Bill Lear invented 8-tracks?
- Thread starter slushie
- Start date
RomeoTango
New Member
He also invented the first car radio[Motorola]
bdhill1979
Gone West
and the lightning strike finder if what I heard is correct.
Bus Driver
Well-Known Member
There is also an aviation aspect to this story. This is what I remember being told.
In the late 50's and early 60's the Federal Aviation Agency was responsible for the installation and maintenance of all the civilian ground systems. Including, control towers, NDBs, VORs, LF ranges and TEWBs. TEWBs used the old 1/4 inch magnetic tape. At 7 1/2 inches per second a 30 second recording required over 18 feet of tape on a loop that was stretched back and forth between pulleys mounted on a wall. Knowing that there had to be a better system, someone that knew Bill, knew he was pretty sharp figuring out this sort of problem. The result was a 3" x 3" x 3/4" aluminum box with a roll of tape that was pulled from the center run past the recorder/playback heads and rewound on the outside of the roll. You could get over a minute of recording on a little 3 x 3 box, amazing.
In the late 50's and early 60's the Federal Aviation Agency was responsible for the installation and maintenance of all the civilian ground systems. Including, control towers, NDBs, VORs, LF ranges and TEWBs. TEWBs used the old 1/4 inch magnetic tape. At 7 1/2 inches per second a 30 second recording required over 18 feet of tape on a loop that was stretched back and forth between pulleys mounted on a wall. Knowing that there had to be a better system, someone that knew Bill, knew he was pretty sharp figuring out this sort of problem. The result was a 3" x 3" x 3/4" aluminum box with a roll of tape that was pulled from the center run past the recorder/playback heads and rewound on the outside of the roll. You could get over a minute of recording on a little 3 x 3 box, amazing.
Italianaviator
Well-Known Member
I learn stuff everyday.
Polar742
All the responsibility none of the authority
I have only a cursory knowledge of Bill Lear, but it seems he invented just about the other 1/2 of stuff Edison didn't.
He even designed the CL600 (formerly known as the LearStar (IIRC)) for FredEx to replace the DA20 fleet.
An amazing, and seemingly, under-rated genius of a man.
He even designed the CL600 (formerly known as the LearStar (IIRC)) for FredEx to replace the DA20 fleet.
An amazing, and seemingly, under-rated genius of a man.
AirVenture
Well-Known Member
According to Wikipedia...
He named his daughter Shanda...Shanda Lear.
-Brett
He named his daughter Shanda...Shanda Lear.
-Brett
Propilot
Well-Known Member
According to Wikipedia...
He named his daughter Shanda...Shanda Lear.
-Brett
I read that, and it took me the time to go back to the main topics, browse over to air line pilots, click on a thread.
...and then it hit me and I couldn't stop laughing.
I think that delay might say something about my intelligence ;]. Ha!
loubetti
Pays to fly
Here's more information on the 8-track. Bill Lear was not the only one involved, and did not actually invent the endless loop cartirdge itself.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stereo_8
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stereo_8
JulietBravo
On Call, On Demand
By the sounds of it, he contributed to numerous inventions! It's too bad not all of this is well known.
I'm going to use this stuff now to impress my students!
I'm going to use this stuff now to impress my students!