Remembrances of Clay Harmsworth

Neal Ontko:

Clay was certainly a man of integrity. He was a competitive guy and and one of his passions was remote control model aircraft. He took great pride in being able to design and build bigger and better models.

John Speers:

I played golf with Clay last three years a few times. He was acid at it and hit the ball in the fairway most of the time, even at age 90.

He had two daughters. His wife’s name was Doris, a very fine lady.

Jon Tirpak:

Clay Harmsworth, a mentor to many, was a quiet, silent force unto himself. He served the US Air Force in the background in his own way. He mentored many, contributed technically, and had a great sense of humor.

Turning back the clock to July and August 1982, a 2nd Lieutenant, like many others before and after, arrived at the Air Force Materials Laboratory (AFWAL/ML). Despite his interest in advanced titanium alloys, powder metallurgy, lightweight alloys that lieutenant landed in the basement of Building 652 under the supervision of Clay Harmsworth.

As the first year of that lieutenant’s active duty unfolded, Clay, along with others – Jerry Petrak, John Ruschau, Russ Cervay, and more – molded that “Butter Bar.” Instead of high-performance alloys and “modern” processes, that lieutenant was assigned “aluminum castings,” specifically to figure out the variability of properties of castings with respect to fatigue and fracture and address the “casting factor.” From there, he and Clay

Generated tensile, fatigue, fatigue crack growth data at room and elevated temperatures for premium quality A357 and A201 alloys. Even 40 years later requests for these data are made via Research Gate.
Created, competed, and implemented the Durability and Damage Tolerance of Aluminum Casting (DADTAC) program. The contract was executed by Northrop in El Segundo.
Inspired the industry and other governments (read NATO) to support aluminum castings. Reference North Atlantic Treaty Organization Advisory Group for Aerospace Research and Development Handbook on Advanced Casting (AGARDograph No. 299). Clay compiled Chapter 4 Examples of Applications and Chapter 6 Damage Tolerance/Casting Factors)
Note – The evolution of design allowables is probably well documented in the Metallic Material Properties Development and Standardization (MMPDS) as supported by the Federal Aviation Administration and Battelle Memorial Institute.

Today, castings play a major role in cost reduction and performance of myriad systems. With the advent of additive manufacturing, casting molds and cores are printed via 3D models integrated with fluid flow and solidification models. Patterns and core boxes are not needed. Today aluminum and magnesium castings are possible with improved metallurgical quality and assured properties.

Beyond castings, Clay was involved in an array of technologies, projects, and programs. A quick search on literature posted in the Defense Technical Information Center reveals the breadth and depth of Clay’s work over the decades including these topics: improperly quenched “soft” aluminum plate; fatigue, tensile, and creep properties of 17-7 PH; effect of corrosion on the fatigue behavior of 2024, etc. Most notably was his leadership of Military Handbook 5.

While making serious technical contributions to the Air Force, Clay was also a fun guy playing ping pong at lunch and participating in team building events.

Probably not Air Force issue, the MLSE lab was equipped with a ping pong table assembled promptly daily at 1200 hours and dissembled promptly at 1300 hours or when ever the last match was played which started even moments before 1300 hours. It was not world class ping pong. Quick serves, distractions, trick shots were the norm. Newcomers quickly learned the game the hard way eventually catching on and going with the daily competition.

Clay’s ping pong ritual was to eat his lunch at his desk, don a pair of worn, high top sneakers, stop in the men’s room on his way to the lab, and wend his way into the lab to play.

While Clay was on TDY, someone covertly removed his sneakers from under his desk, glued abundant amounts of glitter to the canvas tops, and placed them under his desk. Returning from travel, Clay resumed his noon time ritual: lunch at his desk, sneakers on his feet, stop at the men’s room, head to the lab, and play ping pong. With a wry smile Clay “Twinkle Toes” Harmsworth came to play.

Later, he admitted to searching the MLSE offices after hours seeking clues of the glitter culprit. No residue was found. The culprit remained unknown until 1986 when the villain transferred to the Ballistic Missile Office.

Another fun experience was a “Rocket Derby “held in the MLSE lab. The derby was a variant of the rubber band, propeller balsawood rockets sold at the Miami Valley Boy Scout Council store. There were really no rules other than the fastest rockets would be declared 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place finishers and recognized accordingly with “valuable” prizes.

Clay, being the consummate engineer, designed and built his rocket which he tested at home. Apparently, he failed to alert Doris of the “test track” he installed in their expansive living room. The nearly invisible nylon filament stretched across the room nearly “clothes lined” Doris while he was tinkering with the design.

His tests revealed his rocket still had energy to spare after crossing the finish line. Clay pondered the question: “How does one convert ALL of that potential energy of the wound rubber band into kinetic energy just before reaching the finish line?” He figured out a way to optimize the layout and winding of the rubber band resulting in a design that beat everyone hands down.

Dominating the MLSE Rocket Derby, he accepted his “valuable” prize: a Six Pack of Hamm’s Beer. I don’t recall the other winners, but we all had a great time.

Time certainly slips by. It was 40 years ago that I first met Clay not even imagining that today I might be jotting down memories of him. He certainly contributed to the strength of the US Air Force. He guided many, especially the lieutenants, that streamed through the lab. He was fun to be with. He probably is having some fun in Heaven, too.

John Williamson:

I never worked directly with Clay, but had many many contacts with him over the years. He was always ready to please and helpful. A quite person, but known through the three services for his expertise on materials testing. I had great respect for this man.