It seems that I have firm connection with the Los Angeles Museum of Science. When I worked for Northrop Grumman I had a couple of projects that are now on display in the museum. Also, during my career in the Air Force I was fortunate to fly the T-38 Talon (Made by Northrop Grumman).
I thought it would be fun to share some information about the projects and planes that are on display in the museum and my relationship to them.
Los Angeles Air and Space Museum
Ray Perreault Wind Tunnel Test Engineer with Wright Flyer
I was fortunate to be the lead Wind Tunnel Test Engineer on the Wright Flyer. It was done under contract by the AIAA.
The aerodynamic data was used for the flight simulator, also at the museum. (See below)
Trust me, the Wright brothers were lucky, it flies like a leaf in a hurricane.
Wright Flyer Simulator LA Museum of Science
Here is a view of the Wright Flyer, flight simulator at the museum. It’s fun to fly, and you’ll soon realize how unstable it is.
It looks a lot better than it flies.
Ray Perreault in front of the flight simulator that he designed for the LA Science Museum
As a young aeronautical engineer at Northrop Grumman, one of my first assignments was to design a aerodynamic simulator for the Museum.
It turned out pretty well and it has been a main feature of the Airplane exhibit for a long time.
Here are two great airplanes. On the left is the F-5. I was fortunate to be the lead wind-tunnel test engineer on the F-20 which was our competition to to the F-16. Sadly, we lost, even though the F-20 was a better airplane for the price.
When the Air Force took their PR photos of the F-16, they used an F-5.
Two of the planes that were a big part of my career
Other Interesting Career Notes
AGM/MGM-137, for which I was the Manager of Wind Tunnel Testing
I was the manager of the wind tunnel test program on the AGM/MGM-137, then later in the program I was the assistant manager of engineering.
This was the most complex cruise missile every built and it’s performance is still classified.
Ray Perreault during T-38 Flight Training
I was fortunate to be a T-38 Flight Instructor for five years. I’m proud that I was one of the flight instructors for the first group of Air-Force female pilots. They were great pilots and I would trust my life with any of them.
F-23 for which Ray Perreault was the Lead Engineer Wind Tunnel Testing
The F-23 is one of the most exciting planes that I worked on. I was the lead wind tunnel test engineer on the F-23 which was a competition against the F-22. Sadly, we lost the contract, for political reasons. Our plane flew better and met all of the requirements, so the Air Force changed the requirements. I know the sorted history of why we lost the contract, because the program manager and I rode back to the office after the contract announcement. I got all the details.
B-2 Bomber, Ray Perreault was part of for almost 30 years.
Here is another of the ‘boring’ airplanes that I worked on. I was the lead engineer for the B-2 wind tunnel program.
Early in the program I had access to the company airplanes, and actually traveled under assumed names. I had the KGB following me for a while.
Later in my career, I was deputy director of the B-2 Computer Systems.
