Walter J. Trapp

Walter was born 24 December 1909 at Rheydt, West Germany. He received a B.S. in Mechanics, Physics at the Institute of Technology, Aachen, Germany in 1933. He received a M.E. Degree in Mechanical Engineering/Aeronautical Engineering at Aachen in 1936. From 1934-36 he was a Research Assistant at Aachen. From 1936-45, he was Section Chief, Materials & Stress Analysis, Aeronautical Research Establishment, Brunswick, Germany. From 1945-47, he was a Scientist, UK Royal Air Force Station, Volkenrode, Germany. From 1947 until retirement in 1974 Walter held positions of major responsibility at The Air Force Materials Laboratory, Dayton, Ohio. On 11 September 1985, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers awarded Walter a certificate of appreciation for outstanding international leadership in conceiving, organizing and sponsoring advanced materials behavioral research.

Walter died on 19 February 2002.

(Scanned Defense Documentation Center document)

Walter sponsored materials science research on behalf of the US Air Force during his career at Wright - Patterson Air Force Base, Air Force Materials Laboratory (AFML). He monitored research at the University of Southampton, UK, and the University of Minnesota. He led two conferences on acoustical fatigue. Donald M. Forney, Jr. co-edited two volumes about proceedings of the conferences.

(Scanned book jacket.)

The second volume is a book. Walter kindly inscribed a copy to me.

Rye Canyon Lab and sample report cover (Photo scanned from Award for Excellence)

I worked at Lockheed-California Company Rye Canyon Research and Development Center, Saugus, California. Walter was a frequent visitor at the Life Sciences Building. He and Mohamad Besari served as Associates in preparing a report on numerical analysis of uniform and composite material fatigue test properties.

Walter and Kitty Trapp with Georgi's letter (scanned from material provided by Mrs. Trapp)

My spouse Nancy and I fondly remember walking along the canal on Königsallee in Düsseldorf with Kitty(Gussa) and Walter Trapp. As can be seen, Walter kept close ties with researchers such as H. Georgi.
To see other work inspired by Walter, search John P. Henderson AFML, Peter J. Torvik AFIT, Ahid D. Nashif AFML for research on and applications of material and configuration damping of elevated temperature turbine engine components. Walter kept in close contact with many researchers, including H. Georgi and W. Bunk at DFVLR, Düsseldorf; Alan Powell at UCLA; John E. Ffowcs Williams at Cambridge; EJ Richards, DJ Mead and others at ISVR; JC Whittaker and PM Besuner at Boeing.
A Walter J. Trapp library on damping and reliability should be established at a teaching library. I would be pleased to donate my references.