Ted R. Smith

Ted R. Smith
Born	Theodore Raymond Smith Template:Birth-date Oroville, California, US
Died	Template:D-da
Resting place	Cremated, ashes spread by son via Aerostar over Oroville, California
Education	Oakland Technical High School, Boeing School of Aeronautics

Ted R. Smith (1906–1976) was an American aircraft designer. He worked for the Douglas Aircraft Company, Aero Design and Engineering Company, and Rockwell Standard Corporation. In 40 years, his designs included the Douglas A-26 Invader (under the direction of Ed Heinemann), and the first all metal small twin engine business aircraft for Aero Commander, a company that he helped to start. The Aero Commander line included one of the first twin engined business jets, the Jet Commander. In the 1960s, he designed and manufactured the Aerostar line, under his own name. The Aerostar was later built by Piper Aircraft, as the Piper Aerostar.

Douglas A-26C Invader on aerial firefighting duty

Ted Smith Aerostar 600

Smith was born in Oroville, California. His family later moved to Oakland, California, in 1916, where he graduated Oakland Technical High School in 1925 and soon developed his first aircraft, a tube and fabric glider. In 1929, Smith graduated from the Boeing School of Aeronautics. In 1935, Smith started his career at Douglas as a tool designer that would lead him to work on the B-18, B-23, and finally lead engineer on the A-20 project supervising 500 employees before leaving to form his own company.

External links

• Ted R. Smith – Aerostar Designer
• Stars and Commanders
• "Ted Smith Has Done It Again", December 1966
• Ted Smith, Oakland Tech Centennial
• Ted Smith's Dream, AOPA News