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The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics has honored eight Lockheed Martin Aeronautics engineers for their contributions to the design of the stealthy, next-generation F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. Paul Bevilaqua, Dave Butcher, George Law, Gerry Murff, Paul Park, Brian Quayle, Kevin Renshaw, and Rick Rezabek received AIAA’s Aircraft Design Award for 2002. The award is presented to a design engineer or team for “the conception, definition, or development of an original concept leading to a significant advancement in aircraft design or design technology.” The citation, presented to the team on 1 October at an AIAA forum in Los Angeles, recognizes the engineers “for an innovative tri-service solution next-generation strike aircraft demonstrating commonality, carrier approach, and short takeoff/vertical landing flight all in a fourth-generation low-observable airframe.” Butcher, Murff, Park, Quayle, and Renshaw were central to the basic overall integrated design of the JSF, while Law and Rezabek spearheaded the construction and flight testing of the JSF X-35 demonstrator aircraft. Bevilaqua played a leading role in creating the JSF concept by inventing the shaft-driven lift fan and showing how it could be used to design a family of STOVL and conventional variants of the same aircraft. |
