Aeronautical engineer and inventor, born in New Haven, Connecticut, USA. He was the designer of the ultra-light aircraft Gossamer Condor, which in 1977 made the first man-powered flight over a one-mile course. Its successor, Gossamer Albatross, in 1979 crossed the 23 mi of the English Channel in just under three hours at a height of only a few feet, propelled and piloted by US racing cyclist, Bryan Allen.
Awards and honors
California Institute of Technology, Distinguished Alumni Award, 1978, Collier Trophy, 1979, by the National Aeronautics Association ("awarded annually for the greatest achievement in
Aeronautics and Astronautics in America") Reed Aeronautical Award, 1979, by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics ("the most notable achievement in the field of aeronautical
science and engineering") Edward Longstreth Medal, 1979, by the Franklin Institute Ingenieur of the Century Gold Medal, 1980, by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers; Spirit of St. Louis
Medal, 1980 Inventor of the Year Award, 1981, by the Association for the Advancement of Invention and Innovation Klemperer Award, 1981, Organisation Scientifique et Technique du Vol à Voile,
Paderborn, Germany I.B. Laskowitz Award, 1981, New York Academy of Science The Lindbergh Award, 1982, by the Lindbergh Foundation ("to a person who contributes significantly to achieving a
balance between technology and the environment") Golden Plate Award, 1982, of the American Academy of Achievement Gold Air Medal, of the Federation Aeronautique Internationale Distinguished
Service Award, of the Federal Aviation Administration Public Service Grand Achievement Award, of NASA Frontiers of Science and Technology Award, 1986, first award in this category given by the
Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal The "Lipper Award", 1986, for outstanding contribution to creativity, by the O-M Association (Odyssey of the Mind)
Guggenheim Medal, 1987, jointly by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, the Society of Automotive Engineers, and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers National Air and
Space Museum Trophy for Current Achievement, 1988 Enshrinement in The National Aviation Hall of Fame, July 1991, Dayton, Ohio SAE Edward N. Cole Award for Automotive Engineering Innovation,
September 1991 Scientist of the Year, 1992 ARCS (Achievement Rewards for College Scientists), San Diego Chapter Pioneer of Invention, 1992, United Inventors Association Chrysler Design Award for
Innovation in Design, 1993 Honorary Member designation, American Meteorological Society, 1995 American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Ralph Coats Roe Medal, November 1998 Howard Hughes Memorial
Award, Aero Club of Southern California, January 1999 Calstart's 1998 Blue Sky Merit Award, February 1999 1999 National Convention of the Soaring Society of America, dedicated to Paul MacCready,
Feb. 1999 Special Achievement Award,
Design News, March 1999 Included in
Time magazine's "The Century's Greatest Minds" (March 29, 1999) series "on the 100 most influential people
of the century" Lifetime Achievement
Aviation Week Laureate Award, April 1999 Commemorated in Palau stamp, 1 of 16 "Environmental Heroes of the 20th Century", Jan. 2000 Institute for the
Advancement of Engineering William B. Johnson Memorial Award, Feb. 2000 Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum, National Design Award – Product Design, Nov. 2000 Hoyt Clarke Hottel Award, American
Solar Energy Society, April 24, 2001 ("lifetime achievement as an inventor, specifically for inventing the world's first two solar-powered aircraft") 2001 World Technology Award for Energy,
England, July 2001 Prince Alvaro de Orleans Borbon Fund, First Annual Award, October 2001, from the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale, Switzerland The 2002 Walker Prize, Museum of Science,
Boston, March, 2002 International von Karman Wings Award, Aerospace Historical Society, May 2002
Quotes
"If you don't have a big enough shovel, you get some friends to help you."
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