Maryland Man Who Helped Invent Bazooka Dies

Local engineer led Fairchild Industries Inc.

The Maryland man who helped invent the bazooka gun and went on to lead a major local aerospace company has died.

Edward Uhl, 92, of Oxford, died Sunday from complications from a stroke he suffered three years ago.

In 1942 Uhl was an Army first lieutenant with an engineering degree. He helped develop a shoulder-fired rocket launcher nicknamed the bazooka because it resembled a tube-shaped musical instrument.

Uhl joined aerospace company Fairchild Industries, Inc., in 1961. He oversaw the company's transformation from a military aircraft manufacturer to an aerospace giant. Uhl retired as chairman in 1985.

Fairchild's products included the A-10 Thunderbolt II, an airplane nicknamed the warthog that was used against Iraqi tanks in the first Gulf War.

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