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Puzzles, Games and Name That Car => Solved AutoPuzzles => 2012 => Topic started by: Otto Puzzell on January 02, 2012, 05:14:44 AM

Title: What's my Job #1 William D. Bowman / Aerodynamics Engineering Staff / Ford
Post by: Otto Puzzell on January 02, 2012, 05:14:44 AM
For 1 point, ID the gentleman pictured, and his contribution to the world of car nuttiness. Need his name, the name of his employer, and his job.

Be sure to answer all parts of the question, if you'd like the point. Only complete answers will earn a point

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Title: Re: What is my Job #1
Post by: Otto Puzzell on January 08, 2012, 06:21:21 AM
Up
Title: Re: What is my Job #1
Post by: streamliner on January 10, 2012, 02:28:04 AM
I'm guessing he makes sound effects for a radio show...
Title: Re: What is my Job #1
Post by: Otto Puzzell on January 10, 2012, 03:24:53 AM
I suppose that radio show might be listened to in a car, which might be considered a contibution to the world of car nuttiness.

The puzzle person is not a broadcaster, a foley artist, nor an entertainer of any kind.
Title: Re: What is my Job #1
Post by: streamliner on January 13, 2012, 11:08:21 PM
Could he be holding a set of French curves?  Clay modeler?
Title: Re: What is my Job #1
Post by: Otto Puzzell on January 14, 2012, 04:17:54 AM
No, these are not French curves, and he's not a clay modeler.

Title: Re: What is my Job #1
Post by: streamliner on January 14, 2012, 07:06:40 PM
Is he holding a grill or vent for a car?
Title: Re: What is my Job #1
Post by: Otto Puzzell on January 15, 2012, 04:22:15 AM
Is he holding a grill or vent for a car?

Yes!
Title: Re: What is my Job #1
Post by: Ecnelis on January 17, 2012, 05:31:14 PM
And the words he is saying migt be... "Let me show you this new material, light as aluminium, hard as steel blah blah"... or not? :D
Title: Re: What is my Job #1
Post by: Otto Puzzell on January 18, 2012, 04:36:32 AM
And the words he is saying migt be... "Let me show you this new material, light as aluminium, hard as steel blah blah"... or not? :D

No; he's not a metallurgic or materials engineer.
Title: Re: What is my Job #1
Post by: streamliner on January 23, 2012, 09:44:20 PM
Did that grille ever end up on a production car?
Title: Re: What is my Job #1
Post by: Otto Puzzell on January 24, 2012, 03:28:18 AM
Those are sections of a grill that were intended for a production car. His work uncovered a flaw...
Title: Re: What is my Job #1
Post by: Otto Puzzell on February 01, 2012, 05:01:56 AM
Up
Title: Re: What is my Job #1
Post by: Carnut on February 01, 2012, 05:15:56 AM
Is this the guy who designed the BMC Singer made in San Francisco?
I'll look for his name if I'm on the right track; Perry or something like that I think..
Title: Re: What is my Job #1
Post by: Otto Puzzell on February 01, 2012, 05:22:17 AM
Is this the guy who designer the BMC Singer made in San Francisco?
I'll look for his name if I'm on the right track; Perry or something like that I think..

No, not him
Title: Re: What is my Job #1
Post by: streamliner on February 01, 2012, 02:53:03 PM
Did he uncover an overheating problem?
Title: Re: What is my Job #1
Post by: Otto Puzzell on February 02, 2012, 04:42:39 AM
No, cooling was not the problem
Title: Re: What is my Job #1
Post by: streamliner on February 04, 2012, 01:36:35 AM
Was the flaw discovered in a wind tunnel?
Title: Re: What is my Job #1
Post by: Otto Puzzell on February 04, 2012, 03:43:43 AM
Yes!

Locked for streamliner
Title: Re: What is my Job #1
Post by: streamliner on February 07, 2012, 02:00:58 AM
Tough one.

Well, he's probably an aerodynamics test engineer and if his name is known, then it must have been a famous project that was well-documented as history in the making, and if it was in a wind tunnel, it must have been at higher speeds, which means he must have discovered a lift problem with a race car, so it must have become a well-known problem.  So here's all I got:

Ford aerodynamicist working on the GT40???

Title: Re: What is my Job #1
Post by: Otto Puzzell on February 07, 2012, 03:00:54 AM
Wow - that's a lot of work to come up with no points!  ;D

The problem was not lift, and the car was not a GT40 (though it was a Ford). I don't think the project was at all famous, though the picture was included in an article about the man in a long-running monthly magazine.
Title: Re: What is my Job #1
Post by: fyreline on February 07, 2012, 07:31:52 AM
Okay, just a stab in the dark to see if we can at least head this in the right direction for a solution (GREAT puzzle, by the way!) . . . did the wind tunnel testing reveal that the piece of trim the subject is holding exhibited some unusual sound characteristics, such as a whistle or something along those lines?
Title: Re: What is my Job #1
Post by: Otto Puzzell on February 08, 2012, 04:12:26 AM
Okay, just a stab in the dark to see if we can at least head this in the right direction for a solution (GREAT puzzle, by the way!) . . . did the wind tunnel testing reveal that the piece of trim the subject is holding exhibited some unusual sound characteristics, such as a whistle or something along those lines?

Yes!
Title: Re: What is my Job #1
Post by: Ray B. on February 08, 2012, 05:20:12 AM
Around 1968-1972?
Title: Re: What is my Job #1
Post by: fyreline on February 08, 2012, 08:39:14 AM
The piece he's holding looks like the center grille section of a 1972 Thunderbird. Did the man in the picture work for Ford?
Title: Re: What is my Job #1
Post by: Ray B. on February 08, 2012, 12:03:22 PM
It also makes me think of the grille of the 1969-70 Ford Limited.
If it's a Thunderbird, I would have said 1970. The actual grille of the car has more blades. Was this changed for a reason revealed in the wind tunnel?
Title: Re: What is my Job #1
Post by: fyreline on February 08, 2012, 01:42:42 PM
Yes, at first I thought that it might be a 1970 Thunderbird grille, too . . . but as you noted, the number of bars is wrong and the '70 T-Bird grille is all one piece, including the short left and right side sections.  The 1971 T-Bird grille has mixed wide and narrow bars, which the one he's holding does not. The 1972 T-Bird Grille still looks the closest to me . . . if it's a Thunderbird grille at all!
Title: Re: What is my Job #1
Post by: Otto Puzzell on February 08, 2012, 02:04:09 PM
Around 1968-1972?

I believe that is correct (will corroborate shortly).
Title: Re: What is my Job #1
Post by: Otto Puzzell on February 08, 2012, 02:04:54 PM
The piece he's holding looks like the center grille section of a 1972 Thunderbird. Did the man in the picture work for Ford?

Ford was established a few answers ago.  :)
Title: Re: What is my Job #1
Post by: fyreline on February 08, 2012, 02:12:33 PM
Quote
Ford was established a few answers ago.

We were told that the car was a Ford. My question was if the man in the picture worked for Ford. Can we assume, then, that he does (or rather, did)?
Title: Re: What is my Job #1
Post by: Otto Puzzell on February 08, 2012, 03:57:02 PM
Yes, he worked on Fords, for Ford, at Ford.  ^-^
Title: Re: What is my Job #1
Post by: fyreline on February 08, 2012, 04:05:00 PM
LOL - That about covers it!  ;D
Title: Re: What is my Job #1
Post by: Otto Puzzell on February 09, 2012, 04:16:01 AM
Around 1968-1972?

I believe that is correct (will corroborate shortly).

Confirmed: the magazine article appeared in 1968. So, it very well could have been a prototype grill piece for the Beak Bird.
Title: Re: What is my Job #1
Post by: Otto Puzzell on February 22, 2012, 04:27:06 AM
The Black Hole is calling
Title: Re: What is my Job #1
Post by: Otto Puzzell on March 09, 2012, 03:48:42 AM
I tried not to answer, but it kept calling  :(
Title: Re: What is my Job #1
Post by: streamliner on April 21, 2012, 03:15:18 AM
Was he better known for his non-Ford work?
Title: Re: What is my Job #1
Post by: Otto Puzzell on April 21, 2012, 03:16:12 AM
I don't believe so
Title: Re: What is my Job #1
Post by: Otto Puzzell on May 09, 2012, 05:33:28 AM
It also makes me think of the grille of the 1969-70 Ford Limited.
If it's a Thunderbird, I would have said 1970. The actual grille of the car has more blades. Was this changed for a reason revealed in the wind tunnel?


That's back when Ford was toying with, and then dropping, 4-door sedan T-Birds. However, such a sedan received no specific mention in an SAE paper titled Generalizations on the Aerodynamic Characteristics of Sedan Type Automobile Bodies. Probably because this car did not yet exist when that paper was written. Written by whom, one might ask...?
Title: Re: What is my Job #1
Post by: Wendax on May 09, 2012, 06:38:47 AM
Written by whom, one might ask...?
William D. Bowman - Engineering Staff, Ford Motor Co.
Title: Re: What is my Job #1
Post by: Otto Puzzell on May 09, 2012, 07:48:45 AM
That's it.