Garrett AiResearch

Garrett AiResearch
AiResearch Division, Garrett Corporation · Public domain · source
Name	Garrett AiResearch
Founded	1936
Founder	John Clifford "Cliff" Garrett
Fate	Merged; evolved into Honeywell International Inc.
Headquarters	Los Angeles, California
Industry	Aerospace, aviation, defense
Products	Turbosuperchargers, turbochargers, environmental control systems, auxiliary power units, aircraft engines

Garrett AiResearch was an American aerospace and industrial engineering company notable for advances in turbosuperchargers, gas turbine technology, and environmental control systems for fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft. Founded in the interwar period, the firm supplied critical propulsion and accessory systems to major aircraft manufacturers and defense contractors during World War II and the Cold War. Its technologies influenced postwar developments in civil aviation and guided the growth of several multinational conglomerates through a series of mergers and acquisitions.

History

Garrett AiResearch was founded in 1936 by John Clifford "Cliff" Garrett in Los Angeles, expanding from early work on turbocompressors to military orders during World War II, when contracts with Lockheed Corporation, Douglas Aircraft Company, North American Aviation, Consolidated Aircraft, and Boeing accelerated production. Postwar, the company capitalized on demand from projects such as the B-36 Peacemaker and collaborations with engine makers like Pratt & Whitney and General Electric (GE), while competing with firms such as Honeywell International Inc. (predecessors) and AlliedSignal peers. During the 1950s and 1960s Garrett invested heavily in turbomachinery and environmental control innovations, supplying systems to programs including the F-4 Phantom II, F-16 Fighting Falcon prototypes, and civil transports like the Boeing 747 and Lockheed L-1011 TriStar. The company diversified into spaceflight components for agencies and contractors including NASA, Martin Marietta, and Rockwell International during the Space Race era. In the 1980s and 1990s consolidation in the defense industry saw Garrett merge with larger industrial groups, ultimately becoming part of entities associated with Honeywell and United Technologies Corporation's extended supply chains.

Products and Technologies

Garrett's portfolio encompassed a broad range of turbomachinery and aircraft systems. Early successes included compact turbosuperchargers used on P-51 Mustang derivatives and piston-driven transports, while later product lines featured turbochargers for automotive applications and small gas turbines for auxiliary power. The company developed environmental control systems used on airliners produced by Boeing, McDonnell Douglas, and Lockheed, and heat-exchanger, refrigeration, and cabin pressurization components used in programs like the Concorde (supplier networks) and long-range military transports such as the C-5 Galaxy. Garrett pioneered centrifugal and axial compressor designs that informed later models by Rolls-Royce plc and Snecma partners. Their auxiliary power units (APUs) were adopted on rotary-wing platforms developed by Sikorsky Aircraft and on transport aircraft from Airbus Industrie suppliers, while turbocharger technologies influenced aftermarket industries involving Ford Motor Company, General Motors, and Chrysler. Garrett's research labs worked with academic institutions including Caltech and Massachusetts Institute of Technology on materials, ceramic coatings, and high-temperature alloys that paralleled advances at Carnegie Mellon University and Stanford University.

Military and Aerospace Applications

Garrett supplied propulsion accessories and support systems to numerous military programs. Their turbosupercharger and APU products were integrated into platforms like the F-104 Starfighter, A-4 Skyhawk, and transport platforms such as the C-130 Hercules. Garrett components supported naval aviation and carrier operations with installations on aircraft by Grumman Corporation and Northrop Corporation. In missile and space-launch support, the firm provided turbomachinery components and flow-control valves for projects with Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman subcontractors tied to ICBM and satellite launch vehicles. Garrett's environmental control systems were critical to high-altitude reconnaissance and surveillance programs linked to contractors such as RCA Corporation and LTV Corporation. Export and allied procurement involved coordination with defense agencies like the United States Department of Defense and procurement programs in United Kingdom, France, and Germany allied procurement networks.

Corporate Structure and Mergers

Throughout its corporate life Garrett retained a structure combining research divisions, manufacturing subsidiaries, and international affiliates. Strategic partnerships and joint ventures linked Garrett to aerospace OEMs and suppliers including Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Siemens, and Brown Boveri (BBC). Ownership changes culminated in mergers and acquisitions during the 1980s and 1990s, involving entities such as Signal Companies, AlliedSignal, and eventually integration into operations associated with Honeywell International Inc. and other conglomerates active in aerospace consolidation. The corporate lineage connects to later supply networks within United Technologies Corporation's Pratt & Whitney supply base and aftermarket service providers such as StandardAero and Rolls-Royce Holdings plc service divisions.

Manufacturing and Facilities

Garrett operated major production and research facilities in Los Angeles, later expanding to sites in Phoenix, Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, and international plants in United Kingdom, France, and Germany. Manufacturing capabilities included precision casting, turbine blade production, heat-treatment, and HVAC assembly lines supporting contracts with Boeing, Airbus, Sikorsky, and Bell Helicopter Textron. Test rigs and engine test cells at Garrett facilities enabled component qualification for programs like the SR-71 Blackbird support systems and turbomachinery validation for export customers in the NATO supply chain. Workforce training programs connected Garrett to technical schools and defense STEM initiatives associated with institutions such as MIT and Georgia Institute of Technology.

Legacy and Impact

Garrett's innovations in turbocharging, APUs, and environmental control systems influenced postwar aviation design, aftersales aftermarket industries, and materials science developments used across aerospace supply chains. Alumni and engineering practices seeded technical leadership at firms like Honeywell, Pratt & Whitney, Rolls-Royce, and GE Aviation, while patents and design heritage informed modern turbine and thermal management technologies in civil and military aviation. Garrett's role in technology transfer contributed to industrial clusters in Southern California, the Sun Belt, and European aerospace hubs involving companies such as Safran, MTU Aero Engines, and Leonardo S.p.A.. The company's corporate evolution and product lineage remain cited in historical studies of U.S. aerospace industrialization and consolidation through late 20th-century mergers.

Category:Aerospace companies of the United States Category:Defunct manufacturing companies of the United States