Kenneth J. Szalai

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Wall of Honor Level:
Air and Space Leader

Honored by:

Mr. Kenneth J. Szalai led the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center from 1989 to 1998, in a
renaissance of experimental flight research programs including the X-29, X-31, X-36, and X38. : He developed teams to carry out programs in thrust vectoring, supersonic laminar flow, high
altitude aircraft, solar powered aircraft, high angle of attack aerodynamics, advanced avionics and
controls, aircraft safety, and space shuttle operations and safety. He also led the transition of
Dryden back to Independent Center status in 1994. He was NASA Dryden Director of Engineering from 1982-1989. He also led the development of a major US-Russian high-speed aviation research program, which culminated in the flight tests of a Tupolev Tu-144 supersonic flying laboratory. Mr. Szalai also served as President and Chief Operating Officer of the IBP Aerospace Group, Inc. that adapted the Russian Zvezda K-36 ejection seat for US aircraft to enhance pilot survival and reduce injuries in emergency escape situations. He was a research engineer for 15 years, and was
the Principal Investigator for the F-8 Digital Fly-by-Wire program, which flew the world's first
digital fly-by-wire aircraft in 1972. Mr. Szalai led a team that developed the most advanced flight
research test facility, the Integrated Test Facility. He and the Commander of the Air Force Flight
Test Center developed the first NASA-USAF base alliance operation, integrating many technical and administrative functions to reduce costs to the taxpayer and improve effectiveness of both
government agencies. Mr. Szalai was awarded the NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal, the
Exceptional Service Medal and the Distinguished Service Medal. He was a NATO lecturer and AIAA Wright Brothers Lecturer in 2007. He is a Fellow of the AIAA.