Benjamin Robert Rich (June 18, 1925 January 5, 1995) was the second director of Lockheeds Skunk Works from 1975 to 1991, succeeding its founder, Kelly Johnson. This was Lockheeds secretive division, designing the aircraft of the future. His statements helped to give credence to reports that the U.S. military has been flying vehicles that mimic alien craft. He asked only for hard work, good communication, and unwavering honesty. Between 1933 and 1975, Johnson worked on most of Lockheeds aircraft. In 1939, TWA, at the behest of Howard Hughes, commissioned Lockheed to build an airliner that was faster than anything on the market. 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. Lead by the legendary Clarence "Kelly" Johnson, a titan of the aircraft industry, Skunk Works produced such revolutionary planes as the U-2, SR-71 Blackbird and FB-117 Nighthawk. My God in heaven, he exclaimed, youre gonna blow up Burbank., The CIA had been covering Cuba with U-2 flights for years. View the profiles of people named 'Kelly Johnson on Facebook. I didn`t see the craft, nor did I see the bodies, but I certainly know some of the people that did. CLARENCE LEONARD (KELLY) JOHNSON. Johnsons work on the Constellation was stored for several years, until Lockheed decided to develop the L-1011 TriStar. Don Mattingly, The person who does not decide to love forever will find it very difficult to really love for even one day. Kelly Johnson and Lockheed Story - YouTube 1. The Constellation was the first aircraft with pressurization, which made the cabin much quieter. What I was given was the thing you can't earn, and can't keep, and often don't even recognize at the time; I mean joy. In total, Johnson was awarded a whopping 52 awards! Clarence Kelly Johnson is the Babe Ruth of aerospace design. 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. The ADP offices stank of plastic- due to the nearby plastic factory. . One Lockheed engineer, the Skunk Works founder Kelly Johnson, had an idea for how they could beat the Nazis' groundbreaking plane. Within 26 months, the Skunk Works had developed hundreds of revolutionary components and a 95-percent . Whilst at University, Johnson helped out on the wind tunnel testing of the Lockheed Model 10 Electra, Lockheeds answer to the Boeing 247. That way we reduced rework and scrap waste. McDonnell Douglas DC-10: Your Ultimate Guide. Ben Rich and "Kelly" Johnson set the origin as June 1943 in Burbank, California; they relate essentially the same chronology in their autobiographies. He was the lead designer on several of Lockheeds greatest aircraft in the Cold War, as well as being the first leader of Lockheeds infamous Skunk Works division. Now you can run this goddamn place. The checks arrived by regular mail at his Encino home, which had to be the wildest government payout in history. 2. Any workernot just a supervisor or a managercould send back a part that didnt meet his or her standards. Then she looked at the table stacked with books. During this time, almost by accident, one of the Skunk Works mathematicians finds a copy of a Soviet . The beauty of a prototype is that it can be evaluated and its uses clarified before costly investments for large numbers are made., Overnight, however, he apparently had second thoughts, or did some textbook reading on his own, and at the next meeting he turned to me as the first order of business. Many of the principles that Johnson implemented have since become a standard in the industry, and for Lockheed Martin in particular. Johnson soon realized that arming the aircraft was nearly impossible, so chose another route: speed. Copyright 2023 Famous Quotes & Sayings. Harvey Fierstein There's biology in everything, even when you're feeling spiritual. 12. We have invested in developing and demonstrating hypersonic technology for over 30 years. There are 2 types of UFOs the ones we build and ones they build. I can tell you personally that weve been working on them. No, it wont take someones lifetime to do it. Although it was a commercial failure, it was a technological marvel. BE QUICK, be quiet, be on time. He banked the funds through a phony company called C & J Engineering, the C & J standing for Clarence Johnson. 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. 2. Hear more revealing testimony from Disclosure Project whistleblowers. Customers who viewed this item also viewed When Johnson returned to the US, he began working on a jet to fit what the F-86 pilots wanted. 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. 11. Kelly johnson, the founder of the lockheed skunk works, established fourteen basic operating principles to govern his talented personnel and top secret projects. We have invested in developing and demonstrating hypersonic technology for over 30 years. , , , , , ., 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. 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 Kelly Johnson lived a comfortable life with his family. Funding a program must be timely so that the contractor doesn't have to keep running to the bank to support government projects. He should report to a division president or higher. Aircraft programs under Johnson were so cutting edge and historically influential, and his cult of personality and management strategy so effective, that he and Lockheeds Skunk Works (which he also founded) are forever enshrined in mankinds technological hall of fame. We know what it is. Kelly: More Than My Share of It All: Clarence L. "Kelly" Johnson "May the Darkness have mercy on me. There must be mutual trust between the military project organization and the contractor, and there must be very close cooperation and liaison on a day-to-day basis. As such, they sent Johnson to South Korea to ask. The attack on Pearl Habour by the Japanese in 1941 took the US by surprise. 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. In 1995, Lockheed merged with Martin Marietta to form Lockheed Martin, the present incarnation of the company. His work was instrumental in preventing a Soviet win during the Cold War. Kelly Johnson (engineer) - Wikipedia How The de Havilland Dove Became a British Aviation Icon. Kelly Johnson's Skunk Work Rules | Secret Projects Forum Taking action to help you protect what matters most. He should report to a division president or higher. Dec. 22, 1990 12 AM PT. 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. For Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works, It's All About Getting To The The majority of the F-86 pilots wanted an aircraft that was much simpler, smaller and was faster than contemporary Soviet jets. SIGNING UP IS FAST, EASY AND FREE (TAKES LESS THAN A MINUTE AND IT'S A FREE FORUM). If he doesnt, he rapidly loses his competency to design other vehicles. This principle, an acronym of Keep It Simple Stupid was pioneered by Johnson at Lockheed. No video evidence of this alleged confession? Since his death, Johnson has frequently been called one of the most influential aviators of the 20th century. Beyond his moniker quick, quiet, and quality, he did this by operating by a code that was unique to himself and his subordinates: a living mental set of commandments of sorts that pulled from both his experience and his vision. Johnson officially retired from Lockheed in 1975, where he was succeeded by his close friend, Ben Rich. The Black Budget Anti-Gravity Craft You Are Not Supposed to Know About! As one of Johnson's lieutenants wrote to Tom Peters, "Each person was told why he had been chosen: He was the best one to be had. Kelly Johnson Skunk Works Quotes - Wise Famous Quotes KISSKeep It Simple, Stupid. Jack London The future rewards those who press on. The Air Tactical Service Command (ATSC) of the Army Air Force met with Lockheed Aircraft Corporation to express its need for . Robert Wringham, The main thing is to get what little happiness there is out of life in this wartorn world because 'these are the good old days' now. The Skunk Works. IMAKE - quotesecret.com I don't have time to complain. A small airplane, a bomber, an aircraft carrier, all with the same shape, will have identical radar cross sections., Frankly, I don't think you could have driven a needle up my sphincter using a sledgehammer., Viewed from head-on the ship looked like Darth Vaders helmet. Helen Fisher So he decided to have one of his inspectors follow our unmarked van as it traveled back to Burbank. His father, ran a construction company and his mother was a homemaker. Robertson hated having anyone look over his shoulder at his drawing and reacted by grabbing a culprits tie and cutting it off with scissors. The Fort Robertson complex was located less than a thousand yards from the Municipal Airports in-bound runway. " Skunk Works " by Ben R. Rich is a worthy sequel to Kelly Johnson's " Kelly: More Than My Share of It All ." It brings the story of the Lockheed Skunkworks, founded by Johnson, up to 1995. Kelly Johnson was always fanatical about security. The young Kelly Johnson, a brilliant engineer, led a team of only 28 people into the top secret project. They can and must test it in the initial stages. Barack Obama The Botes Void: Is This Evidence Of An Alien Civilization? One of these designs won him a prize of several hundred dollars. This airliner would go on to be one of Lockheeds most successful projects. Welcome back. 3. 5. I pushed out to Mach 3.3., Over the years we had developed the concept of using existing hardware developed and paid for by other programs to save time and money and reduce the risks of failures in prototype projects., My years inside the Skunk Works, for example, convinced me of the tremendous value of building prototypes. "There must be a minimum number of reports required, but important work must be recorded thoroughly," Johnson wrote. Clarence "Kelly" Johnson would have celebrated his 100th birthday three days ago if he still was with us, his name is pretty well known to anyone with an interest in aviation. Don't duplicate so much inspection. . He was the kind of enthusiastic visionary that bulled his way past vast odds to achieve great successes, in much the same way as Edison, Ford, and other immortal tinkerers of the past. The team (and its leader) must earn this trust. Kelly Johnson is known for a lot of things. Access by outsiders to the project and its personnel must be strictly controlled by appropriate security measures. 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. "If you want us to keep pretending that you're sorting old books whenever we come by to chat, you shouldn't slam them on the table. Moreover, his total net worth is about $2.5 million US dollars as of 2022. Secret Speed Racer Aircraft: Skunk Works Reveals - Popular Mechanics | Contact Us It was Ben Richs opinion that the public should not be told [about UFOs and extraterrestrials] . With many Lockheed aircraft entering service with the US military, engineers used it with test pilots, who then taught US Navy pilots. In the summer of 1938, a twenty-eight-year-old farm boy from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan found himself holed up in a London hotel room. $21.95 $ 21. We decided to cross France without clearance instead of going the roundabout way. However, he didnt remain as a tool designer for long. Will Rogers It is vitally important that we implement immigration reform. Learn how we are strengthening the economies, industries and communities of our global partner nations. Before Rich died of cancer, Andrews took my questions to him. There must be a minimum number of reports required, but important work must be recorded thoroughly. The carrier task force people didnt like the stealth ship because it reminded everyone how vulnerable their hulking ships really were., One of the biggest problems we had to overcome was our own extreme invisibility! Lockheed tasked Johnson with creating the perfect fighter-bomber that would decimate the German and Japanese forces. BY BEN R. RICH. Strong but small project offices must be provided both by the military and industry. This also enabled the Constellation to fly higher, and therefore faster than most contemporary aircraft. Skunk Works' 14 Rules and How to Use Them - mattmc.co These were so successful that Skunk Works still use them today. We cannot evangelize until we have been evangelized. In February 1937, the US Army Air Corps wanted a fighter-bomber that didnt require a fighter escort. This still involved illegally . Kelly Johnson Skunk Works Quotes & Sayings Happy to read and share the best inspirational Kelly Johnson Skunk Works quotes, sayings and quotations on Wise Famous Quotes. Due to this, the Model 10 was a major success. Johnson has been awarded the Theodore von Karman Award, twice, for his aircraft designs. , , , , . However, this wasnt easy, especially given the role and the other specifications the P-38 needed to have. He was one of seven children, as well as the child of an immigrant, finances were naturally quite tight. Amazon.com: kelly johnson skunk works The late Ben Robert Rich was the second director of Lockheed Corp.'s top-secret research and development unit known as the "Skunk Works." Founder and . Lockheed contracted Johnson, then head of Lockheed Skunk Works, to develop the U-2s replacement. Skunk Works Quotes - Goodreads | Meet your next favorite book And thus, revolutionary aircraft after revolutionary aircraftincluding perhaps Johnsons greatest achievement, the SR-71 Blackbird, still the worlds fastest aircraft fifty years after its first flightrolled off the Lockheed line under Johnsons watch. 8. 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. Lockheed Martin's Advanced Development Projects (ADP), known officially as Skunk Works, was a secret aeronautical research facility in Burbank, California. His three principles: First, it's more important to. Has the story of Kelly Johnson inspired you? 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. The contractor must be delegated the authority to test their final product in flight. I was catching up on the KC-46 Pegasus program when I read this story and this story, among others. After their first success, they applied the Skunk Works method again to create the world's first spy plane in 1954 that could take crystal clear pictures at 70,000 feet. Lockheed CEO Ben Rich Declared On His Death Bed: Extraterrestrial UFO Taking action to help you protect what matters most. Lisa Norato, I certainly wasn't happy. Although initially hesitant, the USAF grew to rely on the U-2, eventually becoming an almost indestructible tool. WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO REGISTER, LET'S BUILD A GREAT COMMUNITY TOGETHER, World Predictions Until 2050 by Remote Viewer E.M Nicolay. And, yes, we really did put it to work. We have lost something in the aerospace engineering world. He called the Hopeless Diamond Richs Folly. Some said that Eds bark was worse than his bite, but those were guys who didnt know him., That primitive Skunk Works operation set the standards for what followed. What Was Barnstorming? Kelly Johnson was born on February 27 1910 in Ishpeming, Michigan, a remote mining town. He founded the legendary 'Skunk Works' department for Lockheed that designed under his command innovative and revolutionary aircraft like the U-2, F-104, SR-71 (photo . Kelly Johnson | American aeronautical engineer | Britannica 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. 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. Lord of the Skunk Works,, Oliver, Myrna. Here, Goldwater accused Lyndon Johnson of allowing the Soviets to out compete the US. There are conflicting observations about the birth of Skunk Works. We couldnt figure out what in hell it was. | About Us A few times we announced a bogus flight plan and then sat back and watched the phony complaints pour in. These were based on Johnsons personal work ethics and experiences. In 1969, Johnson was promoted to the position of Senior Vice President for his work. Our Multi-Domain Operations/Joint All-Domain Operations solutions provide a complete picture of the battlespace and empowers warfighters to quickly make decisions that drive action. Strong but small project offices . The Russians never had an inkling of how they were actually contributing to the creation of the airplane being rushed into construction to spy on their homeland., Control is the name of the game and if a Skunk Works really operates right, control is exactly what they wont get., He backed me even though he insisted that it would be a complete waste of my time. We became the most successful advanced projects company in the world by hiring talented people, paying them top dollar, and motivating them into believing that they could produce a Mach 3 airplane like the Blackbird a generation or two ahead of anybody else., Clarence Kelly Johnson was an authentic American genius. Rule Number 1. All Rights Reserved. As such, LBJ decided to reveal the A-12 program and the fact that the USAF was implementing a variant of the A-12, called the SR-71. Kelly Johnson's Skunk Works was a revolt against the formalities of conventional industry. The contractor must be delegated the authority to test his final product in flight. Skunk Quotes - BrainyQuote Linda Thompson, It's a blessing not to be alone in your grief but it's also painful to see your parents and siblings in pain. 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. Kelly Johnson - Bio, Age, Net Worth, Married, Facts, Career, Wiki Yes, it is time. In 1983, Lockheed formally recognized Johnsons 50 years of service to the company. He has tied the knot with Althea Louise Young in 1937. The specifications applying to the hardware, including rationale for each point, must be agreed upon well in advance of contracting. That may be our most enduring legacy as well as our source of lasting pride., When Congress approved the decision to retire the SR-71, the Smithsonian Institution requested that a Blackbird be delivered for eventual display in the Air and Space Museum in Washington and that we set a new transcontinental speed record delivering it from California to Dulles. 6. He should report to a division president or higher. February 27, 1910-December 21, 1990. We got Dr. Scott of the Bureau of Standards cleared to work with us as an adviser. | Privacy Policy Will Rogers, It is vitally important that we implement immigration reform. More than my share of it all. 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. 3. 2. Search for jobs related to kelly johnson skunk works quotes or hire on the world's largest freelancing marketplace with 19m+ jobs. Now, go home and pour yourself a drink. Why did Ben Rich die of cancer if they had a device that could cure it? SkunkWorks project (Skunk Works) - SearchCIO Use a small number of good people (10% to 25% compared to the so-called normal systems). Kelly Johnson is known for a lot of things. Although slight variations exist, they go something like this: 1. Father Of Stealth Ben Rich Found Success In The 'Hopeless Diamond' Use a small number of good people (10% to 25% compared to the so-called normal systems). As recounted by Ben Rich, the operation's brilliant boss for nearly two decades . From the development of the U-2 to the Stealth fighter, Skunk Works is the true story of America's most secret and successful aerospace operation. "Come on, Papa. I lit the afterburners and left that Mirage standing still. Are these ET people hostile? "The Ship that Never Was" from "Skunk Works" by Ben R. Rich Let's go bwaa ha ha. Now you can run this goddam place. 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. Due to the P-38s incredible speed and maneuverability, one of these P-38s shot down the aircraft carrying Isoroku Yamamoto, killing him. Kelly Johnson's 14 Rules & Practices 1. Clarence L. (Kelly) Johnson, creator of Lockheed's secret "Skunk Works" research and development division and legendary designer of aircraft, died . However, the US military was pressured into the sale by the CIA who preferred the aircraft for their own missions. 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. Despite this, Johnson spent a lot of his free time consulting on new Lockheed aircraft, until his death in 1990. Kelly Johnson worked on several of Lockheeds projects between the 1930s and the 1980s. We may earn a commission from links on this page. 14. You dont need Harvard to teach you that its more important to listen than to talk. We knew each other from what we call an unseen industry. 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. Even though the engine was running fine I slowed down and lowered our altitude and made a direct line for England. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! I, Skunk Works: A Personal Memoir of My Years at Lockheed, Skunk Works: A Personal Memoir of My Years of Lockheed. 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. I can tell you personally that it has already started. The Skunk Works manager must be delegated practically complete control of his program in all aspects. 12. Created by Ben Rich and Clarence "Kelly" Johnson, Skunk Works takes its name from the . There must be mutual trust between the military project organization and the contractor, the very close cooperation and liaison on a day-to-day basis. Just what the F-86 pilots had asked for. Kelly Johnson's Skunk Works responded with a design that they claimed could fly as high as 73,000 feet with a range of 1,600 miles, based on the Lockheed XF-104 Starfighter, a slender and supersonic intercept fighter. Walt Whitman, Avast talking about me as though I were not standing here. Lockheed Martin's Advanced Development Projects (ADP), known officially as Skunk Works, was a secret aeronautical research facility in Burbank, California. 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.. UFO accounts are journalists' stuff of dreams. After WWII, the Germans were no longer the enemy, but the US was skeptical of the Soviets. Johnson and his team developed the A-12 for the CIA. The specifications applying to the hardware must be agreed to well in advance of contracting. We can term it black, deep black, or hidden. 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. Skunk Works: A Personal Memoir of My Years of Lockheed 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 provisions of the Secrecy agreements these people must operate under may be so onerous that using the cancer cure device may have posed a threat to the secret getting out. 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. In total, Johnson shepherded some forty military and civilian aircraft into production. Unfortunately, I can't. When Kennedy was shown the site constructions, he asked, How do we know these sites are being manned? They showed Kennedy a picture taken from 72,000 feet, showing a worker taking a dump in an outdoor latrine. 5. , : , . Push more basic inspection responsibility back to subcontractors and vendors. Learn how we are strengthening the economies, industries and communities of our global partner nations. In time, it proved to be one of the most important decisions in the companys history. Arming U-2s wasnt an option- this would decrease the service ceiling of the U-2 and make it easier for Soviet radars to detect. Outlets that have called him this include: International Aviation HQ, Aviation Week and Flying Magazine. Today's Skunk Works employs 3,700 employees at facilities in Palmdale, California, Marietta, Georgia, and Fort Worth, Texas. Kelly Johnson: How one man changed aviation forever - Sandboxx 1 : Inside the Skunk Works (Lockheeds secret research and development entity), 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. The Korean War saw first generation F-86 Sabres and MiG-15s fighting one another.