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Editor’s Note: Over the next two years, we’ll be hosting a series of GoFly Master Lectures where industry experts share advice, insights, and answer questions from anyone interested in participating in the GoFly Prize.

For the latest in our series of “Master Lectures,” we welcome Bruce Kay, a former Sikorsky Tech Fellow for Air Vehicle design. Kay was responsible for changing the paradigm that helicopter airframes had to be metal. He conducted requisite R&D and then become Chief Engineer for the world’s first composite airframe helicopter, the Sikorsky S-75 (ACAP). Subsequently, he was appointed Chief of Design for the Comanche helicopter, and managed several IPTs. Following first flight, he returned to research and managed Sikorsky’s advanced airframe R&D. This included pioneering applications for advanced design concepts, analysis, producibility, and software simulation tools. has Kay received numerous recognition awards from AHS, the Army, and NASA.

If you have follow-up questions, check out current discussions on the GoFly forum or start your own thread!

 

Editor’s Note: Over the next two years, we’ll be hosting a series of GoFly Master Lectures where industry experts share advice, insights, and answer questions from anyone interested in participating in the GoFly Prize.

For the fifth in our series of Master Lectures, we welcome Dr. Arvind Sinha, Director of Engineering at the Helicopter Systems Division of the Australian Department of Defence. Dr. Sinha has a service record of over 42 years, which includes positions in defence forces, industry and academic institutions. He has held positions such as Officer Commanding of Military units in Operation; has three post-graduate degrees (Electronics Engineering, Aerospace Technology and Business administration) and a PhD in Aerospace Engineering, Multi-mission helicopter design. In 2016, he was honored with the “World’s Outstanding Aerospace Engineer Leadership Award” by the American Helicopter Society (AHS) International.

In this 30-minute lecture, Dr. Sinha advises GoFly competitors on how to approach design optimization–from the importance of simulation in the building process to strategies for optimizing thrust while minimizing noise. He also shares his own desire to “truly fly” in a way that humankind has yet to achieve, and why he’s personally inspired by GoFly innovators.   

There are many different designs that have the potential to successfully meet the GoFly parameters. The complete technical rules for the GoFly Prize can be found at Herox.com/GoFly/Guidelines. https://herox.com/GoFly/guidelines.

Editor’s Note: Over the next two years, we’ll be hosting a series of GoFly Master Lectures where industry experts share advice, insights, and answer questions from anyone interested in participating in the GoFly Prize.

For the second installment of “Master Lectures,” Dr. Daniel P. Raymer discussed conceptual design and some of the exciting challenges teams may face as they develop their ideas for a personal flying device.

Dr. Raymer wrote the world’s best-selling book on aircraft design, and teaches aircraft advanced design methods around the world. As president of design and consulting company, Conceptual Research Corporation, he’s recognized world-wide as an expert in Aerospace Vehicle Design and Configuration Layout, Computer-aided Design Methodologies, and Design Education.

You can watch the full lecture below. If you have follow-up questions, check out current discussions about design on the GoFly forum or start your own thread!