Heinemann was born in Saginaw, Michigan, but moved to California as a boy and was raised in Los Angeles. He joined Douglas Aircraft as a draftsman in 1926. Heinemann became Douglas's Chief Engineer in 1936. He remained with the company through 1960, when he left to join Guidance Technology. He retired in 1973.
Designs
During his long career at Douglas Heinemann designed more than 20 combat aircraft for the US Navy, including many that became legends in their field. His designs included:
