed L-1011, Willis M. Hawkins, to Royal Aeronautical Society, October 17, 1968.

Folder 16 - Presentation, "L-1011 Program," R. A. Bailey, to TWA Management Club-San Francisco, October 29, 1968.

Folder 17 - Presentation, "L-1011 TriStar Program," R. E. Reedy, to Armed Forces Communications & Electronics Assoc. (AFCEA), February 6, 1969.

Folder 18 - Presentation, "The Lockheed Company," R. E. Reedy, to Reynolds Metal Sales Management Conference, May 17, 1969.

Series IV: Personal Documents

Folder 19 - R. E. Reedy Certificates and Awards.

Folder 20 - R. E. Reedy Resumes and Patents.

Folder 21 - R. E. Reedy, Files-Reports Sent to Lockheed Records Center, 1983-1984.

Folder 22 - Aviation-related postal first day covers and first flights envelopes.

Series V: Lockheed Projects

Folder 24 - Lockheed Constitution, 2 bound reports, "The Constitution -- Biggest Lockheed Now in Service, Planned for Development," May 9, 1949; "The Lockheed Constitution Development Story," December 1950.

Folder 25 - Two reports, "Lockheed L-146," Lockheed Aircraft, August 1944; "CL-704 Planning," 1961.

Folder 26 - Two articles, "Evolution of the Lightning," Lockheed Aircraft, reprint from Skyways magazine; "Feeder Airline Operations," Southern Flight magazine, Vernon Dorrell, 1939.

Folder 27 - "Lockheed Altair/Sirius," Lockheed Star article and large drawings.

Folder 28 - "Proposed Operating Plan for VP of New Program Development," Lockheed California, R. E. Reedy, January 27, 1967.

Folder 29 - Market Engineering Department, various Lockheed reports.

Folder 30 - CALC Commercial Deliveries, 1928-1958.

Folder 31 - Lockheed - cartoons, various projects.

Folder 32 - Bound report, "Aircraft," by Bob Reedy, articles on various airplanes, 1930s .

Series VI: News Clippings

Folder 33 - Bound ledger book, Robert Reedy, news cuttings, air races, crashes, approximately 1926-1932.

Box 4 of 5

Series VII: Scrapbooks and Photo Albums – images spanning Robert Reedy’s entire career, from his college days to his retirement from Lockheed. Scrapbook, brown cover, 12-1/2 x 14-1/2 x 1H, “Scrap Book on front cover, Thorp Sky Skooter, newspaper clippings, photographs, magazines.

AL 248A – Dark brown album, string tie, dancing couple and “Photographs” on cover, Stearman, Wichita, 1935 – 1937.

AL 248B – Maroon album, string tie, “Photographs” on cover

AL 248C – (Condition) Black album, very fragile binding.

AL 248D – (Condition) Dark brown album, fragile binding, “Photographs,” and decorative scrolling on cover, University of Wichita, Aero Department, glider club, airplanes, 1932 – 1936, very fragile loose pages.

AL 248E – Black album, key ring bound, with print of Berryloid Fleet #8 on cover, photographs, 1929 – 1930.

AL 248F – Black album, key ring bound, planes, visiting Amarillo, stamps, notes, 8 x 10 glossies, “Still no” (cf venetian blind drawing), 1926 – 1939.

AL 248G – Bound report, “Powerplant Flight Tests, Model 34 Prototype (Big Dipper) with photos.

AL 248H – Oversized black album, 15 x 17 x 1-1/2H.

AL 248I – Bound report, “Design Studies – One, Two and Four Place Types, Lockheed Aircraft Corporation.

Series VIII: Photographs – a total of 920 images loose in five folders, and in photo albums, spanning Robert Reedy’s career, from his college days to his retirement from Lockheed.

Folder 1 – Photographs: Reedy_0001 through 0050.

Folder 2 – Photographs: Reedy_0051 through 0101.

Folder 3 – Photographs: Reedy_0102 through 0150.

Folder 4 – Photographs: Reedy_0151 through 0200.

Folder 5 – Photographs: Reedy_0201 through 0264 (Photos 0232 through 0235 in Oversized box).

Series IX: Slides (in 3 folders)

Box 5 of 5

Series X: Oversized Material

Photo, oversized, Reedy_ 0232, Flying Tigers American Volunteer Group Reunion, June 28, 1952, 21-3/4 x 12.

The Thorp Sky Skooter, Army Presentation Brochure, Thorp Aircraft Company, 11 x 14 (Condition – plastic binding deteriorating).

AIAA Certificate of Appreciation on wood plaque, 11 x 13.

Bound booklet, “Little Known Facts About the Scheduled Air Transport Industry,” Air Transport Association of America, 10 x 13-1/2.

Poster, “…and he named it the Lockheed Mountain,” mounted on board, Detroit Aircraft, Lockheed Vega, 9-1/2 x 14

Black scrapbook with dog on cover, 1930x and 1940x logo designs, 9-1/2 x 12-1/2.

Photo, oversized, Reedy 0233, 11-1/2 x 14-1/2.

Photo, oversized, Reedy 0234, 11-1/2 x 14-1/2.

Photo, oversized, Reedy 0235, 11-1/2 x 14-1/2, aerial photo of Lockheed Air Terminal.