James Ray Younkin was born on April 3, 1929, in Fairfield, Iowa. He moved to Fayetteville, Washington County, Arkansas, with his family when he was thirteen.
After graduating from high school, Younkin joined the United States Army, where he played in the orchestra at Fort Knox. When he completed his military service, he attended the University of Arkansas and earned an engineering degree in 1952. Younkin worked for Hughes Aircraft in Tucson, Arizona, until he returned to the university to teach electronic engineering for a year in the mid-1950s. Younkin then worked for Collins Radio in Iowa, where he invented a gyroscope for airplane navigation systems. This invention led him to join Aviation Instruments in Texas. Younkin later designed the Century autopilot series and established TruTrak Flight Systems in 1999, where he continued to develop autopilot systems and other navigational and safety products.
Younkin is the cofounder of the Arkansas Air and Military Museum in Fayetteville. He built many of the displayed planes from scratch, including the replica of the Travel Air Mystery Ship.
Younkin passed away on May 13, 2019.
#1: Composite image of early photo of Jim Younkin and still frame from Pryor Center video interview
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#2: Jim Younkin's maternal grandfather, Hallie Bracewell
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#3: Jim Younkin's maternal grandmother, Rica Truman Bracewell
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#4: Jim Younkin's mother, Evelyn Bracewell, born 1897
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#5: Jim Younkin's father, Howard Younkin, World War I
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#6: Jim Younkin's mother, Evelyn Bracewell, 1921
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#7: Jim Younkin's parents, Howard and Evelyn Younkin, 1923
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#8: Jim Younkin with his mother, Evelyn, Fairfield, Iowa, 1929
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#9: Jim Younkin at age 4, 1933
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#10: Jim Younkin at age 5, 1935
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#11: Ford Trimotor plane in which Jim Younkin took his first plane ride, courtesy of Ford Motor Company, from Fairfield, Iowa, to Sigourney, Iowa, ca. 1934
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#12: Jim Younkin (3rd from left) with his brothers, Bob and Bill, beside the Ford Trimotor plane, ca. 1934
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#13: Jim Younkin (right) with his cousin, Richard, and Richard's mother, 1936
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#14: Jim Younkin (in foreground, holding his Comet Zipper model airplane) with members of his model airplane club; 1941
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#15: Jim Younkin (right) with his cousin, Richard, and brothers, Bob and Bill, 1942
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#16: Jim Younkin with his brother, Bob, and their grandmother, Rica Truman Bracewell, ca. 1942
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#17: Jim Younkin's senior photo, Fayetteville High School; Fayetteville, Arkansas, ca. 1946
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#18: Jim Younkin (1st row, 2nd from right) with the Fort Knox service band, Fort Knox, Kentucky, 1947
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#19: Jim Younkin (on saxaphone) at the Bubble Club, Fayetteville, Arkansas, 1950
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#20: Jim Younkin (seated on left) in the Bob Roper Band, University of Arkansas Student Union; Fayetteville, Arkansas, 1951
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#21: Jim Younkin (right) with his parents, Howard and Evelyn, and his daughter, Kathy; Tucson, Arizona, 1952
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#22: Mister Mulligan airplane; inscription reads, "Best wishes to my friend Jim Younkin. Harold Neumann"
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#23: Jim Younkin with his children, Bobby and Kathy; Texas, 1960
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#24: Jim Younkin (left), George's Majestic Lounge, Fayetteville, Arkansas, 1985
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#25: Jim Younkin with the Goliath airplane, 1989
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#26: Jim Younkin and his son, Bobby, with the Goliath airplane, 1989
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#27: The Goliath airplane in the workshop
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#28: Jim Younkin's Goliath airplane
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#29: The Goliath airplane in flight
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#30: Jim Younkin in his workshop, spring 1989
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#31: The Travelair 4000 at Blakesburg, Iowa, 1994
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#32: Jim and Ada Younkin (center) with the rest of the wedding party on their wedding day, 1995
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#33: Jim Younkin's wedding vehicles, 1995
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#34: Jim Younkin on his wedding day, 1995
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#35: Jim and Ada Younkin's wedding flight, 1995
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#36: Jim Younkin and Bud Dake, September 1995
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#37: Jim and Ada Younkin with the Mister Mulligan, Bartlesville, Oklahoma, 1996
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#38: Jim Younkin with the Mister Mulligan
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#39: Mister Mulligan in flight
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#40: Jim Younkin's Mullicoupe airplane, 1997
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#41: The Mullicoupe pre-takeoff
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#42: Jim Younkin relaxing at home with his wife, Ada, after painting all day
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#43: Jim and Ada Younkin at his induction into the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) Hall of Fame, Oshkosh, Wisconsin, 2001
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#44: Jim and Ada Younkin (right) with Bill and Mildred Younkin, EAA Hall of Fame, Oshkosh, Wisconsin, 2001
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#45: Jim Younkin on his 81st birthday, 2010
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#46: The Boeing B-29 Superfortress bomber FIFI visiting the Arkansas Air and Military Museum, Drake Field, Fayetteville, Arkansas; 2014
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#47: Ad for Jim Younkin's Century Series Mitchell Autopilots, 1966
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#48: Original plane design by Jim Younkin
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#49: Behind-the-scenes photo from Pryor Center interview with Jim Younkin at the Arkansas Air and Military Museum; Fayetteville, Arkansas, 2014
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#50: Behind-the-scenes photo from Pryor Center interview with Jim Younkin at the Arkansas Air and Military Museum; Fayetteville, Arkansas, 2014
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#51: Behind-the-scenes photo from Pryor Center interview with Jim Younkin at the Arkansas Air and Military Museum; Fayetteville, Arkansas, 2014
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#52: Behind-the-scenes photo from Pryor Center interview with Jim Younkin at the Arkansas Air and Military Museum; Fayetteville, Arkansas, 2014
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#53: Still frame from Pryor Center video interview with Jim Younkin at the Arkansas Air and Military Museum; Fayetteville, Arkansas, 2014
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#54: Still frame from Pryor Center video interview with Jim Younkin at the Arkansas Air and Military Museum; Fayetteville, Arkansas, 2014
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#55: Still frame from Pryor Center video interview with Jim Younkin at the Arkansas Air and Military Museum; Fayetteville, Arkansas, 2014
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
