COLLEGE STATION, Texas - David Redman has been appointed Director of the Aerospace Vehicle Systems Institute (AVSI), Dr. K. Lee Peddicord, director of the Texas Engineering Experiment Station (TEES) announced recently. AVSI, which is a research center administered by TEES and a member of The Texas A&M University System, is a unique forum for researchers from industry, government and academia to work cooperatively on technology issues impacting aerospace systems development. We are excited to bring Dave on board to lead AVSI, Peddicord said. "His extensive background in the field of aviation and aerospace will prove invaluable in continuing AVSI’s mission of working to improve aircraft and aerospace vehicles. The potential here is extraordinary." Redman joins AVSI after spending the last seven years working for Smiths Aerospace/GE Aviation in Grand Rapids, Mich., where he held several positions, including Directorate Staff Engineer of Special Projects and Intellectual Property Development and Acting Engineering Director/Department Manager. Additionally, Redman has worked for Kysor Medallion/Borg Warner in Spring Lake, Mich., and was an adjunct professor of Physics at Idaho State University. The complexity of aerospace systems is growing exponentially, Redman said. "There are some problems facing aerospace companies that are beyond the capability of any one company to solve alone. AVSI is able to facilitate the type of cooperative research that will be required to address these problems and is well positioned to grow with the growing need." AVSI, which recently celebrated its 10th Anniversary with a celebration in Washington, D.C., is comprised of members who have the shared goal of solving problems faced by the aerospace industry, while working to find cost-effective ways to build better airplanes. Among AVSI’s current projects are the Systems Architecture Virtual Integration (SAVI) project, a semiconductor reliability prediction project, and a wireless sensor feasibility study. The SAVI project is doing the groundwork to establish the feasibility of a new way of specifying and integrating increasingly complex aerospace systems. This would reduce the cost and schedule of new airplane development while improving quality, safety and performance. The Wireless Sensors project aims to identify issues that would arise if traditional sensors were replaced by sensors that transmit data wirelessly. Removing wires from airplanes would reduce their weight, which in turn could improve fuel economy. Furthermore, wires present costly reliability and maintenance issues for all types of vehicles from bulldozers to aircraft. A wireless aircraft could potentially be more economical to assemble and maintain. Members of AVSI include: BAE Systems, Boeing, the Federal Aviation Administration, GE Aviation, Goodrich, Hamilton Sundstrand, Honeywell, Lockheed Martin, NASA-Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Rockwell Collins, and the U.S. Department of Defense.
