biography
| name: |
Lear, William P(owell)
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| sex:
| male
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| lived:
| (1902–78)
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| biography:
| Inventor and electronic engineer, born in Hannibal, Missouri, USA. He joined the US Navy at 16 to study radio and electronics. His inventive genius resulted in more than 150 patents in the fields of radio, electronics, aviation, and automobile engineering, including the first car radio, the first commercial radio compass for aircraft, and an automatic pilot for jet aircraft. In 1962 he founded Lear Jet Corporation, which became the largest manufacturer of small private jet planes. Lear Motors Corporation was founded in 1967 to introduce steam-powered cars and buses. |
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