{"id":10928,"date":"2016-06-21T12:51:11","date_gmt":"2016-06-21T19:51:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cafe.foundation\/blog\/?p=10928"},"modified":"2016-06-21T12:51:11","modified_gmt":"2016-06-21T19:51:11","slug":"cafe-eas-2016-star-ginn-spiral-development-of-electric-propulsion-though-flight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/cafe.foundation\/blog\/cafe-eas-2016-star-ginn-spiral-development-of-electric-propulsion-though-flight\/","title":{"rendered":"CAFE EAS 2016: Star Ginn, Spiral Development of Electric Propulsion Though Flight"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ms. Ginn heads the currently nick-named X-57 Maxwell project, a multi-motor airplane named after \u201cJames Clerk Maxwell, a 19th-century Scottish physicist who came up with the basic equations underlying electromagnetism,\u201d according to a New York Times<\/em> story.<\/a><\/p>\n

\"X-57

X-57 SCEPTOR “Maxwell” with LEAPTech wing, 14 motors<\/p><\/div>\n

Her LinkedIn profile<\/a> says she is \u201cNASA Armstrong Deputy Aeronautics Research Director for strategic formulation of aeronautics research goals. Works with the Aeronautics Research Mission Director and staff to define new aeronautics programs and execute projects. POC (proof of concept) for Hybrid Electric Aircraft Research at AFRC and X-57 SCEPTOR. Convergent Aeronautic Solutions Project Liaison at AFRC (Armstrong Flight Research Center).\u201d<\/p>\n

Starr has been involved with a variety of technologies for NASA, capitalizing on her understanding of aeroelasticity.\u00a0 An early example, MADCAT, was a vision for electric aircraft, starting with a model-sized demonstration that morphing wings could offer aerodynamic and handling benefits to larger craft.\u00a0 It also exemplifies the philosophy of starting small, and \u201cbuilding our way up.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"MADCAT

MADCAT wing inspected by Jaiwon Shin, NASA’s associate administrator for aeronautics. Model demonstrates principle of starting small and working up<\/p><\/div>\n

She takes the long view, explaining it took 40 years to get from the Wright Brothers\u2019 first flights to 40 passenger airplanes.\u00a0 She wants to achieve the same thing with electric aircraft in only 20 more.\u00a0 That may be helped by a 10-year aeronautics research budget <\/a>for NASA, meant to focus on, \u201cA future where we fly on aircraft that consume half as much fuel and generate only one quarter of current emissions. \u00a0The future is \u201cfueled by greener energy sources,\u201d and will have quiet airplanes that \u201care better neighbors because aircraft noise is contained well within the airport boundary.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"NASA

NASA X-57 LEAPTech wing on HEIST mounting<\/p><\/div>\n

Her oversight on the \u201csynergistic integration of distributed electric propulsion\u201d sees her working with all aspects of the budget, design, and testing of the X-57, a complex aircraft with (now) 14 motors, 12 driving small-diameter folding propellers and two on the extreme wing tips driving larger propulsors meant to counter wing-tip vortices and provide extremely high efficiency.<\/p>\n

She works with the teams that encompass a wide range of technologies, all of which much fit into \u201cconvergent aeronautic solutions,\u201d a phrase oft-repeated in these environs.\u00a0 She deals with aggressive schedules and as noted, not overly generous budgets to design, build and fly the new X-planes.\u00a0 Some of it sounds a bit like Hollywood venture capitalism, pitching a new idea and developing it quickly.<\/p>\n