3rd Annual Dr. HASSAN A. HASSAN Distinguished Lecture
The Dr. Hassan A. Hassan Distinguished Lecture Series, the first lecture series for the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE), was established in 2015 through the generosity of Hassan’s former students and fellow faculty members.
Dr. Richard Gould, former MAE department head, thought of the idea for the lecture series in early 2015 as a way to honor Hassan’s contributions to the department and his impact on the aerospace program.
In 1964, the Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering was created and Dr. Hassan was the central figure in aerospace research. Dr. Hassan spent every summer at NASA Langley Research Center together with an entourage of students working on research problems side by side with NASA researchers. He continued this practice for more than 30 years until the early 1990s – playing a critical role in the development of NASA’s in-house computational fluid dynamics codes with the special focus on predicting transition and separation – the features of aerodynamic flow that continue to challenge engineers today.
Innovation and Inspiration
MICHIMASA FUJINO is the founding President and CEO of Honda Aircraft Company. He is responsible for the design and development, certification, sales, production and customer service of the innovative HondaJet. He has also concurrently served as a Managing Officer of Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
Fujino joined Honda R&D in 1984 and played major roles in the research of four different aircraft. He became a vice president with Honda R&D Americas Inc., and was named the project leader for the HondaJet in 1997. Fujino developed HondaJet’s advanced technologies including the Optimum Over-The-Wing Engine Mount configuration (OTWEM); a new natural laminar flow (NLF) wing and fuselage nose; and new hybrid composite fuselage structure. With these aeronautical breakthroughs, Fujino’s clean sheet design was proven to enhance aircraft performance, fuel efficiency and provide the most comfortable cabin and luggage space for passengers.
Fujino has been the recipient of numerous international awards and distinctions, among which include ICAS Zhukovsky Award for Innovation in Aeronautics, SAE Clarence L. (Kelly) Johnson Aerospace Vehicle Design and Development Award, and AIAA Aircraft Design Award. His extensive researches and theories on aircraft configuration design, advanced aerodynamics and aeroelasticity have been published in numerous technical and academic journals, and he holds several patents for aircraft design.
Fujino holds Bachelor of Science and Doctorate in aeronautical engineering from University of Tokyo. He is the Fellow of the American institute for Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), and the Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS). He is also a foreign member of National Academy of Engineering (NAE).
This lecture will trace the history of the development of the world’s most advanced light jet, the HondaJet., from Michimasa Fujino’s hand drawings in 1997 to a certified aircraft in 2015. The HondaJet is the fastest, highest-flying, quietest, and most fuel-efficient jet in its class.