WILLIAM F. MILLIKEN
William F. "Bill" Milliken, Jr. does, because he practically invented the science of automobile handling. His work has made cars safer, more efficient, and most importantly from his perspective, a lot more fun. Milliken's automotive innovations have earned him the highest engineering honors, and his technical books are required reading for automotive engineers and students. But what really makes Milliken's life special is his lifelong adventure of making rollicking play of challenging work. After MIT, Milliken helped perfect some of World War II's most memorable combat aircraft. At the Cornell Aeronautical Laboratories research hotbed, he spearheaded a new methodology that fundamentally changed how aircraft are designed. Millken's hobbies have been his inspiration: The solo, open cockpit flights from Seattle to Maine, and the 100-plus postwar sports car races. The math: Two upside-down airplanes plus two upside-down race cars times always giving your all equals unparalleled understanding of how vehicles move, and how to make them do it better. The sign for Milliken's Corner along the old Watkins Glen (NY) racing circuit alerts drivers to a hairy bend. Most people slow down, but Bill steps on it. The only thing he is certain will happen is that he'll learn something. As he tells it in Equations of Motion: 80 Years of Adventure, Risk and Innovation, it has all been a lot of hard work, and nothing but fun. Equations of Motion is an engaging portrayal of doing one's best, following one's dreams and taking the adventurous route to solving real challenges. Chapters on, Growing up down East 1911-1932, An Engineer's education at MIT 1932-1936, War Effort 1936-1943, Transition to research 1944-1947, Automobile Racing 1947-1960 & Automotive research 1956-2002.