Copyright
            A-3 Skywarrior
              Association
              1998-2007   

         WHALE LANDINGS
     

Biography

Harry Gann was born in Birmingham, Alabama on February 5, 1925 but grew up in Phoenix, Arizona in the 1930s during the Golden Years of Aviation." He acquired an intense interest in aviation and visited the local airports on a weekly basis to view and photograph the aircraft. He began trading negatives with similar collectors and started a collection of aircraft photographs, books, magazines and associated data. He graduated from high school in 1943 and immediately entered the US Army where he served in the armored forces in Europe. After discharge in 1945 due to injuries suffered as a result of enemy action, he entered the University of Southern California where he received a BE in Mechanical Engineering in 1950.

During his college years he continued his deep interest in aircraft photography and history and co-authored a book on air racing.

After 2 years with North American Aviation and then with 2 small aircraft companies, he joined the Douglas Aircraft Company as a mechanical designer on control systems on the A4D Skyhawk, the A3D Skywarrior, the F4D Skyray and the F5D Skylancer. He was then assigned to the Advanced Design Group to work on new aircraft products and to collect data to provide a source to aid the engineering, marketing and product support requirements. He participated in specialized air-to-air photography of flight demonstration organizations using McDonnell Douglas aircraft such as the Blue Angels, the Thunderbirds and the Air Barons for a period of 17 years. This function was expanded to include in-flight photography of many other Air Force, Navy and Marine units. He was transferred to the Marketing group in 1960 and in 1989 to the Communications group at Douglas Aircraft Company where he was designated as the Company Historian. He maintained a liaison with the aircraft museums and aviation writers on a worldwide basis. His files, both company and personal, were used to support the restoration of McDonnell Douglas and other aircraft.

In 1987, he was given the Distinguished Service Award by the Institute for the Advancement of Engineering for "Outstanding Contributions to the Engineering Profession", Also in 1987, he was presented the Annual Award for Continuing Excellence in Aviation/Space Photography by the Aerofax Publishing Company. At his retirement as Curator of the Jay W Hubbard Aviation Museum (MCAS El Toro Command Museum) he was presented with the United States Marine Corps Commendation for Meritorious Civilian Service. He was designated as an "Honorary Marine Aviator’ on 26 August 1975 by Maj. Gen. W.R. Quinn, Commanding General 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing. In addition, he was designated an "Honorary Blue Angel" on 14 December, 1979. On May 24, 1997, he was designated as Honorary Naval Aviator #24 by Adm Jay L Johnson, Chief of Naval Operations.

He has an extensive personal collection of aircraft slides, photographs negatives, books, magazines and other data and has authored many articles for such publications as Naval Aviation News, the American Aviation Historical Society Journal, the Hook, National Geographic, Air Force and others. His photographs have appeared in numerous books and magazines around the world. He is a frequent lecturer on aviation history and has addressed various groups including the Association of Naval Aviation, the Navy League, the Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, the Society of Automotive Engineers, Museum of Flying at Seattle, Museum of Flight at Santa Monica, Society of Flight Test Engineers, and many local fraternal and aviation oriented groups.

He retired from the McDonnell Douglas Corporation in September 1992 and joined the MCAS EL Toro Command Museum as Curator, a position that he held until March of 1996 when he again retired to pursue personal projects. Among these are a series of aircraft monographs for World Air Power Guide, an English publishing company. He is also involved in the evaluation of aircraft archives for estate planning and is a consultant on the operations of air shows. He continues to supply aviation-oriented material to various authors, book publishers, advertising agencies, and video programs.

Interview with Harry S. Gann 

Q. Please explain your involvement with the A-3 program at Douglas El Segundo.

H.G. I was a junior draftsman when I first joined Douglas in the mechanical controls section. It was very exciting as we were working on 4 different aircraft, the A4D, the F4D, the F5D and the A3D. I was more or less assigned to do gear design work, which was very interesting to me. I had the opportunity to assist a brilliant designer on the horizontal stabilizer actuator. Later I redesigned the windshield wiper mechanism, which had failed its qualification test. I actually spent more time on the A4D Skyhawk and the F4D Skyray before I became a member of the advanced design group and then worked on many projects most of which never saw the light of day.

Q. Having worked and traveled with Ed Heinemann, how would you describe his philosophy towards aircraft design?

H.G. My association with Ed Heinemann who was the Chief Engineer at El Segundo really started after he had left the company. He contacted me for some historical data and we became close friends especially after he had a stroke. We went to various functions together involving the aircraft he had "fathered" and I assisted him in the preparation of his remarks. He also used me to "disprove" some points made by other individuals with whom he did not agree.

Despite the fact that Ed did not have a degree, he had the knack of knowing when a design was sound. In his early career as a draftsman, he was extremely fast and versatile. After some of his aircraft got out of hand weightwise, he became a crusader for simple, light and uncomplicated designs. He was a master salesman and could convince the customers that they needed to have his ideas built. This consisted not only of aircraft but also racks, special stores and shapes, ejection seats, refueling systems as well as other ancillary equipment.

Q. You have become a gifted aviation photographer. Please describe one or more of your most memorable assignments.

H.G. I have done aviation photography since the mid-1930s as a hobby. For being in the right place at the right time, I was able to do some very interesting air-to-air work. I did most of the Blue Angel in-flight work for 17 years. I was requested to do some special work for VX-4 at Pt Mugu and was able to stretch that into 5 years of very exciting flight. I was also requested to do some work at Yuma with the Marines during their semi-annual WTI training programs and that lasted for 5 years. From this, I also was able to fly with many USN/USMC fleet and training units. I have met many fine and interesting people.

Q. Are you still involved in aviation? If so, how?

H.G. I spend most of my time now writing or monitoring my collection of photos, magazines, books and research data on aviation. I am active in the American Aviation Historical Society which publishes a quarterly journal and I am an advisor to a group that is putting on an airshow at Long Beach in October. And then, I have 8 grandkids…

Q. Was the beginning of the jet age in aviation the romantic, cowboy, adventuresome time we hear off? Why or why not?

H.G. The beginning of the jet age in aircraft was a "golden age" in aviation. I did not realize it at the time. I really considered the late 20s and 1930s as the true golden age of aviation because that what I read and fantasized about. I was a small participant with thousands of others during the beginning of the jet age. Many of those did not appreciate the tremendous advancement in aviation technology or the individual contributions made, and probably still do not. Now, to me, it was the second Golden age.

Q. Which aircraft produced by Douglas is your favorite and why? We won't twist your arm to say the A-3.

H.G. My favorite Douglas aircraft was the Gamma that was produced by the El Segundo Division in the early 1930s. At that time the division was named the Northrop Company but was controlled by Douglas. (There have been 4 different Northrop Companies) At an early age, I use to ride my bicycle across town in Phoenix Arizona to Sky Harbor Airport. Jack Frye, operations for TWA, flew a Gamma into Phoenix and when I saw it, I knew that I wanted to be a part of aviation. In 1954, I went to work for the El Segundo Division of Douglas and was able to meet some of the people that had built that airplane.

My early career as an engineer was on the A-4 Skyhawk and then I was able to accumulate about 500 hours in the rear seat so I have had an affinity for that aircraft. I admired the A-3 and it's versatility and was able to snag 5 flights in the Skywarrior. I became even more impressed with it after meeting Ed Heinemann and his team at El Segundo and seeing what they had accomplished.

Q. Do you have a favorite aviation-related anecdote you would like to share with the membership of the A-3 Association.

H.G. Because of my last name, I am constantly being confused with the great author Ernest K. Gann. Part of my job at Douglas was to give lectures and slide shows on various aviation subjects. At many of these, I was approached to sign books authored by Ernie. I do not believe that we are related, although we both originally came from the Deep South.