- Engineering Division
Infobox Defunct company
company_name = Engineering Division
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foundation = 31 August 1918
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parent =United States Department of War
subsid =The Engineering Division was a division of the
Aviation Section, U.S. Signal Corps in theUnited States Department of War . It was formed on 31 August 1918, under the direction of Lt ColJesse G. Vincent , to study and design American versions of foreign aircraft. It was later renamed "Engineering Division, Air Service" and then in 1926 "Material Division Air Corps". It was based atMcCook Field , and in October 1927 moved toWright Field .The Engineering Division would eventually become the
Aeronautical Systems Center .History
In June 1917 Commander
Raynal Cawthorne Bolling lead aBureau of Aircraft Production mission to France, investigating if was possible to to build British and French aircraft in the United States. The Engineering Division was set up to evaluate his proposals. It combined a number of existing division of the Air Service, including the Engineering Department and the Airplane Experimental Department. The first project it undertook was installing an AmericanLiberty L-12 engine on the British de Havilland D.H.9 aircraft, redesignating it USD-9 and USD-9A.Other aircraft modified include the
Bristol F.2B , redesignated XB-1.After World War I ended, designed aircraft such as the Boeing GA-1 and the
Engineering Division VCP racing plane.In 1925, in order to promote private aircraft developments, the Engineering Division was restricted by General
Mason Patrick and could no longer build experimental aircraft.In 1926 the
United States Army Air Service was replaced with theUnited States Army Air Corps , and the Engineering Division became the Material Division, based atWright Field . It was given the task of evaluating all projects submitted. This involved recomending techical improvements to manufacturers, drawing up contracts to be awarded, and testing prototype aircraft.Aircraft
External links
* [http://www.scribd.com/doc/1446821/US-Air-Force-AFD070227066 Aquisition Management in the United States Air Force and its Predecessors] . Accessed 22 September 2008.
* [http://www.aviastar.org/manufacturers/0796.html aviastar.com ENGINEERING DIVISION, BUREAU OF AIRCRAFT PRODUCTION] . Accessed 22 September 2008.
* [http://www.ascho.wpafb.af.mil/Commanders/COMMANDERS.HTM Lineage and Commanders of Aeronautical Systems Center] . Accessed 22 September 2008.
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