h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0908632.html
Inventors Hall of Fame inductees for 2003

Charles Kaman, 1919–, Rotor Control Mechanism for Rotary Aircraft. In 1947, Kaman revolutionized helicopter safety and stability with his aerodynamic “servo-controlled flaps,” which could automatically adjust to provide stability. He also introduced the first helicopter powered by a gas turbine, the first twin-turbine helicopter, and the first remote controlled helicopter.

Also invented the Ovation guitar.

Theodore von Kármán, 1881–1963, Turbo Jet. Theodore von Kármán observed the presence of eddies (counter-rotating currents) in the wake of a moving object, leading to the Kármán Vortex Trail, a scientific snapshot of the structure of a wake behind a moving body under certain conditions. Von Kármán's work paved the way for the development of supersonic jets, rockets, and guided missiles.

And probably the guy the Karmann Ghia is named after.

When you wrote the subject as "inductess", I thought a women were involved.

Oh how I hate misspelling titles more than anything else!
I almost removed it.

Should be women on the list....

Invented the ovation? He doesn't deserve to get in. Horrible toneless rubbish those guitars are. Has Leo Fender been inducted? Now there is a genius, most adaptable electric guitar in the known universe, and he COULDN't (!) play!

The Adamas models with the wooden tops and the bubble-like holes in the upper bouts were not too bad. I used to use a friends that she won in a raffle at Kerrville. When I would record it, I would use an amplifier and an open mike, so that I got both the amped noise and the acoustic noise. They worked best with a bit of compression, also.

Admittedly, to this day, I can hear one in use on a recording, except when Glen Campbell used his. Melissa Ethridge's old 12 string didn't sound too bad, but I think they Beatled her rhythm guitar tracks.

The question about Leo Fender is a good one. I don't know.
And you are right, he was no musician.
He had access to hundreds of musicians, though, and he let them play his prototypes so that he could receive feedback on them.
I used to own one of the last G&Ls he worked on before he died, a Cavalier.
The man was an ****ing genius, except for that horrible bridge he put on the Jazzmaster/Jaguar.

http://www.rockhall.com/hof/inductee.asp?id=102

Sorry, only an inductee into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame in 1992.
Which is probably a place Charles Kaman will never be...

Your a veritable nine of information tr as was. I have always found that the best thing to do with an ovation is to remove the top, then give it to any passing giants who need a spoon

Leo should get into the country music hall of fame too, and just about any other hall of fame available too, the man was so good at his art.

I used to own one of the last handwired Marshall amps that Jim worked on (it had his signature on the inside!) it sounded great but only distorted, so I swapped it for a Bassman, much nicer in my view