THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, May 8, 1996 TAG: 9605080468
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B7 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: HAMPTON LENGTH: Short : 45 lines
Charles H. Zimmerman, an aerospace research pioneer at NASA's Langley Research Center, died Sunday in Hampton. He was 88.
He joined the Langley Laboratory of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, forerunner of the National Aeronautical and Space Administration's Langley Research Center, in 1929.
He conducted studies on aircraft stability, tail spinning and low-aspect-ratio airfoils. He wrote several NACA reports on his airfoil concept.
``Charlie was a great inventor. Those airfoils were like early unidentified flying objects,'' recalls John Duberg, a fellow researcher who became an associate director at the Langley center from 1975 through 1980.
Zimmerman invented the world's first free-flight wind tunnel at the Langley center and was in charge of the development and testing of the original NACA free-spinning wind tunnel. He also invented a V/Stol (vertical/short takeoff and landing) flying wing aircraft in the 1930s.
In 1937, Zimmerman joined the Chance Vought Division of United Aircraft Corp. to supervise construction and flight testing of the V-173 Flying Wing and construction of the XF5U-1 flying wing fighter. In 1948, he returned to Langley to supervise research on aircraft stability and to lead research on advanced aircraft wings.
He was one of a three-man study group who recommended in 1953 that the nation become involved in research for space flight. He headed the Space Task Force in NACA headquarters in 1958, then became chief of the engineering and contract administration division for Project Mercury, the nation's first manned space flights.
In 1962, Zimmerman was named director of aeronautics at NASA headquarters in Washington. A year later, he became chief engineer and retired in that position at the U.S. Army Materiel Command in 1967.
A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday at St. John's Episcopal Church in Hampton. by CNB