Ernest G. McCauley facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ernest G. McCauley
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McCauley propeller hub cutaway
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Ernest Gilbert McCauley
August 9, 1889 Baltimore, Maryland, US
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| Died | September 11, 1969 (aged 80) |
| Occupation | Propeller innovator |
| Known for | McCauley Aviation Corporation |
| Spouse(s) | Ruth "Rose" Dewitt McCauley (1896-1952) |
| Children | Dr Milton E McCauley (1912-1969) Norma H McCauley Corby (1913-1992) Ward D McCauley (1922-1980) Mabel R McCauley (1917-2003) and two step-daughters Phyllis Godfrey and Joyce Frohock |
| Parent(s) | Harry Gilbert McCauley (1866-1917) Martha Jane Bounds McCauley (1868-1940) |
Ernest Gilbert McCauley (1889 – 1969) was an American aviation pioneer. He was famous for his work with airplane propellers. In 1938, he started his own company, McCauley Aviation Corporation.
McCauley began his career working for the government's Propeller Research Department. This department was part of the Signal Corps and was based at McCook Field in Dayton, Ohio. In 1939, his company changed its name to McCauley Steel Propeller Company. During World War II, McCauley's company greatly increased its production. They went from making 700 propellers a month to 1500, helping the war effort.
Contents
Early Life and Career Beginnings
Ernest McCauley was born on August 9, 1889, in Baltimore, Maryland. His parents were Harry Gilbert McCauley and Norma H. Corby. He went to the Baltimore Polytechnic Institute. After school, he worked as a chief draftsman for a company that made farm equipment in New York. Later, he became the chief tool designer for the Corona Typewriter Company.
In 1917, McCauley started working for the government's Propeller Research Department. This was a big step in his career. At McCook Field, he helped develop important parts for airplanes. These included the first hydraulic wheel brakes and hydraulic flight controls.
Innovations in Propeller Design
Ernest McCauley worked closely with Frank W. Caldwell, who was the chief engineer of the Propeller Research Department. Together, they made many improvements to military propellers. Some of their key inventions included:
- The synchronizing reversible pitch propellers (in 1922)
- The hydro-controllable propeller
McCauley held 55 patents for his inventions. He also shared many patents with Caldwell. The hydro-controllable propeller was very important. It was the first propeller to use engine oil to change the angle of the blades. This allowed pilots to adjust the propeller's pitch for different flight conditions.
In 1929, McCauley sold his patent for the hydro-controllable propeller to Hamilton Standard Propeller Corporation. He then joined Hamilton to continue improving propellers. In 1938, he founded his own company, McCauley Aviation Corporation. The next year, it became McCauley Steel Propeller Company.
McCauley had poor hearing, but it didn't stop him. He even appeared in an advertisement for a Sonotone hearing aid. He used the hearing aid to help him with his important work.
Key Propeller Patents
Here are some of the important patents Ernest McCauley held:
| Improvement in Steel Propellers | Pat. No. 2,041,849 | Filed: July 1, 1932 | Issued: May 26, 1936 | Title: Propeller |
| synchronizing mechanism | Pat. No. 1,427,830 | Filed: May 25, 1929 | Issued: September 5, 1922 | Title: sync reversible pitch propellers |
McCauley Propeller's Impact
After McCauley Aviation Corporation started in 1938, the company kept inventing new and better propellers. Here are some of their important developments:
- 1939: Ground-adjustable solid-steel propeller.
- 1947: The one-piece Met-L-Prop for small airplanes.
- 1953: Two-blade constant speed propeller called "Met-L-Matic."
- 1960: Two-blade constant, full-feathering propeller with an alcohol de-ice system, called "Feth-R-Matic."
- 1965: Three-blade constant speed propellers and constant speed governors.
- 1967: Electric propeller de-ice systems.
- 1970: Single-piece hub design that held blades without threads.
- 1974: Synchrophasing governors, which help propellers spin together smoothly.
- 1979: Three-blade propellers for fast turbine engines and magnetic head synchrophasing control systems.
- 1980: Four-blade propeller for turbine engines.
- 1987: Five-blade turboprop propellers.
- 1992: Five-blade propellers with special scimitar-shaped blades.
- 2006: Predator B Propeller for General Atomics.
- 2020: The first composite fixed pitch propeller for light-sport aircraft.
Family Life
Around 1912, Ernest McCauley married Ruth "Rose" Dewitt. They had four children: Dr. Milton E. McCauley, Norma H. McCauley Corby, Ward D. McCauley, and Mabel Adams. He also had two step-daughters, Phyllis Godfrey and Joyce Frohock. Later in his life, on January 9, 1953, he married Rose M. Harkness in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Later Life and Legacy
Ernest McCauley passed away on September 11, 1969, in Pompano Beach, Florida. He was buried in Dayton Memorial Park Cemetery in Dayton, Ohio.
In 1954, the Secretary of the US Air Force, Harold E. Talbott, praised Ernest G. McCauley. He said that McCauley's invention of the HYDRO-CONTROLLABLE PROPELLER in 1924 was an amazing achievement. He also mentioned McCauley's later inventions, like the SOLID STEEL Propeller for trainers in 1939, and the one-piece MET-L-PROP for light airplanes in 1947. All these were "aviation firsts" in their fields. This shows that Ernest McCauley played a very important role in helping aviation grow over many years.
