The Secret History of the First Microprocessor, the F-14, and Me

The story of the first microprocessor, one you may have heard, goes something That’s the canonical sketch. It was called the Central Air Data Computer, and it calculated things like altitude and Mach number; it figured out the angle of attack, key to landing and missile targeting; and it controlled the wing sweep, allowing the craft to be both maneuverable when the wings were at about 50 degrees and very, very fast when they were swept all the way back. Ray Holt was one of the engineers for the Central Air Data Computer. He worked on the project, one of two people doing what’s called the logic design, for two years, between 1968 and 1970, with a team that included his younger brother, Bill. Ray and I reconnected over the summer, and after he told me his story, I wanted to learn more about the Central Air Data Computer and its place in history—and how his life might have branched around mine.