We are back!

Since our last blog entry, now almost three months ago, many things have happened, personally as well as professionally. During this hot weather and holidays (for some) we have been thinking a lot about our blog and about the possibility of continuing with it. We had a plenty of reasons for leaving it and only a few to continue and if I have to be honest, the first ones were stronger than the second ones.

However, during this summer break a person that I deeply respect told me something like this: “If you abandon the blog definitely, you will be betraying the spirit you were standing for, that is, it is not the destination that counts, but the journey”. And he was right.

¡Hemos vuelto!

Desde nuestra última entrada, hace ahora casi tres meses, han sucedido muchas cosas, tanto a nivel personal como profesional. Durante este tiempo de calor y vacaciones (para algunos) hemos pensado mucho sobre nuestro blog y la posibilidad de continuar con él. Teníamos un montón de razones para dejarlo y unas pocas para continuarlo y la verdad es que las primeras podían con las segundas.

Sin embargo, durante esta pausa veraniega una persona por la que siento un profundo respeto me dijo algo parecido a esto: "Si dejáis el blog definitivamente estáis traicionado el espíritu del que hacéis gala, esto es, que no importa tanto el destino como el viaje en sí mismo". Y tenía razón.

The Goodbye

Finally we reach the first position in our top ten ranking list and how could it be otherwise, this position is for the Wright brothers, Wilbur (1867 – 1912) and Orville (1871 – 1948). They were the first to develop an aircraft heavier than the air, that was able to fly controlled in its 3 axes and powered by an internal combustion engine. The flight of the “Flyer” took place on the Kitty Hawk beaches December 17, 1903, although they had previously tested different gliders, they built an aerodynamic tunnel and they even built their own engine with the invaluable help of their partner and mechanic, Charlie Taylor, who developed it in 6 weeks.

Their spirit and initiative make that Orville and Wilbur Wright will stay in the first position forever.

Today, as we reach the end of our list, it is time to say goodbye. During eleven weeks we have tried to give a unique message for a very special kind of people. As we said in the presentation of our blog, we have tried to address, on the one hand to those people who, despite their wide professional experience, still have the ability to get excited, and on the other hand, to the youngest engineers which, after finishing their studies, find a whole new world full of uncertainty.

El adiós

Subimos por fin el número uno de nuestro "Top Ten" que, como no podía ser de otra forma, les corresponde a los hermanos Wilbur (1.867 - 1.912) y Orville (1.871 - 1-948) Wrigth. Ellos fueron los primeros que desarrollaron una aeronave mas pesada que el aire capaz de volar de una manera controlada en sus 3 ejes impulsada por un motor de explosión. El vuelo del "Flyer" tuvo lugar en las playas de Kitty Hawk el 17 de Diciembre de 1.903 aunque previamente habian probado distintos tipos de planeadores, habian construido un tunel aerodinámico e incluso construyeron su propio motor con la inestimable ayuda de su colaborador y mecánico Charlie Taylor que lo desarrolló en 6 semanas.

Su espíritu y su iniciativa hacen que Orville y Wilbur Wright esten para siempre en nuestro número 1.

Hoy, al alcanzar el final de nuestra lista, llega el momento de despedirnos. Durante once semanas hemos tratando de transmitir un mensaje peculiar para un tipo de gente muy especial. Como decíamos en al presentación de nuestro blog hemos intentado dirigirnos por una parte a esas personas que, a pesar de sus muchos años de vida profesional, aún conservan la capacidad de ilusionarse, y por otra a los ingenieros mas jóvenes ante los cuales, al terminar sus estudios, se abre un mundo  nuevo plagado de incertidumbres.

Black and White

We are reaching the end of our ranking list and today comes to visit us at number two, the American Clarence Leonard “Kelly” Johnson (1910 – 1990), one of the best aeronautic designers that has ever existed. His list of designs astonishes everybody. From the P-38 Lightning (the double engine fighter of WWII) up to the SR-71 Blackbird (which still holds the speed record for an aircraft taking off from the ground, at more than 3500 km/h), including also the P-80 Shooting Star, the F-104 Starfighter and the U-2 Dragon Lady reconnaissance aircraft. One of his greatest achievements was the creation in Lockheed (the company where he worked almost all his life) a legendary engineering group known as “Skunk Works” which is still today the benchmark for any “Black Nailed” engineer. His credo was condensed into the so called ‘14 rules’ that you can find in the Internet and are a paradigm of how engineering can be understood in a different way.

Therefore I put “Kelly” Johnson in the second position.

Some weeks ago I promised to explain to you how the leading people are. I mean those who lead small engineering groups which, in big companies, are strongholds of wisdom, activity and know how. Today, the day when “Kelly Johnson” enters our ranking list, is the best time to do it and that’s what this entry is all about.