Boeing Transonic Truss-Braced Wing Design the Topic of AIAA St. Louis Section Dinner Meeting

By Carmelo Turdo

The AIAA St. Louis Section held their most recent dinner meeting on Thursday, February 23, at Syberg's in Creve Coeur. AIAA members and guests filled the ballroom to have a delicious meal and learn about the Boeing Company's newest NASA project: the Sustainable Flight Demonstrator. The goal of the project is to select and develop the technologies that will be used in the next generation of single-aisle airliners, and the Boeing design has a very obvious feature: the truss-braced, high aspect-ratio wing. NASA announced the winning design in January, and the demonstrator's first flight is planned for 2028. The unique wing design will be combined with advanced powerplant technology as the design matures.

Laurette Lahey

The dinner meeting speaker, Laurette Lahey, is a Senior Director for Boeing Research and Technology based in Arlington, VA. She related her first-hand experience developing the Sustainable Flight Demonstrator as an outgrowth of NASA's Subsonic Ultra Green Aircraft Research (SUGAR) going back nearly two decades. The multi-phase program includes incorporating the Truss-Based Wing Design along with hybrid-electric propulsion to greatly decrease or eliminate the use fossil fuels in this class of aircraft.  

The January 18 NASA press conference announcing the Boeing selection can be seen below:

As mentioned above, the meeting was well-attended and included a large number of Boeing employees from the chapter membership. Here we have some views from Laurette Lahey's presentation, including the challenge coin appreciation gift awarded at the end of the program.

Young Aerospace Professional Pursues Flight Training at Elite Aviation

By Carmelo Turdo

Andrea Martinez and 
CFI Luis Zelaya

Andrea Martinez is currently in the flight training program at Elite Aviation. She is not your typical student pilot, however. Martinez is an Aerodynamics Engineer at Boeing Research and Technology, a graduate of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and a graduate engineering student at Purdue University. She has a long list of accomplishments, including internships at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Boeing's South Carolina facility, that would invite employment offers from anywhere in the country. Along with her impeccable academic record and professional experience, she also possesses a cheerful personality that projects a sincere desire to help others enter the aerospace field.

Andrea Martinez is taking the time now to pursue flight training as another practical application of her education as she settles into her aerospace career at the nearby Boeing Company. "This engineering background that I have, I would like to apply it to something," she told The Aero Experience. "I want to feel how an airplane behaves and how it responds to pilot inputs. That's partly why I want to pursue my Private Pilot License." She feels strongly that being a pilot will enhance her effectiveness as an aerodynamics engineer.

Andrea Martinez did a careful search for flight schools before making a commitment to begin her training. "When I was searching for a flight school, I wanted a school that was professional, that took aviation very seriously, and that knew what they were doing," she told The Aero Experience. She took test flights at several flight schools and settled on Elite Aviation. "When I came to Elite, I knew right away that this was going to be the right place for me. I was welcomed by John [and Donna Tipton], they were very friendly and I appreciated that they took the time out of their busy day to meet with me at seven o'clock on a Tuesday to give me a tour of their hangar and flight line...Also the fact that John is a pilot is another great thing because he knows where we are and where we're coming from." She also added that Elite Aviation supports work-life balance for their students and encourages women in aviation, making her flight training experience very satisfying.   

The Aero Experience was invited to interview Andrea Martinez for this story, and she was featured in a previous post, Young Aerospace Professional Pursues Flight Training, Inspires Women and Hispanic Americans to Embrace STEM Careers. Here we feature the video of the interview where she explains her love for aviation, why she chose Elite Aviation, and how she wishes to encourage others to pursue flying or a career in the aviation industry.

To view the full video interview, visit The Aero Experience YouTube Channel.

HEC-TV Broadcasts New Special Program, The Science Behind Aviation, From St. Louis School

(HEC-TV graphic)

By Carmelo Turdo

The Higher Education Channel (HEC-TV) produced and aired live another great special program, The Science Behind Aviation, on Thursday.  After months of preparatory work, the production staff and panel of expert guests arrived at the Jennings School District where a full broadcast studio was recreated for the 10am and 1pm live simulcasts involving schools from across the country.  The Aero Experience was privileged to assist Producer Jacqui Poor with gathering some background material and connecting with our airshow partner, Patrick McAlee of ExtremeFlight.   We are also proud to support this HEC-TV aviation education special by sharing a behind-the-scenes look at the broadcast and by promoting viewership when it is made available to the public in the near future.

As implied by the title, the program examined the science of flight from the perspective of four expert panelists and two additional guests via video and Skype.  The panelists were (L-R): Robert Dowgwillo, Aerodynamics Engineer with the Boeing Company; Major Mallory Nordquist, C-21A pilot and former C-5 Galaxy pilot now at Scott AFB, IL; Host Tim Gore; Patrick McAlee, Aerobatic Pilot with ExtremeFlight; and Lt. Col. (USAF, Ret.) Steve Dobronski, former F-15 Eagle pilot and currently F-15 Mission Planning Senior Systems Engineer for Tapestry Solutions.  Also included in the program were St. Louis area pilot and publisher Gary Liming with his Zenith kit-built STOL aircraft and paper airplane champion Ken Blackburn.

The studio location for the broadcast was the Jennings School District's Gary Gore Community Education Center.  The panel discussion table was center stage, and tables and chairs were set up for the student audience participants.  A large monitor was provided to view videos and the classroom participants from other schools across the country.  Here we have some views of the guests and the preparations underway before the broadcast.  

 

 

The panel discussion had a cumulative effect of adding each guest to the conversation after a short biographical video introduction.  The first panelist was Robert Dowgwillo, who gave some guidance on the design process of an aircraft.  He emphasized that the F-15 Eagle was specifically designed for air superiority, or gaining control of the skies, so that the rest of the military forces can perform their roles.  The size, materials, performance and other factors must conform to the specific purpose, or mission, of the aircraft.  Patrick McAlee joined the discussion from the perspective of an airshow pilot, emphasizing the specific design requirements of his modified Pitts Special, the effects of g-forces, the need for situational awareness and the necessity of physical fitness in his type of flying.  Lt. Col. Steve Dobronski described flying the USAF F-15 Eagle high-performance fighter, controlling the effects of g-forces on the body during air combat maneuvering, and how temperature and pressure affect aircraft performance.  USAF Major Mallory Nordquist related her experience flying the largest U.S. military cargo aircraft, the C-5 Galaxy, weighing over 800,000 pounds on takeoff.  The enormous aircraft flies like any other, using the same laws of physics, though on a larger scale than with other aircraft.  Gary Liming appeared via pre-recorded video showing off his kit-built Zenith STOL (Short Takeoff and Landing) aircraft, and Ken Blackburn taught the visiting students how to make (and launch) a championship paper airplane.   

Following the broadcast, some of the students stayed to meet the panelists and discuss pathways to various aviation careers.  As more students learn about the science behind aviation, it is hoped that they will continue to develop an interest in a career in one of the many aviation vocations that are now in desperate need of more skilled workers.  

The Aero Experience looks forward to the publishing of the special program for public access soon, and we thank HEC-TV, the program guests and the production crew for allowing us to provide this preview story. 

Boeing Centennial Celebration Includes Variety of Activities Amid Celebration of Accomplishments

By Carmelo Turdo

The Boeing Company turns 100 years old on July 15 this year, and they are asking the public to join the celebration already in full swing.  Those among the record attendance at last evening's Missouri Aviation Historical Society meeting were given a primer on the Boeing Company history and the Centennial celebration by Paul Segura, Boeing’s St. Louis Site History Council Leader (along with being an Engineering Manager at Boeing St. Louis).  Mr. Segura was well received, holding the audience of 140 members and guests, including many retired McDonnell Douglas employees, in rapt attention for over ninety minutes.

Mr. Segura articulated the need to retain the institutional history of Boeing and its legacy companies as the Boeing Company turns 100 years old and continues on to another century.  "It's the responsibility of those of the present to capture the past going forward into the future," he said.  Another way of saying this is displayed at the James S. McDonnell Prologue Room at Boeing's St. Louis headquarters:  "The Past is Prologue."  The phrase is based on the Shakespearean phrase, "What is past is prologue," which means a past act has set up a future action.  In this context, it can be demonstrated that the aerospace heritage forged by McDonnell Aircraft Corporation, Douglas Aircraft Company, McDonnell Douglas Corporation, North American Aviation, and the Boeing Company has formed the current Boeing Company.

(Paul Segura presentation slide)

A fascinating review of the Boeing heritage company legacy focused on the iconic early age of aviation leaders that formed the basis of not only the eventual Boeing Company but that of the major aerospace firms of the Twentieth Century: Bill Boeing, Donald W. Douglas, James "Dutch" Kindelberger and James S. McDonnell.  Each not only contributed to much of the advancement of the aviation and later aerospace industry, but because of the time in which they began their companies (1915-1940), they were among a very small cadre of pioneers who knew and worked with each other at various times.  In fact, Douglas, Kindelberger and McDonnell each served as Chief or Assistant Chief Engineer at the Glenn L. Martin Company, which preceded the others when established in 1912, while Bill Boeing's first aircraft was a Martin Model TT trainer then used by the U.S. Army Signal Corps.  Eventually, each company developed and matured into aerospace giants, but at one time or another faced financial difficulties and were absorbed into what is today a diversified aerospace giant  - the current Boeing Company.

"We have inherited all that heritage and knowledge," Segura continued, describing the general nature of the archives retained principally at the Everett, WA and St. Louis, MO campuses.  Along with archives, Boeing retains an Historical Library, exhibits in various buildings (including the James S. McDonnell Prologue Room), and of course shares the Boeing Centennial celebration.

Details about the Boeing Centennial celebration can be found on the company's dedicated web page.  The film, "The Age of Aerospace," was produced for airing on the Science Channel.  The "Your Story Is Our Story" program encourages Boeing and its legacy company employees and retirees to contribute their experiences in the company for the archives.  Boeing archives will also be posted periodically.  New education and outreach programs have been created, and the travelling exhibit, "Above and Beyond," is currently at the St. Louis Science Center through May 8, 2016.  Commemorative merchandise is also available at the Boeing Store.  Boeing is also a sponsor of the Spirit of St. Louis Airshow, May 14-15, 2016.

Trio of Boeing F-15SA Eagles Fly out to Palmdale Test Facility

The Aero Experience Exclusive!

The trio of F-15SA (Saudi Advanced) Eagle test aircraft departed from the Boeing Company's Defense, Space and Security division location in St. Louis earlier today.  The three jets took off from Lambert-St. Louis International Airport, along with Boeing's T-38A Talon chase plane, on a flight to the company's Palmdale, CA facility for additional development work.  The F-15SA features a fly-by-wire control system, Digital Electronic Warfare Suite, Infrared Search and Track System, Active Electronically Scanned Array Radar and an integrated helmet cuing system among other enhancements.  Development  will continue through 2014.

The Aero Experience is pleased to present the takeoff sequence of the three F-15SA test aircraft - SA-3, SA-1 and SA-2: