Gene Salvay, American aircraft engineer, Died at 96

  Reseacher

Gene Salvay was born on November 15, 1919, and died on April 8, 2016.

He was an American aircraft engineer.

Gene Salvay father was Israel David Salvay who was a fashion designer and pattern maker; his mother, Anna (Kiansky) Salvay worked as a seamstress who was Russian and Gene through high school and training as aeronautical engineers.

In 1936, Gene Salvay graduated Central High School, Kansas City, MO.

Gene won 1st place nationally in the Fisher Body coach-building contest with a model of a horse-drawn carriage, in the same year he graduted.

The followoing year, Salvay won 2nd place nationally in the Fisher Body auto-design contest.

Salvay when on with his education at Curtiss-Wright Technical School, Glendale [Airport], CA from which he received his engineering degree in Spring 1941: Design courses at Curtiss-Wright were given at the school’s campus in Glendale; its more technical engineering courses were given at Cal-Tech.

Then he when on to Rearwin, designing the Rearwin Skyranger, later the Commonwealth Skyranger.

In World War II, Gene Salvay went to work at North American Aviation in Kansas City developing the B-25 Mitchell.

In 1944, He then partnered with a fellow North American Aviation engineer Stark to design the Salvay-Stark Skyhopper.

He had formally planned to be a production aircraft, it became an early post-war Homebuilt aircraft.

Gene also helped develop the Morrisey “Nifty”, which was the basis for the later Varga Kachina aircraft.

Later, he became the chief engineer for North American Sabreliner.

He became the Director of Structural Design for the B-1 Lancer bomber.

Then, Gene became director of Lockheed’s Trans Atmospheric Vehicle program.

Gene encouraged Australian aircraft engineers to work with American companies to share experience.

Gene Salvay passed away at 96 yrs old.