Johnson, Clarence

Clarence Leonard Johnson was born in the remote mining town of Ishpeming in Michigan into a family of emigrant Swedes. In high school, due to his unusual name, he became the object of ridicule. Once at a roll call in class, a classmate called Johnson "Clara." Johnson pounced on the offender and hit him so hard that he broke his leg. After such a decisive rebuff, classmates reconsidered their attitude and began to call Johnson more neutral - “Kelly” . It was under this nickname that Clarence Johnson entered the history of aircraft construction.

After leaving school, Clarence Johnson entered the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor , who at that time actively collaborated with Lockheed Corporation. From this time begins the long joint history of Lockheed and Kelly Johnson.

As a student, Johnson tested the model of a twin-engine Lockheed L-10 Electra in a university wind tunnel and noted the lack of directional stability of the model. To address this shortcoming, Johnson proposed the use of an H-shaped tail. His proposal was accepted, and the L-10 was a very successful project. This attracted the attention of Lockheed executives to the student and in 1933 , after receiving a diploma, he was accepted to the position of tool engineer. Having replaced a number of posts, in 1938, Johnson became a leading research engineer.

In 1937 , anticipating an early war, the US Department of Defense published a list of requirements for a new high-speed high-speed interceptor fighter capable of withstanding Messerschmitt aircraft . A group of engineers at the Lockheed plant in Burbank , led by Hall Hibbard and Clarence Johnson, set about designing an aircraft that meets the requirements. The first prototype, called the Lockheed Model 22 , was completed in December 1938 and completed its first flight on January 27, 1939 . This aircraft, later known as the " P-38 Lightning ", became one of the most successful fighter in the US Air Force.

In the spring of 1943, the US Air Force command, concerned about the growing threat posed by German fighter jets, approached Lockheed with a proposal to develop its own fighter jet based on the most powerful allied engine available - the British Goblin . Given that Germany was clearly ahead of the United States in this area, the Air Force demanded results as soon as possible. A month after the first meeting, Johnson presented the US Air Force the initial design of the XP-80 . Two days after the presentation, Lockheed management allowed him to continue working on the project. A group of 28 engineers led by Johnson began work on June 26, 1943 . Subsequently, this group formed the core of Lockheed's Advanced Engineering Division, known as Skunk Works . The first prototype of the aircraft (without an engine) was delivered to the Markov air force aerodrome (now - Edwards air force base) ahead of schedule, after 143 days.

In 1952, Clarence Johnson was appointed chief engineer at the Lockheed factory in Burbank, and in 1956, vice president of research.

In 1955 , on instructions from the CIA , Johnson supervised the construction of a test facility on Lake Groom, known as Zone 51 . This complex was subsequently used to test many aircraft developed by Johnson.

In 1958, Johnson became Lockheed's Vice President of Advanced Development. Then the department of advanced development occupied a building near the plastic factory. The unpleasant smell from there was so strong that employees christened their Skonk Works department - in honor of the terribly stinking factory from the then popular comic book L'il Abner . With the light hand of engineer Irving Culver, the name went beyond the company and quickly spread beyond. At that time, Lockheed executives decided to change the name of the department to Skunk Works in order to avoid possible copyright issues.

Clarence Johnson led Skunk Works until 1975.

The leadership style of Clarence Johnson was fully characterized by the motto “Skunk Works” - “fast, quiet, on time . ” Johnson formulated 14 rules of governance ^[3] :

1. The head of Skunk Works should have almost complete control over his project. He should report at least to the vice president of the company about the progress of the project.
2. Small but strong design teams must be created by both the customer and the contractor.
3. The number of people somehow connected with the project should be limited in the most decisive way. Use small groups of qualified professionals.
4. The requirements for the design of the drawings should be simplified as much as possible in order to simplify the introduction of changes to the project.
5. The number of reports should be minimized, but all important work should be carefully recorded.
6. Monthly reporting should be introduced on both the funds used and the goals achieved, as well as the planned costs of completing the program. Do not submit reports three months late and do not shock the customer with sudden cost overruns.
7. The contractor should have greater freedom and greater responsibility for engaging third parties and subcontractors. Offers of commercial organizations are often much more profitable than state ones.
8. The control system currently in use at Skunk Works has been approved by the US Army and Navy, meets all requirements, and should be used when developing new projects. Delegate most of the initial control to subcontractors and manufacturers. Do not duplicate controls unnecessarily.
9. The contractor should be given the opportunity to conduct flight tests of the product. The contractor can and should conduct such tests. Otherwise, he quickly loses his competence in the development of such projects.
10. Equipment specifications must be agreed in advance. Thus, the usual practice of Skunk Works, in which the specification clearly indicates which specific points of the technical task will not be followed and why, is preferable.
11. Program funding should be timely. The contractor should not finance government projects at his own expense.
12. The relationship between the customer and the contractor should be built on mutual trust, close cooperation and daily exchange of information. This reduces the volume of correspondence and the risk of misunderstanding to a minimum.
13. Outsiders access to the project and its participants should be strictly regulated by appropriate security measures.
14. Since a very small part of the project participants is involved directly in the design and a significantly larger part is engaged in other work, a system of remuneration and bonus should be provided in which the amount of remuneration for a particular employee will not depend on the number of his subordinates.