Obituaries : Anthony York, Plane Designer

Anthony (Tony) York, the engineer responsible for the structural design of such World War II-era Lockheed planes as the P-38, the P-80 (America’s first jet fighter), the F-104 and the Electra, died Tuesday of cancer at age 74 in Palm Springs.

Before joining Lockheed in 1940, the Georgia Institute of Technology graduate worked for the Martin Co. on the B-10B bomber.

His design team in 1943 in 90 days produced the Lulu Belle, the prototype of the F-80 that is on display in the Smithsonian Institution.

York, who retired from Lockheed in 1970, is survived by his wife, Katherine; two sons; a brother, and three grandchildren.