Frank Fink - Designer of B-24 Liberator - Early 1953 Corvette Owner

[Russ U.]

I recently came across some interesting info regarding one of the original owners of a 1953 Corvette - Frank Fink. Mr. Fink was a pretty famous guy at the time - he was known as the "Father of the B-24" Liberator. The Liberator was one of the major bombers used by the Allies in WWII.

Mr. Fink's family has very generously shared some info and pics regarding the 1953 Corvette purchased by Frank. The family does not know the serial number of the car. But based on the hubcaps, the car looks to be an early 53.

Mr. Fink apparently purchased the car at Guaranty Chevrolet in San Diego, but the dealership is long gone. (There is a dealer with the same name in Santa Ana, but that dealer claims to be unrelated to the San Diego dealership).

I put all of the info and pics I have regarding the Fink 1953 Corvette on a webpage - The Fink 1953 Corvette

Please let me know if you have any info regarding this car.

Thanks

Russ

[Martin N.]

Re: Frank Fink - Designer of B-24 Liberator - Early 1953 Corvette Owner

RUSS-

Very interesting. Great web page. I'm sure Roy B. will have some thoughts on this one. Beautiful car.

THANKS for the post

Marty

[Michael A.]

Re: Frank Fink - Designer of B-24 Liberator - Early 1953 Corvette Owner

Great web sites Russ. Your filmstrips are an amazing roll back in time to a different era. I thought I was going to lose it when they described the evolution of "fun" cars in horse & buggy terms.

Thanks for sharing.

cheers,

[Joel F.]

Re: Frank Fink - Designer of B-24 Liberator - Early 1953 Corvette Owner

Very neat website Russ. The picture quality is simply amazing.

[Jay G.]

Re: Frank Fink - Designer of B-24 Liberator - Early 1953 Corvette Owner

A little off subject. Regarding The B-24 Liberator. My dad fly one with the 15th Air Force in Bari, Italy. 1943-45 . Mostly bombing runs on German Ball Bearing Factories and Oil Felds of North Africa. His plane was called "Miss Fortune." He passed on 10 yrs ago. Couple guys from his crew are still around for reunions. So for the ol' man keep flyin.

[Joel F.]

Re: Frank Fink - Designer of B-24 Liberator - Early 1953 Corvette Owner

Jay,

Have you seen this website? I believe your father's plane was a member of the 450th. (I have no affiliation with them; I simply enjoy WWII history.)

http://www.450thbg.com/

[Dennis A.]

Re: Frank Fink - Designer of B-24 Liberator - Early 1953 Corvette Owner

I wonder if Frank knew Eddie Jones...Top production control Manager of the B-24 assemble line and my monitor, great pictures

[Bruce B.]

Re: Frank Fink - Designer of B-24 Liberator - Early 1953 Corvette Owner

Jay,

Have you seen this website? I believe your father's plane was a member of the 450th. (I have no affiliation with them; I simply enjoy WWII history.)

http://www.450thbg.com/

What a great historical website.
There are 2 pictures of the Miss Fortune on the site.

[Robert M.]

Isaac M. Laddon was the Designer of the B-24 Liberator

My reference books regarding the B24 Liberator make no mention of Mr. Frank Fink, and the books all agree that Ruben Fleet, President of Consolidated, got the ball rolling on the Liberator, and that Isaac M. Laddon was the Designer of the Liberator.

So who is the father of this "baby", the guy who conceived it, or the guy who delivered it?

[Joel F.]

Re: Isaac M. Laddon was the Designer of the B-24 Liberator

My reference books regarding the B24 Liberator make no mention of Mr. Frank Fink, and the books all agree that Ruben Fleet, President of Consolidated, got the ball rolling on the Liberator, and that Isaac M. Laddon was the Designer of the Liberator.

So who is the father of this "baby", the guy who conceived it, or the guy who delivered it?

I believe Frank W. Fink was the project engineer for the Liberator project. Quite an engineering feat to get this plane from concept to flying in just about 1 year.

[Russ U.]

Re: Isaac M. Laddon was the Designer of the B-24 Liberator

My reference books regarding the B24 Liberator make no mention of Mr. Frank Fink, and the books all agree that Ruben Fleet, President of Consolidated, got the ball rolling on the Liberator, and that Isaac M. Laddon was the Designer of the Liberator.

So who is the father of this "baby", the guy who conceived it, or the guy who delivered it?

The info I found on the web says this:

Early in January, 1939 Fleet called designer Frank W. Fink into his office, where Fleet and Laddon told him they had decided that Consolidated would build a better bomber than Boeing's B-17, and in as short a time as it would take to become a second source for the B-17. They informed Fink that he was to be project engineer for the new design and that a wooden mockup was to be ready in two weeks time. When Fink asked what the new bomber looked like, which proposal Consolidated had been working on he was to do the mock up for, he was informed that no proposal or drawing existed, this was to be a completely new project. Fink was then given a verbal description of the new bomber: he was to use the Davis wing from the Model 31, the twin tail from the Model 31, four engine nacelles from the PBY Catalina, and build a new fuselage containing two bomb bays, each as large as the single bomb bay of the B-17 for his mock up, and he had 14 days in which to build it as Fleet and Laddon were about to leave for Wright Field to pitch their new bomber to the U.S. Army.

The wooden mock up of Consolidated's new bomber was completed on time and an Army board appointed to take a look at it. In order to satisfy procurement regulations a U.S. Army Air Corps Type Specification was drawn up and this was circulated to the Glen L. Martin Company and Sikorsky Aviation Corporation for possible designs meeting the specifications. Since less than 21 days were allowed for reply this was merely a gesture, and on February 21, the Consolidated proposal was recommended to Washington for approval. A formal contract was signed on March 30, 1939 and work proceeded on the aircraft which had officially become the Model 32, to be completed by December 30, 1939.

[Robert M.]

Re: Frank Fink - Designer of B-24 Liberator - Early 1953 Corvette Owner

I think if we rely on the Internet and it's absolute truth, I can probably find something saying Ronald Reagan designed the Liberator. with that said:

Isaac Maclin Laddon received his education at McGill University, Montreal in 1915. His half-century career in aviation industry began in 1917 when he joined the U.S. Air Service Experimental and Engineering Test Center at McCook Field, Ohio. In the urgency of preparing the emerging U.S. air power for war, he learned his aviation trade quickly and well. In just two years, he became Chief of Design for all large aircraft development. Blessed with great inventiveness and the ability to apply his engineering knowledge to practice problem solution, "Mac" Laddon became patent holder on a great variety of aircraft systems, and on aerodynamic and structural innovations.
He joined the Consolidated Aircraft Company in 1927, as Chief Engineer and was assigned the task of placing the company solidly in the large bomber aircraft and flying boat field, a task he performed with eminent success. Among his designs were the Admiral Flying Boat of 1928, first in the series of famed Consolidated seaplanes, and the world renowned PBY Catalina. His B-24 Liberator was the most produced bomber in World War II and it played a dominant role in air operations, then came his B-36 Peacemaker. Finally, Laddon was responsible for the sleek Convair Liners that were known in commerce throughout the world. In all this, "Mac" Laddon was there, personally, for he felt the ultimate designer's responsibility; he flew with his own designs on every first flight.
Invested 1975 in the International Aerospace Hall of Fame
From "These We Honor," The International Hall of Fame; The San Diego Aerospace Museum, San Diego, CA. 1984

[Russ U.]

Re: Frank Fink - Designer of B-24 Liberator - Early 1953 Corvette Owner

I think if we rely on the Internet and it's absolute truth, I can probably find something saying Ronald Reagan designed the Liberator. with that said:

Fair enough. But there is plenty of credit to go around on the B-24. The key point is this - GM viewed Frank Fink as a worthy owner of an early 53 Corvette. And he took some very nice color pics of his 53 car when it was brand spanking new. I am not aware of any comparable pics floating around of an early 53.

Interestingly, the source you site for the Laddon material, says this about Fink:

Frank Wolfe Fink earned a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Colorado in 1928 and began his long career in the aerospace industry with the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company. He joined Consolidated Aircraft in 1935 and was the project engineer on the famed PBY flying boat. During World War II he became known as "the Father of the B-24 Liberator Bomber" as a result of his leadership in its development and high rate of production.


Postwar, as Chief Engineer of Convair/General Dynamics, he developed the Convair 240-series transport and such advance aircraft as the XFY-1 VTOL Pogo Stick, the XF2Y-1 Sea Dart water based fighter, and the early Convair missile and electronics programs.


Fink joined the Ryan Aeronautical Company in 1955 as Vice President of Research Engineering where he pioneered new approaches to vertical takeoff aircraft. In 1966, he formed his own firm, San Diego Aircraft Engineering Company, performing engineering and consulting for the aerospace industry and the government.


Invested 1968 in the International Aerospace Hall of Fame

[Jay G.]

Re: Frank Fink - Designer of B-24 Liberator - Early 1953 Corvette Owner

Thanks Joel, Great site I have a number of pics with Dad standing with Gen Atchinson in front of Miss Fortune says 449 number on it as well. Thanks for the site info. Later Jay

[Joseph T.]

Re: Frank Fink - Designer of B-24 Liberator - Early 1953 Corvette Owner

I recently came across some interesting info regarding one of the original owners of a 1953 Corvette - Frank Fink. Mr. Fink was a pretty famous guy at the time - he was known as the "Father of the B-24" Liberator. The Liberator was one of the major bombers used by the Allies in WWII.

Mr. Fink's family has very generously shared some info and pics regarding the 1953 Corvette purchased by Frank. The family does not know the serial number of the car. But based on the hubcaps, the car looks to be an early 53.

Mr. Fink apparently purchased the car at Guaranty Chevrolet in San Diego, but the dealership is long gone. (There is a dealer with the same name in Santa Ana, but that dealer claims to be unrelated to the San Diego dealership).

I put all of the info and pics I have regarding the Fink 1953 Corvette on a webpage - The Fink 1953 Corvette

Please let me know if you have any info regarding this car.

Thanks

Russ

Russ...great post...thanks for sharing the pictures on the 1953 Corvette. Nice quality pictures for being 55 years old.

You should receive the race film DVD I sent you. Let me know how you like it.

There are some great shots of Carroll Shelby driving the #98 Ferrari, also of the Marquis Alphonse DePortago who also drove Ferrari ..and was killed in a crash a year later.

There is a brief but close up shot of my 57 Nassau Corvette early in film. Few people have seen this rare film footage in many years. Since GM did not send GM photgraphic to cover this event..it seems only private film can be found.

Maybe some of the big European teams and or wealthy American entrants may have additional archival footage buried away somewhere!

Joe