George Schairer, 91, key in launching Boeing's jet age

George Schairer wrote a letter in May 1945 to colleagues at Boeing that historians look back on now as a landmark of the jet age.

When he wrote his letter, in longhand, Mr. Schairer was part of a team of scientists scouting for technology in Germany as the Nazi regime was about to surrender at the end of World War II. He found wind-tunnel research that suggested hints of a breakthrough concept — that planes could be designed with "swept-back" wings instead of straight ones, and matched with a jet engine rather than traditional propellers.

The research was quickly put to test at the Boeing wind tunnel — a facility the company had built years earlier, ahead of other companies, thanks in part to Mr. Schairer's advocacy. Other American companies were provided the same information, but only Boeing put it to work on a new jet-bomber program.

Mr. Schairer's discovery eventually took form in the B-47, and then the B-52, the military bomber that uses the "swept-wing" technology that's the foundation of today's jets.

Engineers from the period who worked for Mr. Schairer say his painstaking effort to perfect the aerodynamics of the planes was as important as any other single contribution in leading Boeing into the jet age.

Mr. Schairer died Thursday (Oct. 28) of complications from Alzheimer's at Evergreen Hospice Center in Kirkland. He was 91.

"He was a real technical powerhouse," said Joe Sutter, an aerodynamicist under Mr. Schairer who went on to be chief designer of the 747. "George's name should be on the wall at the Smithsonian. He's really an aviation pioneer."

Mr. Schairer was not one of aviation's household names, but his efforts have been recognized. He won numerous awards, including aviation's equivalent of the Nobel Prize, the Daniel Guggenheim Medal.

He was one of only five Boeing men whose pictures hung in the office of Boeing's legendary former chief T. Wilson, according to "Legend & Legacy," a Boeing history by Robert Serling.

Mr. Schairer came to Boeing in 1939 with a reputation as a top young aerodynamicist from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He rose to vice president of research and development at Boeing, and retired in 1978. A favorite hobby, sailing, tested his mind.

Those who worked beside Mr. Schairer described him as a brilliant engineer, a demanding boss, a doer, and a sometimes mystifying communicator.

"In meetings, we'd all listen to George, and we'd have to go back to my office afterwards to figure out what the heck he said," said H.W. "Bob" Withington, an aerodynamicist who worked for him. "His communication skills weren't as good as his aeronautical thinking, but we could usually figure it out."

Mr. Schairer's son, Gus, said his father challenged both his workers and his children to think about every possible side of a problem before reaching a conclusion.

Gus Schairer said his father was always upset by plane crashes, wondering whether there was anything he could have done as an engineer to prevent them, even when they were caused by factors like pilot error.

"I spent my whole life being in awe of him," Gus Schairer said. "He wanted to produce the best and safest airplane in the world."

Mr. Schairer is survived by his wife, Pauline; sons Gus of Seattle and John of Sherman Oaks, Calif.; and daughters Mary Elizabeth Richards of Yuma, Ariz., and Sally Cantrell of Lake Oswego, Ore.

A memorial service is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Nov. 21 at Seattle Yacht Club. Remembrances may be sent to ACT Theatre, Cornish College of the Arts or Evergreen Hospice Center.

Luke Timmerman: 206-515-5644 or ltimmerman@seattletimes.com