Lockheed Martin Sikorsky Colloquium Series

Current Lectures

Lockheed Martin Sikorsky Fall 2023

Wednesday, November 29, 2023 | 4:30-6:00 PM
Gannon Auditorium (Room 0318), Iribe Building

REGISTRATION REQUIRED: https://go.umd.edu/fall2023-LMSC

SPEAKER: Dr. Cliff Smith (‘93, M.S. ‘95, Ph.D. ‘99)
Associate Fellow, Ground Test Engineer, Lockheed Martin

TITLE: How to Have Fun with Your Feet on the Ground (Test)

ABOUT: This talk will provide an introduction to the world of Ground Test Engineering at Sikorsky Aircraft. It will cover the responsibilities placed on the Ground Test organization, the types of daily activities involved in meeting those responsibilities, and the equipment and facilities typically used to accomplish this.

BIO: Cliff received his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Maryland, College Park in 1993, 1995, and 1999. In September 1999, he started as a Ground Test Engineer in the S-76 & Special Projects Group at Sikorsky Aircraft in Stratford, CT.  

In September 2003, Cliff assumed leadership of that group, which he maintained until early 2020. During this tenure, he oversaw the Ground Test activities for numerous development programs, including the S-76C++, S-76D, X2 Technology Demonstrator, S-97 Raider, and SB>1 Defiant. In 2020, Cliff moved into an SME role within the Ground Test organization, which was formalized in January 2021 when he was named to his current position as an LM Associate Fellow in Ground Test.

Lockheed Martin Sikorsky Spring 2023

Tuesday, April 4, 2023 | 4:30-6:15 PM
Jeong H. Kim Engineering Building

REGISTRATION REQUIRED: https://go.umd.edu/LMSC-spring2023

SPEAKER: Jim Andrews, Lockheed Martin Sikorsky Aircraft Chief
Engineer for Heavy Lift Helicopters

TITLE: CH-53K King Stallion: A Walk Through the Development of the Most Advanced Heavy Lift Helicopter in the World – As Seen Through the Eyes of a Chief Engineer

ABOUT: When a helicopter appears in the sky people want to catch a glimpse of the mechanical work horses that perform tasks which are like no other aircraft. What does not come to mind are the years of hard work and dedication of the people who created it - the interdisciplinary work involved, the processes needed and the hurdles overcame. In this lecture the Chief Engineer for the CH-53K King Stallion development team will share learnings from the process, starting from the request for the world’s most advanced heavy lift helicopter to its presence in the United States Marine Corps inventory. The team progressed from over 125,000 design requirements, to a fully digital design and finally the assembly of over 60,000 parts into an aircraft designed to carry 36,000 lbs. external loads further than any other vehicle. Born from an all-digital design, the CH-53K was designed with supportability in mind.

The lecture will also discuss the integrated health and usage monitoring system inherent on the King Stallion and the enhanced maintenance tools used to reduce the life cycle costs. Mr. Andrews will leave the audience with some final observations from his many years of participating on and leading highly integrated vehicle development teams.