Posted on 01/23/2014 9:28:40 AM PST by OneWingedShark
According to his biographer, Robert Coram, John Boyd made “more contributions to fighter tactics, aircraft design, and the theory of air combat than any man in Air Force history.”
As a fighter pilot, he was undefeated and earned the nickname “40-Second Boyd” for his ability to win any dogfight in under a minute.
Unmatched in the cockpit, his mind was also without rival. He was not simply a warrior of combat, but a warrior-engineer and warrior-philosopher.
When he was 33, he wrote “Aerial Attack Study,” which codified the best dogfighting tactics for the first time, became the “bible of air combat,” and revolutionized the methods of every air force in the world.
His Energy-Maneuverability (E-M) Theory helped give birth to the legendary F-15, F-16, and A-10 aircraft.
A briefing he developed, “Patterns of Conflict,” changed combat strategy for both airmen and ground troops, introduced the oft-cited, and typically misunderstood OODA loop, and “made him the most influential military thinker since Sun Tzu wrote The Art of War 2,400 years ago.”
All in all, John Boyd served in the United States Air Force for twenty-four years and through three wars.
But he was never promoted above colonel.
All because Boyd stubbornly refused to compromise his principles and ideals for advancement.
(Excerpt) Read more at artofmanliness.com ...
Great book. Highly recommended.
Boyd was not a nice guy, but he was brilliant.
Good Article. I enjoyed it.
I recall the story of his chewing bits off his cuticles and spitting them at people he didn’t like.
Ha.
It’s a great book, though.
/What’s never mentioned is that Boyd was a pioneer in game theory. That’s basically what the OODA Loop is all about.
There were more Marine Officers at Boyd’s funeral than Air Force Officers. I always wonder about the theory he was working on when he died.
Coram did a GREAT job in
American Patriot: The Life and Wars of Colonel Bud Day
You want to really know about Juan Mclame & HeinzBoy?
Skewer city.
I just re-read the biography “Boyd”, as I do about every couple of years. He was, in my opinion, one of the smartest Americans in our history.
bkmk
I just read about him in this article; he sounds very admirable. I'll probably add the biographies that've been suggested to my "to read" list.
As for other smart / admirable Americans [former Presidents], I'm rather fond of John Adams and Calvin Coolidge.
Gonna check this one out...
Boyd was also influential in business organizational theories.
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