Biographical Sketches

LEO J WINDECKER

Born: July 9, 1921    In: Gull Lake, Saskatchewan
Died: February 13, 2010    In: Cedar Park, TX

In the years following WW2, Dr Leo J Windecker worked for Dow Chemical Co as a dentist in one of the company’s clinics. Developing an interest in aircraft structures, he began to research and design plastic aircraft forms. Eventually Dow officials saw promise in his designs and sent him to Hondo, TX, in the mid-1960s where he was placed in charge of an experimental research laboratory, Windecker Research Inc, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Dow. There he continued his experiments, developing aircraft structures built completely from composite materials.

Among his notable accomlishments:
- FAA Certification of the first all-composite airplane, the Windecker Eagle AC-7 in Dec 1969.
- Development of the first military stealth airplanes, the Army CADDO (1972) and the USAF YE-5 (1973), both derivatives of the Eagle. The concept, created during a brainstorming session on generating military contracts to help the undercapitalized company, was based on the fact that RF waves pass through the primary structure rather than bouncing off (all nav-comm antennae were buried inside the Eagle). The USAF discounted the idea until they tested one of the planes at Holloman AFB NM.
- Some 49 patents issued in Windecker’s name covered all aspects of composite structure and manufacturing. Patents were assigned to the Dow Co, who funded his research 1960-67, and made up the stealth technology licensed by Dow to Lockheed-Martin and Northrop -- Windecker received no royalties from the licensing agreements.
- Development of the Avtek 400 composite twin-turboprop pusher prototype airplane.

Denotes an individual known to have soloed an aircraft prior to December 16, 1917, whether they were members of the "Early Birds of Aviation" Organization or not.