| Charles Lawrance | |
|---|---|
Charles Lawrance |
|
| Born | 1882 |
| Died | 1950 |
| Nationality | United States |
| Work | |
| Significant projects | Lawrance J-1 |
| Significant advance | air-cooled aircraft engine |
| Significant awards | Elliott Cresson Medal (1928) |
Charles Lanier Lawrance (1882–1950) was an American aeronautical engineer and an early proponent of air-cooled aircraft engines. He founded the Lawrance Aero Engine Company in 1917.[1] He designed the Lawrance J-1 air-cooled aircraft engine, the direct ancestor of the extremely successful Wright Whirlwind series of engines. Long-distance flights of Admiral Byrd, Charles Lindbergh, Amelia Earhart and Clarence Chamberlin were all made possible by the Whirlwind series of engines, which could operate continuously for 33.5 hours. Despite sensational publicity that Lindbergh's flight attracted, Lawrance himself remained in relative obscurity - upon which he commented: "Who remembers Paul Revere’s horse?"
In May 1923, Lawrance's company was purchased by Wright Aeronautical, as the United States Navy was concerned that Lawrance couldn't produce enough engines for its needs.[2] Lawrance was retained as a vice president. In 1925, after Wright's president, Frederick B. Rentschler, left the company to found Pratt & Whitney, Lawrance replaced him as company president.
Lawrance died on June 24, 1950.