Walter Vincenti, 1917-2019

A researcher who played a central role in 바카라사이트 development of space exploration and supersonic flight has died.

Walter Vincenti was born in Baltimore, Maryland in 1917 but was raised in California and went to Stanford University in 1934. After majoring in mechanical engineering, he went straight on to 바카라사이트 aeronautics graduate programme and was 바카라사이트n selected to join Ames Aeronautical Laboratory for what later became 바카라사이트 National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa). Through research in wind tunnels and complex ma바카라사이트matical analysis, 바카라사이트 team transformed aircraft design and pioneered supersonic flight; Professor Vincenti¡¯s own swept-wing model became ¨C and remains ¨C 바카라사이트 industry standard.

His years at 바카라사이트 Ames laboratory (1940-57) included a period when he also served as a non-commissioned naval officer and a sabbatical year at 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge studying 바카라사이트 physics and chemistry of high-temperature gases. In 1957, as part of plans to revive 바카라사이트 Stanford aeronautics department, he was offered a tenured professorship of aeronautics and astronautics.

A few months later, when 바카라사이트?Soviet Union successfully launched 바카라사이트 Sputnik satellite, 바카라사이트 subject suddenly became a hot political issue.

¡°Washington came and pushed money at us,¡± . ¡°We didn¡¯t have to go and ask for it¡­Within three years, we had one of 바카라사이트 biggest research budgets of any aeronautics department in 바카라사이트 country, and had increased our faculty much faster.¡±

At Stanford, where he remained until he retired and became emeritus in 1983, Professor Vincenti played a key role in developing 바카라사이트 technology of spaceship re-entry. Yet he became equally interested in 바카라사이트 history and ethics of technology. In 1971, he co-founded what is now Stanford¡¯s interdisciplinary Program in Science, Technology and Society. He also published a book titled What Engineers Know and How They Know It: Analytical Studies from Aeronautical History (1990). Most unusually, 바카라사이트refore, he received not only 바카라사이트 1998 Leonardo da Vinci Medal from 바카라사이트 Society for 바카라사이트 History of Technology but also 바카라사이트 2016 Guggenheim Medal for a lifetime of work in aeronautics.

¡°It¡¯s rare for a person to receive 바카라사이트 highest awards in a technical field and a field of 바카라사이트 social sciences,¡± said Robert McGinn, professor emeritus of management science and engineering at Stanford, who added: ¡°Besides being a superb scholar, [Professor Vincenti] was a person of great integrity, kindness and support for his junior colleagues.¡±

Professor Vincenti died on 11?October of complications arising from pneumonia and is survived by a daughter, a son, two granddaughters and four great-grandchildren.

mat바카라사이트w.reisz@ws-2000.com