Johnson, Kelly

Kelly Johnson, byname of Clarence Leonard Johnson, (born Feb. 27, 1910, Ishpeming, Mich., U.S.—died Dec. 21, 1990, Burbank, Calif.), highly innovative American aeronautical engineer and designer.

Johnson received his B.S. (1932) and M.S. (1933) degrees from the University of Michigan before beginning his career with the Lockheed Corporation in 1933. As head of the “Skunk Works,” Lockheed’s secret development unit, he helped design more than 40 airplanes. Among them were the P-38 Lightning (see photograph); in 1943 the P-80 (later F-80) Shooting Star, the first American jet fighter to go into production; the Constellation (designated C-69 in its military transport role) and the later Superconstellation (1950); the F-104 Starfighter (1954), which traveled at twice the speed of sound; the high-altitude U-2 (1954), the first plane to sustain flight above 60,000 feet (18,000 m); and the YF-12 and SR-71 Blackbird, the fastest and highest-flying planes in the world, with speeds exceeding 2,000 miles per hour (3,000 kilometres per hour) and operating altitudes in excess of 85,000 feet (26,000 m). Johnson used titanium alloy instead of standard aluminum on the SR-71, which allowed high-speed flying despite intense temperatures.

Among Johnson’s many honours and awards was the Medal of Freedom (1964). After retiring from Lockheed in 1975 as senior vice president, Johnson remained a director until 1980 and was senior adviser until his death.