Mayman Aerospace has hired Dr. Manu Sharma as chief engineer. He will be responsible for the continued development of Mayman Aerospace’s range of VTOL aircraft, including Speeder, a compact, scalable, high-speed vertical take-off and landing (HSVTOL) air utility vehicle (AUV) designed for a variety of military, special missions, and commercial/private applications. The aircraft can be remotely piloted and optimizes autonomous operational capabilities.
Dr Sharma comes to Mayman from Virgin Orbit, where he served as chief engineer of flight sciences. There he was responsible for technical oversight, approval of configuration changes, and issue resolution for a department of diverse disciplines. As backup chief engineer, he was on console for the most recent rocket launch operations and was the technical lead for a flight-failure investigation team, in addition to other leadership roles. Speeder development will benefit directly from this expertise.
“We are excited to welcome Manu to Mayman Aerospace. He has taken complex aerospace projects from concept to completion, and that experience and expertise make him the perfect addition to our team. He’s an accomplished manager, leader and innovator, in addition to being an expert in aircraft flight mechanics, and we know he will be integral in advancing our aircraft development,” said company CEO and founder David Mayman.
Prior to his work at Virgin Orbit, Dr Sharma held a series of positions within the Boeing organization. Having worked at Boeing Research and Technology, Dr Sharma moved to Boeing Space and Intelligence Systems, where, as systems engineering lead for national programs, he managed technical execution, cost, schedule, and risk for various specialty engineering disciplines. These included mechanical systems, structural dynamics, reliability, EMI/EMC, and space environmental effects. Dr Sharma earned his bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering from Arizona State University and subsequently earned his master’s and PhD degrees in aerospace engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology.
“I’m excited about the vision and capabilities of the range of aircraft that Mayman Aerospace is working on, and proud to be playing a part in the development of an aircraft that is already changing the way we think about VTOL flight. My previous roles have given me insight into what it takes to push boundaries, and working on the Speeder program will allow me to apply my accumulated knowledge. I am proud to have the opportunity to use my experience for this industry-changing endeavor,” said Sharma.
Everything from the aerodynamic carbon fiber body to the computer-controlled, vectored thrust and ultra-high performance is developed to give Speeder operators maximum flight efficiency and system redundancy. This includes a proprietary onboard computer system developed to facilitate ease of operation and deliver unparalleled stability, which will form an essential part of the aircraft systems and be a focus for Sharma. Speeder defines a completely new class of aircraft.
