Daniel Raymer
Encyclopedia
Daniel P. Raymer is an aerospace design engineer widely recognized as an expert in the fields of aircraft conceptual design, design engineering and aircraft configuration and layout.
US Army base. His father is Gordon Raymer, a US Navy pilot then attending the Naval Postgraduate School
in Monterey, California
. While growing up, his family lived at the in Patuxent River, Maryland
, where his father attended test pilot school at the Naval Air Station Patuxent River
. Later, his family also lived in Taiwan
, while his father served as a Lockheed P-2 Neptune instructor pilot and mission planner with the Black Bat Squadron
. This was a joint operation run by the CIA and the Republic of China Air Force
.
After leaving the Navy, his father went to work at the Lockheed Skunk Works
and Dan ended up graduating from Simi Valley High School
in 1972. While in high school, he started flying lessons at the Santa Paula Airport
. After graduating, he attended Purdue University
on a US Air Force ROTC scholarship. While at Purdue, he finished his flying lessons and got his pilot's license. One of his teachers at Purdue was the legendary John McMasters
, who went on to work at Boeing and publish technical papers on the flight of insects and dinosaurs. Dan graduated from Purdue with BS and MS degrees in aeronautical engineering.
After graduating in 1976, he went to work at Rockwell North American Aviation
as an aircraft configuration designer. While at Rockwell, he developed the computer-aided Configuration Development System (CDS) and served as Chief Engineer on Rockwell's design for the Advanced Tactical Fighter
. He was also Head of Air Vehicle Design in the early stages of the design of the Rockwell-MBB X-31
. In addition, he attended the University of Southern California
and earned a MBA.
In 1986 he left Rockwell to start a new organization, the Aerojet Propulsion Research Institute. After six months, Aerojet got purchased and the Institute was shut down. He used his six months of severance pay to write Aircraft Design: A Conceptual Approach.
After this, he went to work at Lockheed
as Director of Advanced Design and later became Director of Advanced Concept Design at the Lockheed Skunk Works
. After three years (1987-1990) at Lockheed, he left to teach at California State University, Northridge
(1990-1993). During this time, he founded Conceptual Design Corporation (1990) and started consulting at the RAND Corporation (1993-2004).
As president of Conceptual Design Corporation, he has worked on the Orbital Sciences
Stargazer
and the Pioneer Rocketplane
. He also earned a Doctorate of Engineering (Ph. D) from the Swedish Royal Institute of Technology (KTH).
Dr. Raymer is most well known for publishing the professional textbooks Aircraft Design: A Conceptual Approach, now in its 4th edition and Dan Raymer's Simplified Aircraft Design for Homebuilders; which have become recognized as premier textbooks in the field of aircraft conceptual design. He regularly teaches conceptual design courses for aircraft
and UAVs through the AIAA and other professional organizations.
Career
Dan Raymer was born in 1954 at the Fort OrdFort Ord
Fort Ord was a U.S. Army post on Monterey Bay in California. It was established in 1917 as a maneuver area and field artillery target range and was closed in September 1994. Fort Ord was one of the most attractive locations of any U.S. Army post, because of its proximity to the beach and California...
US Army base. His father is Gordon Raymer, a US Navy pilot then attending the Naval Postgraduate School
Naval Postgraduate School
The Naval Postgraduate School is an accredited research university operated by the United States Navy. Located in Monterey, California, it grants master's degrees, Engineer's degrees and doctoral degrees...
in Monterey, California
Monterey, California
The City of Monterey in Monterey County is located on Monterey Bay along the Pacific coast in Central California. Monterey lies at an elevation of 26 feet above sea level. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 27,810. Monterey is of historical importance because it was the capital of...
. While growing up, his family lived at the in Patuxent River, Maryland
Patuxent River
The Patuxent River is a tributary of the Chesapeake Bay in the state of Maryland. There are three main river drainages for central Maryland: the Potomac River to the west passing through Washington D.C., the Patapsco River to the northeast passing through Baltimore, and the Patuxent River between...
, where his father attended test pilot school at the Naval Air Station Patuxent River
Naval Air Station Patuxent River
"Pax River" redirects here. For the river, see Patuxent River.Naval Air Station Patuxent River , also known as NAS Pax River, is a United States Naval Air Station located in St. Mary's County, Maryland on the Chesapeake Bay near the mouth of the Patuxent River. It is home to the U.S...
. Later, his family also lived in Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
, while his father served as a Lockheed P-2 Neptune instructor pilot and mission planner with the Black Bat Squadron
Black Bat Squadron
Black Bats 34th Squadron was the name of a corps of CIA reconnaissance plane pilots and crew based in Taiwan during the Cold War. Citizens of the Republic of China, they flew missions over mainland China, or the People's Republic of China , to drop agents and gathered military signal intelligences...
. This was a joint operation run by the CIA and the Republic of China Air Force
Republic of China Air Force
The Republic of China Air Force is the aviation branch of the Republic of China Armed Forces. The ROCAF's primary mission is the defense of the airspace over and around Taiwan...
.
After leaving the Navy, his father went to work at the Lockheed Skunk Works
Skunk works
Skunk Works is an official alias for Lockheed Martin’s Advanced Development Programs , formerly called Lockheed Advanced Development Projects. Skunk Works is responsible for a number of famous aircraft designs, including the U-2, the SR-71 Blackbird, the F-117 Nighthawk, and the F-22 Raptor...
and Dan ended up graduating from Simi Valley High School
Simi Valley High School
Simi Valley High School is a secondary school located in Simi Valley, California, nestling in the shadow of the Santa Susana Mountains, adjacent to the San Fernando Valley. It was established in 1920 as the valley's first high school. Simi Valley High School has undergone several configurations...
in 1972. While in high school, he started flying lessons at the Santa Paula Airport
Santa Paula Airport
Santa Paula Airport is a privately owned public-use airport located one mile southeast of the central business district of Santa Paula, a city in Ventura County, California, USA...
. After graduating, he attended Purdue University
Purdue University
Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and...
on a US Air Force ROTC scholarship. While at Purdue, he finished his flying lessons and got his pilot's license. One of his teachers at Purdue was the legendary John McMasters
John H. McMasters
John H. McMasters was an aeronautical engineer notable for his contributions to aerodynamics and engineering education.-Career:...
, who went on to work at Boeing and publish technical papers on the flight of insects and dinosaurs. Dan graduated from Purdue with BS and MS degrees in aeronautical engineering.
After graduating in 1976, he went to work at Rockwell North American Aviation
Rockwell International
Rockwell International was a major American manufacturing conglomerate in the latter half of the 20th century, involved in aircraft, the space industry, both defense-oriented and commercial electronics, automotive and truck components, printing presses, valves and meters, and industrial automation....
as an aircraft configuration designer. While at Rockwell, he developed the computer-aided Configuration Development System (CDS) and served as Chief Engineer on Rockwell's design for the Advanced Tactical Fighter
Advanced Tactical Fighter
The Advanced Tactical Fighter was a demonstration and validation program undertaken by the United States Air Force to develop a next-generation air superiority fighter to counter emerging worldwide threats, including Soviet Sukhoi Su-27 and Mikoyan MiG-29 fighters under development in the 1980s...
. He was also Head of Air Vehicle Design in the early stages of the design of the Rockwell-MBB X-31
Rockwell-MBB X-31
|-See also:-References:*Jenkins, Dennis R., Tony Landis, and Jay Miller. . NASA, June 2003.*USAF & NATO Report RTO-TR-015 AC/323//TP-1 .-External links:* * * *...
. In addition, he attended the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
and earned a MBA.
In 1986 he left Rockwell to start a new organization, the Aerojet Propulsion Research Institute. After six months, Aerojet got purchased and the Institute was shut down. He used his six months of severance pay to write Aircraft Design: A Conceptual Approach.
After this, he went to work at Lockheed
Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin is an American global aerospace, defense, security, and advanced technology company with worldwide interests. It was formed by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta in March 1995. It is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, in the Washington Metropolitan Area....
as Director of Advanced Design and later became Director of Advanced Concept Design at the Lockheed Skunk Works
Skunk works
Skunk Works is an official alias for Lockheed Martin’s Advanced Development Programs , formerly called Lockheed Advanced Development Projects. Skunk Works is responsible for a number of famous aircraft designs, including the U-2, the SR-71 Blackbird, the F-117 Nighthawk, and the F-22 Raptor...
. After three years (1987-1990) at Lockheed, he left to teach at California State University, Northridge
California State University, Northridge
California State University, Northridge is a public university in Northridge, a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles, California, United States....
(1990-1993). During this time, he founded Conceptual Design Corporation (1990) and started consulting at the RAND Corporation (1993-2004).
As president of Conceptual Design Corporation, he has worked on the Orbital Sciences
Orbital Sciences Corporation
Orbital Sciences Corporation is an American company which specializes in the manufacturing and launch of satellites. Its Launch Systems Group is heavily involved with missile defense launch systems...
Stargazer
Stargazer (aircraft)
Stargazer, registration number N140SC, is a modified Lockheed L-1011 TriStar aircraft used by Orbital Sciences Corporation as a mother ship launch pad for Pegasus rockets...
and the Pioneer Rocketplane
Pioneer Rocketplane
Pioneer Rocketplane was an aerospace design and development company intent on developing affordable manned space flight. The company is most famous for advocating a horizontal takeoff, turbo-jet and rocket propelled, aerial-refueled, rocket plane concept called the Pathfinder. The company still...
. He also earned a Doctorate of Engineering (Ph. D) from the Swedish Royal Institute of Technology (KTH).
Dr. Raymer is most well known for publishing the professional textbooks Aircraft Design: A Conceptual Approach, now in its 4th edition and Dan Raymer's Simplified Aircraft Design for Homebuilders; which have become recognized as premier textbooks in the field of aircraft conceptual design. He regularly teaches conceptual design courses for aircraft
Aircraft
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...
and UAVs through the AIAA and other professional organizations.
Honors and Awards
- AIAA Aircraft Design Award (2010)
- AIAA Sustained Service Award (2003)
- AIAA Summerfield Book Award (2000)
- Purdue University Outstanding Aerospace Engineering Alumni Award (2000)
- Rockwell Engineer of the Year (1979)
- Aviation/Space Writers Association 1991 Award of Excellence
- San Fernando Valley Engineers' Council 1991 Engineering Merit Award.
- AIAA Distinguished Lecturer, 1990-1992
- American Institute of Aeronautics & Astronautics - Fellow
- Institute for the Advancement of Engineering (IAE) - Fellow
- Editorial Board Member - Chinese Journal of Aeronautics, Chinese Society of Aeronautics & Astronautics
- Editorial Board Member - Journal of Aerospace Sciences and Technologies, Aeronautical Society of India.
- Editorial Board Member (former) - AIAA Journal of Aircraft
- Editorial Board Member (former) - Aircraft Design: An International Journal (Pergamon)
- Member (former), Board of Advisors, UC-Davis Department of Mechanical & Aeronautical Engineering
External links
- Aircraftdesign.com - Raymer's Official Web Site