What's my Job #1 William D. Bowman / Aerodynamics Engineering Staff / Ford

[Otto Puzzell]

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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[Otto Puzzell]

Up

[streamliner]

I'm guessing he makes sound effects for a radio show...

[Otto Puzzell]

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.

[streamliner]

Could he be holding a set of French curves?  Clay modeler?

[Otto Puzzell]

No, these are not French curves, and he's not a clay modeler.

[streamliner]

Is he holding a grill or vent for a car?

[Otto Puzzell]

Is he holding a grill or vent for a car?

Yes!

[Ecnelis]

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?

[Otto Puzzell]

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?

No; he's not a metallurgic or materials engineer.

[streamliner]

Did that grille ever end up on a production car?

[Otto Puzzell]

Those are sections of a grill that were intended for a production car. His work uncovered a flaw...

[Otto Puzzell]

Up

[Carnut]

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..

[Otto Puzzell]

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

[streamliner]

Did he uncover an overheating problem?

[Otto Puzzell]

No, cooling was not the problem

[streamliner]

Was the flaw discovered in a wind tunnel?

[Otto Puzzell]

Yes!

Locked for streamliner

[streamliner]

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???

[Otto Puzzell]

Wow - that's a lot of work to come up with no points!  

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.

[fyreline]

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?

[Otto Puzzell]

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!

[Ray B.]

Around 1968-1972?

[fyreline]

The piece he's holding looks like the center grille section of a 1972 Thunderbird. Did the man in the picture work for Ford?