Frank Calvin Mann (1908–1992) was an American engineer who was known for his participation in many of
Howard Hughes's projects, including the
Spruce Goose
The Hughes H-4 Hercules (commonly known as the ''Spruce Goose''; registration NX37602) is a prototype strategic airlift flying boat designed and built by the Hughes Aircraft Company. Intended as a transatlantic flight transport for use duri ...
. He also starred in the
Amos 'n' Andy radio show. Apparently, his lifelong friendship with Hughes was instrumental in opening doors for Mann's exceptional talents.
Early life
Frank Mann was born in
Houston, Texas
Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...
on November 22, 1908 to parents who wanted him to be a school teacher. From childhood, Mann had a natural affinity for fixing things, and at age 11, he had his own mechanical shop. As a teenager, he worked alongside airplane mechanics, repairing engines. By the age of 20, he had designed and built several of his own
Model-T cars. Mann attended the
University of Minnesota and
UCLA where he earned a
mechanical engineering degree.
World War II efforts
Mann was the primary civilian instructor of the
Tuskegee Airmen in 1941 and served in the
United States Army Air Corps. He left Tuskegee because they wanted to give the black pilots old World War I planes. Mann felt that they should be flying the same planes as their white counterparts, as they were just as qualified. The
Tuskegee Airmen, known as the Red Tails, were an elite World War II escort unit hailed for the fact that they never lost a bomber they were escorting. Their participation was supported by First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt who was assured of their ability after riding with primary flight instructor C. Alfred "Chief" Anderson.
Engineering
In a biography, Mann divulged, "I mostly worked on design plans for aircraft, and I redesigned components to make certain that the aircraft would work properly." He also was the first black pilot of a major airline,
Northwest Airways
Northwest Airlines Corp. (NWA) was a major American airline founded in 1926 and absorbed into Delta Air Lines, Inc. by a merger. The merger, approved on October 29, 2008, made Delta the largest airline in the world until the American Airlines- ...
. Mann was featured in the 1955 issue of Car Life magazine with a car - Baby
Le Sabre - built as a hobby, modeled on the F-86 Sabre Jet. He received a decade's royalties on the
LeSabre,
Eldorado
El Dorado (, ; Spanish for "the golden"), originally ''El Hombre Dorado'' ("The Golden Man") or ''El Rey Dorado'' ("The Golden King"), was the term used by the Spanish in the 16th century to describe a mythical tribal chief (''zipa'') or king o ...
and other designs. In the 1950s, he built a 1.5" scale, live steam locomotive (currently enshrined in the Smithsonian Institution).
Frank's second 1.5" scale live steam locomotive is a Texas (2-10-4) lettered as the Santa Fe 5001. It was sold to the owner of a private track near Comanche, Texas. The locomotive has been completely rebuilt, and now operates, and is housed at, the Comanche & Indian Gap Railroad. The reasoning behind the construction of the locomotive is due to the racism he experienced. He was denied entry into a live steam club until he built the largest locomotive in the state. The final product was the Santa Fe 5001.
References
* "Mini-Railroader
''Ebony Magazine'', December 1968 P. 92 *
Hidden Genius The Black Engineer Behind Howard Hughes, Bryer, H.T., ''Greyforest Press'' 2011,
"Frank Mann"''International Brotherhood of Live Steamers''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mann, Frank
University of Minnesota College of Science and Engineering alumni
UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science alumni
20th-century American engineers
1908 births
1992 deaths
Tuskegee Airmen