#4020 How to Design a Fighter Plane

Thursday, Octobert 3, 2024;  10:10am - 12:00pm
 

#4020 CANCELLED How to Design a Fighter Plane: Mission, Aerodynamics, Weapons, Armor, Survivability and Camouflage in the A-10 Warthog.
Instructor : Ed Herlik

Close Air Support failed in the Korean War. It failed again in the Vietnam War. The Army had had it with the
Air Force and its disdain for the land battle. So, Army leaders designed a super-helicopter that cost twice
as much as any fighter jet of the time. That threatened Air Force budgets and so forced the fly guys to
very reluctantly design America’s first and only Close Air Support attack jet. This fully illustrated
the presentation details the design considerations that resulted in the truly ugly and supremely effective
Warthog.

Ed Herlik was born into a military family overseas, a classic Army brat. From there, Ed was
commissioned at the Air Force Academy and instructed in the A-10 Warthog attack jet, among many other
military and civilian aircraft. His military service included a tour with the Army as a Forward Air Controller,
leaving him expert in air support of ground combat. He also flew a helicopter, the giant C-5 and the Boeing
737, giving him a practical understanding of aerodynamics across those extremely varied flight
environments. As a civilian, Ed and a partner created Market Intel Group (MiG), a technology forecasting
company. He spoke for MiG at many unmanned systems conferences as the invited expert on
stratospheric unmanned systems.

Ed has three patents, including one on a firefighting version of the A-10 and another on an unmanned
airship designed to operate above 60,000’ for a year at a time. His Pillar presentations on the Chinese
‘balloon’ that floated across the US specifically, and such near space technology generally, set attendance
records at our previous location.

$25 PILLAR Members / $40 Nonmembers