Frank Wattendorf

Frank Wattendorf (1906 – 11 June 1986) was an American physicist specializing in wind tunnels for research in aerodynamics.

Wattendorf is recalled for his report on a wind tunnel that was under construction in Ötztal in Austria during World War II. Wattendorf's report, and one by Theodore von Kármán, spurred on renewed research in aerodynamics.

Wattendorf was born in Boston on May 23, 1906. He studied at Harvard University, graduating in 1926. He went on to study aerodynamics at MIT and there met Kármán when he visited that campus. Kármán invited him to come to Aachen, Germany which he did, with his mother.

Wattendorf became Kármán's assistant, and they both moved to Caltech in 1926. Wattendorf earned his Ph.D. in California. His thesis, "The effect of curvature on fully developed turbulent flow", was published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society (series A, volume 148, issue #865). The colleagues combined to study the landing of seaplanes in 1929.

In 1937 Wattendorf was at Tsing Hua University organizing an aeronautical engineering department and building a wind tunnel. He invited Karman for a visit, but Karman decided to visit Russia first, and enter China through Manchuria. Frank Wattendorf was on hand when I finally walked through customs. It was invigorating to see him after the long trip. He told me that he had been living in the beach town of Peitaho near the Manchurian border for a week and that each day he came to meet the train because he wasn’t sure when the Russian railway system would deliver me.

Awards Wattendorf was recognized for his work as consultant. 1946: Exceptional Civilian Service, War Department medal 1952: Medal of Freedom, planning Arnold Engineering Development Center 1968: USAF medal for Exceptional Civilian Service, Scientific Advisory Board 1979: Ground Test Facilities Medal, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics