The Aero Club of Northern California requests the honor of your presence at a luncheon on April 8, 2015 to hear Alan Brown, the former Lockheed Director of Engineering, present on the development of the F-117A Stealth Fighter.
By the early 1970's, military planners realized our bombers could be detected and destroyed long before reaching their targets in the former U.S.S.R. They theorized they could design an aircraft with 100% survivability if its radar cross section was so small it couldn't be detected by enemy radar until it was too late for the enemy to respond. But to do this effectively, the radar cross section would have to be reduced by a factor of 10,000, which would require a revolutionary design.
Brown, an aeronautical engineer, was serving in Lockheed's propulsion division, when he was asked to join the Skunk Works to develop an innovative engine inlet that could trap incoming radar signals, while allowing sufficient airflow for a jet engine. He then served as the deputy program manager for the Have Blue project, which built two low-observable research aircraft to test concepts later used in the F-117A. Later, he was program manager and chief engineer for the F-117A Stealth Fighter from initial concept until the first production aircraft was built.
The luncheon starts at 11:30 AM, though the doors open at 11:15 AM. The location is Michaels at Shoreline, 2960 N Shoreline Blvd, Mountain View, CA. We expect to conclude around 1 PM. This Aero Club event is open to members and non-members alike, however,preregistration is required. Get the Early Bird Discount of $20 per person, which includes lunch, by reserving no later than April 2. When you register, specify a menu choice of Chinese Chicken Salad, Cobb Salad, Baked Cannelloni, or Vegetarian Tortellini. Prepay by credit card when you register, or you can pay cash or check at the door (sorry no credit cards at the door). For registrations made on April 3 or later, the fee is $25 per person and we might not be able to guarantee that you get your first choice menu item (though we will feed you!). Sorry, no free seats for people not interested in having lunch; you're welcome to attend but the registration fee still applies. Invite a friend to join you and then register for the luncheon at link below. If you have any difficulties registering online, email
[email protected] or phone 408-634-8062 to register. Please join us for a fun and informative luncheon and learn more about other Aero Club activities planned for 2015. Register at: http://events.constantcontact.com/register/event?llr=e8kqp6nab&oeidk=a07eaj6vdhn25d228cf