Willard Ray Custer

Lore & Background

Willard Ray Custer left school at age 13, working as a blacksmith and later as an engineer and mechanic. In 1925, he observed how a barn roof was lifted during a strong gust of wind, which inspired the channel wing concept. By 1928 he had developed the first model, receiving a patent in 1929. The channel wing generated significant lift even at low airspeeds, enabling very short takeoffs and landings.

In 1939 Custer founded the National Aircraft Corporation, and on November 12, 1942, began development of the CCW-1 experimental aircraft. The subsequent CCW-2 achieved almost vertical starts and flight similar to a helicopter. The military conducted trials but canceled them despite interesting achievements. Later, Custer founded the Custer ChannelWing Corporation and built more aircraft in 1954, with the CCW-5 nearly reaching series production.

The channel wing principle was not well understood, especially at the time. Custer was an experimenter and visionary with many patents, but lacked a strong theoretical background. The corporation ceased activities, and the principle was mostly forgotten. Today only two CCW aircraft survive: the CCW-1 at the Mid-Atlantic Air Museum in Reading, Pennsylvania, and the CCW-5 at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia.

Reader's Guide

Willard Ray Custer's channel wing concept represented an unconventional approach to aircraft lift, aiming to combine the vertical capabilities of a helicopter with the efficiency of a fixed-wing design. His work, though largely forgotten, demonstrated that near-vertical flight was achievable with a novel wing configuration. The military's cancellation of trials, despite interesting achievements, highlights the challenges faced by inventors without strong theoretical backing. Custer's legacy is preserved in the two surviving aircraft, which serve as physical reminders of his experimental vision. The channel wing principle remains a niche but intriguing footnote in aviation history, illustrating how empirical observation can lead to innovative but ultimately unadopted designs.

Did You Know?

• Custer left school at age 13 and worked as a blacksmith before becoming an engineer and mechanic.
• The inspiration for the channel wing came in 1925 when Custer saw a barn roof lifted by a strong gust of wind.
• Only two CCW aircraft survive today: the CCW-1 at the Mid-Atlantic Air Museum in Pennsylvania and the CCW-5 at the Smithsonian's Udvar-Hazy Center in Virginia.