Replies

George W. Goddard invented the camera technology that went into the cameras in the nose of the F-5 (and into many other vehicles).

Mr. Goddard's work, most people do not even notice.

The man was a genius who was always overlooked by the public's attention toward "the other Goddard," Robert H. Goddard, who was the rocket scientist.

Then, most people also overlook, because of Robert H. Goddard's rocket work, the heavy lifting performed by Theodore von Karman.

There's a lot more to the story, but it's classified.

George Goddard lived near Enon, OH, outside of Wright-Patterson AFB at various times, where much of his research was conducted at various times.

He and Tooey Spaatz had a very long-lived work relationship.

A friend of my grandparents, flew special, custom-made, high-altitude Sopwith Camels and SPADs during World War I, over the German lines; at close to 30,000 ft, well above anything that the Germans could put up.

The photographs assisted in bringing the war to an end.

The camera gear was among the many inventions of George Goddard.

If I recall all that correctly.

I'll see what I can learn about George Goddard. He sounds interesting. There are quite a few books about reconnaissance but more focus on the derring-do of the pilots than on the technology. Another unsung hero (who is just starting to get sung) is Dr. Edward Land of Polaroid fame, who developed much of the optical reconnaissance technology used in the early U-2, the SR-71, and the first recon satellites.

I have always been interested in Robert H. Goddard; we are natives of the same city, originally, and relatives of mine lived in his street. Of course, a cult has built up around him, but his pioneering theoretical work was equally sound as Oberth and Tsiolkovsky's. The three of them worked in ignorance of one another while independently developing the mathematical and physical proofs that space flight was possible -- one of many incidents of independent development of ideas, in scientific history.

Where Goddard differed from the other theoreticians, is that he was also a practical experimenter of some note. Unfortunately, like the Wrights, he was so focused on patents and secrecy and making money that the field passed him by. (In the end, the US Government wound up paying his estate for patents that it had infringed for years). Goddard hated von Karmán and everyone associated with GALCIT or JPL and thought they were stealing his stuff. (They weren't of course).

When I was in the 10th SF Group at Fort Devens one of my favourite runs took me by the "Goddard Memorial," a fullsize model of Goddard's 1926 rocket. It was on a muddy dirt road in the middle of nowhere, and for most of the time it was there, civilians could not get access to it. When the military gave up most of the base, the memorial vanished; I don't know what became of it. IMHO it should have stood, because Goddard actually launched (or attempted to launch) some of his rockets there.

d.o.l.

Criminal Number 18F

From USAF People - "a monthly feature of the USAF Museum web site presenting information from our archives about famous Air Force personnel."

Brig. Gen. George W. Goddard is featured during September, 2000

When World War I began, George W. Goddard enlisted as a private in the Aviation Section of the Signal Corps. In December 1917 he was selected to attend the first Officer's School in Aerial Photography, United States School of Military Aeronautics, Cornell University. Upon graduation, he was appointed instructor in aerial photographic interpretation.
On August 8, 1918, he was commissioned a Second Lieutenant and ordered to Taliaferro Field, Fort Worth, Texas, to organize and take to France the. 43rd, 44th, and 45th Aerial Photographic Sections. When the armistice was declared, these plans were canceled and he was ordered to Carlstrom Field, Florida, where he completed his pilot's course and received a rating of airplane pilot.
In May 1919, he was assigned to McCook Field, Dayton, Ohio, as Officer in Charge of Aerial Photographic Research. It was here that General Goddard started developments in infrared and long-range photography; special aerial cameras; photographic aircraft; and portable field laboratory equipment. Here, also, was formed the nucleus of the Photographic Laboratory of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.
In 1920, General Goddard was promoted to First Lieutenant and assigned as Officer in Charge of Aerial Photography to the Office of the Chief of the Air Corps, Washington, D. C., replacing Colonel Edward J. Steichen who had resigned to resume photographic work in civilian life. While on this assignment, he received a presidential appointment as Air Service Representative on the Federal Board of Surveys and Maps. He organized the first Army Aerial Photographic Mapping Units which pioneered in the mapping of Muscle Shoals, Tennessee River Basin, Teapot Dome, Mississippi River and many other areas. Such work pointed the way for the Civilian Mapping Industry.
In 1924, he was again assigned to McCook Field as Officer in Charge of Aerial Photographic Research. Continuing the research he had started, he also led the way in the development of night and long range photography. In 1926, he invented special shutter and flash synchronizing equipment which was used to take the world's first aerial night photograph. This equipment became a standard in our Air Force and was also used by the United Nations. Among other developments were quick processing of film and prints in airplanes during flight, wire picture transmission of military air photographs, and new type cameras.
In 1927 he was ordered to the Philippine Islands and assigned as Commanding Officer of the 6th Photographic Section, Camp Nichols, Philippines. It was during this tour of duty that he mapped many unexplored regions of the Philippine Islands for General Douglas MacArthur and for the U.S. Coast & Geodetic Survey and the Corps of Engineers.
In 1929, he was assigned as Director of the Army Photographic School at Chanute Field, Rantoul, Illinois. In 1934, he was promoted to Captain and ordered on temporary duty to Fairbanks, Alaska, to supervise the aerial mapping operations in central and northern Alaska. Under his direction, five aircraft, flying at altitudes of 16,000 feet and spaced eight miles apart, photographed 35,000 miles of territory in seven hours and forty-five minutes--setting a new record in photographic mapping.
In 1936, General Goddard was assigned as Chief Photographic Officer in Charge of Aerial Photographic Research, Wright Field, Dayton, Ohio. In this capacity, he carried on the vital work begun at McCook Field, pioneered in the field of color, high altitude, and stereoscopic photography; and set up the organization which was to play such an important part in World War II. Shortly before the War began, General Goddard, then a Lieutenant Colonel, flew to England to act as special observer with the RAF. Upon his return to the United States, he did much to promote faster photographic aircraft for our use in case we should enter the war. It was during this year that he was promoted to the rank of Colonel.
In 1943, he was assigned liaison duties in Washington with the Chief of the Bureau of Aeronautics. During this period, General Goddard did much to interest the Navy in the use of the continuous strip camera, and in color photography which played such a large part in the Navy's aerial reconnaissance in the Pacific. In 1944, General Goddard was presented with the Legion of Merit for his work as Chief, Photographic Laboratory, Wright Field.
Later in 1944, he went on duty with ETOUSA (European Theater of Operations US Army) in England and the continent. During this period he introduced the moving film magazine for use in day and night photography, and assisted in the modification of the Mosquito for night reconnaissance. Following V-E (Victory in Europe) Day, the General was appointed Photographic Disarmament Officer and visited many German photographic industries and studied their cameras and equipment. Much of his time was spent in the Zeiss plant in Jena, where, in June, he turned this plant over to the Russians when they took over Thuringia. For his service during this tour of duty, he was presented with the Oak Leaf Cluster for the Legion o£ Merit.
Upon his return to the States, as Chief of Research and Development, Photographic Laboratory, Engineering Division, Colonel Goddard was sent to Bikini (Atoll in the South Pacific) in connection with the tests of the A-Bomb.
With well over 6,000 flying hours, General Goddard is rated as Command Pilot, Technical and Aircraft Observer.
In July 1950, General Goddard received the Thurman H. Bane Award for 1950 for his outstanding development in low-altitude high speed night photography. Immediately after receiving this award, he was sent to Korea to introduce this new system of night photography also, the latest type strip camera which has been so successful in low altitude jet aircraft operations under adverse weather conditions.
Difficulties in obtaining sharply-defined photos at low altitude during the Cuban Missile Crisis had prompted the USAF to consult with retired Brig. Gen. Goddard who immediately recommended the use of a strip camera, by then no longer regularly used by the USAF. Several KA-18A cameras were found in storage at Wright-Patterson AFB and on the night of Nov. 2-3, 1962, modifications were made to an RF-101C "Voodoo" and this camera was installed. On Nov. 10, photos were taken of Cuban missile installations with this camera and within 24 hours, they were being examined by President Kennedy.