Harlan Fowler

Harlan D. Fowler (1895-1982) was an American inventor, writer, and airplane engineer who invented the variable wing area Fowler flap used on many commercial aircraft today.

Fowler flap

The Fowler flap combines a translation and a rotation. The flap splits and slides backwards, then rotates down creating one or more slots. These movements increase the wing's curvature which increases cord and camber. The high-lift Fowler flap is located on the trailing edge of an airplane wing which increases wing area, lift, and drag. The flap often forms part of the upper surface of the wing similar to a plain flap or a split flap, but upon extension it slides rearward before lowering. Fowler flaps always feature one or more slots. The Fowler flap complex movement requires special guidance systems on the lower surface, called "flap rails". The Fowler flap itself can be in several parts, with several slots. Other early adopters of the Fowler flap included the Boeing B-17, B-29, and Lockheed P-38 Lightning. Many modern commercial aircraft use Fowler flaps. In 1948 Fowler published the text, Fowler Flaps for Airplanes: An Engineering Handbook. Fowler was an independent aeronautical consultant for: Fokker, Glenn L. Martin, Convair, Douglas Aircraft, the Bureau of Aeronautics, and the U.S. Air Force.

From 1922 to 1925 Fowler worked with G Elias & Brother of Buffalo, NY, the Aeromarine Plane and Motor Company, and the Naval Aircraft Factory where he worked on the airship USS Shenandoah (ZR-1). Also he worked at Pitcairn Aircraft Company designing the Mailwing. In 1928 Fowler worked as the Chief Aeronautical engineer for John M. Miller III of the Miller Aviation Corporation of New Brunswick, NJ. Fowler started his own company purchasing $50,000 of new shares on 17 December 1941, not to be confused with the WWI company Fowler Airplane Corporation, he became president of the Fowler Aircraft Company from the insolvent Hardman Aircraft Products Inc. of San Diego, CA.

Despite having hearing difficulties and used a hearing aid, he continually lobbied the NACA with multiple ideas to improve aircraft. NACA engineer Ken Mort would help Fowler build models and test many of his aeronautical concepts. Ahead of his time, Fowler developed his flap designed when airplanes were still covered with fabric. Harlan Fowler retired in 1975 and died on April 27, 1982. He holds at least four patents.

+ Patent: Name, Number, Issued, Variable-area wing (Fowler flap)Pat. No. 1392005Issued: 1921Cargo Container for AirplanesPat. No. 2442459Issued: 1948Convertible VTOL AircraftPat. No. 3093347Issued: 1963Convertible VTOL AircraftPat. No. 3312426Issued: 1967

Works Published works by Fowler include: Harlan D. Fowler, Fowler flaps for airplanes, an engineering handbook, Los Angeles, Wetzel Publications, 6 May 1948 Harlan Davey Fowler, Camels to California: A Chapter in Western Transportation, Vol. 7, Stanford University Press,1950, 93 p.. Harlan Davey Fowler, Three caravans to Yuma: the untold story of Bactrian camels in western America, AH Clark Co.,1980, 173 p. ( , ). Harlan Davey Fowler, Behold the Flaming Sword: Biography of John and Jesus, Vantage Press,1983 ( , ).

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