Charles received his B.S. in Aerospace Engineering from Wichita State University and his B.S. in Computer Science from the American Institute for Computer Science. He also earned four Certificates in Aircraft Manufacturing and Structures from the University of Washington and Cal Tech.
Charles has more than 35 years as a Design Engineer in the Aerospace Industry with extensive experience in the design and analysis of lightweight aircraft structures, aircraft interiors, spacecraft, rockets, and piston/turbine engines. In addition, he has over 35 years of experience in the CAD/CAM/CAE field.
From 1971 to 1980, Charles designed and built Drake Offy engines for Indy Racing Cars, using 1910’s vintage machines like those on display in the Red Barn. From 1980 to 1982, he worked for the Convair Division where he programmed various parts for the DC-10/KC-10 Fuselage, Space Shuttle mid-fuselage, Cruise Missile, and Boeing 747 engine struts. At Weber Aircraft for four years, his major projects were Boeing aircraft interiors, Aces II Ejection Seats, and air-stairs. For three years at Sargent Airite, Charles programmed the Navy's Standard Rocket motor cases, ATACMS rocket motor cases, Space Shuttle 17 inch Feedlines and various spacecraft motor cases and pressure vessels.
At Paragon Precision, he programmed turbo machinery parts for a wide variety of customers, Space Shuttle Main Engines and Titan 4 Rocket, and was the process engineer on the production of composite propellers for high-speed torpedoes. At Learjet for four years, he programmed various machine tools for the manufacture of both metal and composite parts, especially Space Shuttle Intertank Section. In Kansas at Boeing, Charles worked on manufacturing software. From 2002 to 2004, he worked as a Design Engineer for Private Venture, Goodrich Aerostructures, and Northrop Grumman. From 2004 until his retirement in 2015, Charles worked for The Boeing Company in Seattle as a Propulsion Engineer, helping with the 787 Vertical Fin, 747-8 Propulsion, Propulsion PD, and KC-46A Propulsion.
Saturday PM Weekly Shift
Volunteer on 747 RA001 restoration.
Winter volunteer at National Tropical Botanical Gardens and Master Gardener in Kauai
President PSEC (Puget Sound Engineering Council 2018-2019)
Associate Fellow AIAA (American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics)
Member SME, Sampe and SAE