Nicholas Lappos
Nicholas D. Lappos | |
---|---|
Georgia Institute of Technology | |
Occupation(s) | Aircraft engineer and test pilot |
Employer | Sikorsky Aircraft |
Known for | S-92 team leader |
Awards | Collier Trophy (2002) Sir Barnes Wallis Medal (2013) Technical Fellowship from the American Helicopter Society [1] |
Nicholas D. Lappos was the program director for the
History
Lappos joined the US Army in 1968. As a
Sikorsky S-92 team leader
FAA certified under part 29, the S-92 (military H-92) is a 19-passenger, twin-engine transport that has a range of approximately 575 miles at speeds of up to 190 miles per hour. Safety improvements include: an onboard health monitor of all critical drive-system components, the highest crashworthiness standard fuel system, enhanced bird-strike design, and increased protection from lightning and high-energy field radiation. The S-92 engine failure design permits safe landings within the entire flight envelope. Focused on reducing costs, the S-92's transmission is the only component requiring overhaul at 6,000 hours. It has a full-height cabin (six-foot) and reduces cabin noise by as much as 50 percent. Sikorsky developed an active vibration control system that creates counter vibrations to cancel the vibration signatures normally present which achieves a 30-percent decrease in vibration levels.[10][11]
2002 Collier Trophy
In 2002, Nicholas Lappos became the director of test engineering and then the program director for the S-92 program, finishing its development and taking it through its successful certification.
2022 National Academy of Engineering
In 2022, Nicholas Lappos was appointed to the National Academy of Engineering. Lappos (AE, 1973) is a Sikorsky Aircraft Senior Technical Fellow Emeritus in Advanced Technology, responsible for the Technical Fellow community and introduction of advanced technologies into new and existing products, and serves on the Georgia Tech Aerospace Engineering School Advisory Council (AESAC). During his career, he spent a total of 39 years at Sikorsky Aircraft, first as a flight test engineer then at the pilot office where he spent 27 years. He has flown over 70 different helicopters and amassed more than 7,500 flight hours. During his time at Sikorsky, he participated in the development of the S-76, UH-60 Black Hawk, RAH-66 Comanche, S-69 Advancing Blade Concept (ABC), S-76 Fantail, S-76 Shadow fly-by-wire demonstrator, CH-53E Super Stallion, and the S-92. In 2018, Lappos was selected for the prestigious 2019 Alexander A. Nikolsky Honorary Lectureship, awarded by the Vertical Flight Society (VFS). He is being recognized by NAE for “For improving rotary wing flight performance and serving as test pilot, engineer, inventor, technologist, and business leader.” [10][14]
References
- ^ a b "GAPAN to bestow top flight operations award on Nick Lappos". helihub.com. Helihub. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
- ^ a b c "Nicholas Lappos". Vertipedia.vtol.org. Vtol.org. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
- ^ a b "GAPAN to bestow top flight operations award on Nick Lappos" HeliHub, 2 October 2013. Accessed: 13 October 2013.
- ^ "Helicopters". Newspapers.com. Retrieved July 18, 2020.
- ^ "Nick Lappos – Combat & Test Pilot, Engineer & Executive, Aviation Legend" (PDF). Vtol.org. VTOL. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
- ^ "Nicholas (Nick) D. Lappos Joins Gulfstream as Vice President, Government Programs". Gulfstreamnews.com. Gulfstream. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
- ^ "Future Vertical Lift: Industry Urges Common Cockpit". Breakingdefense.com. Breakingdefense. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
- ^ "Vertical Flight Society Recognizes Sikorsky For Technological Innovations". Lockheedmartin.com. Lockheedmartin. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
- ^ a b c "NAA News" (PDF). NAA.aero. NAA. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
- ^ "Sikorsky S-92 Wins 2002 Collier Trophy". Aero-news.net. Aero-News. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
- ^ "Collier Trophy Goes to Helicopter Industry". The Morning Call. Allentown, Pennsylvania. Associated Press. December 14, 1951. p. 18 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Sikorsky S-92 Wins 2002 Collier Trophy". www.aero-news.net. Aero-news. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
- ^ "NAE Welcomes Nicholas Lappos and Sandy Magnus to the 2022 Class". ae.gatech.edu. Ga Tech School of Aerospace Engineering. Retrieved October 16, 2022.