Established to provide an incentive to VFS members, who have not previously presented the results of their work at a technical forum, to begin presenting their work at local and regional VFS meetings.
Read more about Robert L. Lichten at Vertipedia.
2025
- Angela Buccio
- Bell Textron Inc.
"Modeling Unsteady Aerodynamics in RCAS for High-Speed Rotor Aeroelastic Applications"
2024
- Cristiano Maria Capizzi
- Leonardo Helicopters
"Correlation of Rotor Loads during Ground Operations in a Turbulent Wind Environment"
2023
- Jessica Beyer
- Pennsylvania State University
"Individual Blade Pitch Control (IBC) for Vibration Reduction of Lift-Offset Coaxial Rotor Vehicles with Auxiliary Propulsion"
2022
- Timothy Schmidt
- Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin Company
"Automated Optical Rotor Blade Tip Clearance Tracking Using Artificial Intelligence Algorithms"
2021
- Andrew Lavoie
- Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin Co.
"Variational Tolerance Analysis (VTA) – Design and Manufacturing Optimization using Statistical Simulation"
2020
- Chloe Johnson
- University of Texas at Austin
"Experimental Measurements and Low-Order Modeling of Stacked Rotor Performance in Hover"
2019
- Benjamin Leon
- Georgia Institute of Technology
"Ground and Flight Tests of a Cable-Driven Four-Bar Linkage Robotic Landing Gear for Rotorcraft"
2018
- Alberto Rigo
- Politecnico di Milano
"Numerical Evaluation of Gust Loads on Tiltrotor"
2017
- Carolyn Walther
- Texas A&M University
"Experimental and Computational Studies to Understand Unsteady Aerodynamics of Cycloidal Rotors in Hover at Ultralow Reynolds Numbers"
2016
- Carl Runco
- Texas A&M University
"Development of the World's Smallest Cyclocopter"
2015
- Isaac R. Bandy
- MTS Systems Corporation
"Health Management Technology Integration and Verification"
2014
- Raymond Beale
- Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation
"Applications of Virtual Monitoring of Loads to Engineering Decision Making"
2013
- Brent Pafford
- University of Texas, Austin
"Magnetohydrodynamic Plasma Actuators for Stall Alleviation"
2012
- Erez Eller
- Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation
"X2 Load Alleviating Control Laws"
2011
- Gregory M. Neiswander
- US Army Aeroflightdynamics Directorate
"Improving Deceleration Guidance for Rotorcraft Brownout Landing"
2010
- Joubin Reif
- Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
“Next Generation Graphene Nanocomposites for Rotorcraft Structural Applications”
2009
- Laura Buck
- The Boeing Company
"CFD Investigation of Engine Exhaust Swirling Flow in High Aspect Ratio Rectangular Ducts"
2008
- Yvonne T. Fuchs
- NASA Langley Research Center
"Vertical Drop Testing and Analysis of the WASP Helicopter Skid Gear"
2007
- Jonathan Mitchell
- Bell Helicopter Textron, Inc.
"Suppressing Vibrations in the BA609 Tiltrotor: Flight Testing and Innovative Solution"
2006
- J. S. Wilson
- Research Scientist
- UARC - University of California, Santa Cruz, Ames Research Center
"Turbulence Measurements on a 2D NACA 0036 with Synthetic Jet Flow Control"
2005
- Jonathan K. Garhart
- Senior Project Engineer
- Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation
“Implementation of Carbon Fiber Composites in Rotorcraft Transmission Housing Applications”
2004
- Jongmin Kim
- Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
"Flow Control Strategies for Improved Aerodynamic Efficiency of Micro-Rotorcraft"
2003
- Cheng-Ho Tho
- Bell Helicopters Textron Inc.
"Efficient Helicopter Skid Landing Gear Dynamic Drop Simulation Using LS-DYNA"
2002
- Geoffrey J. Jeram
- Georgia Institute of Technology
"Open Design for Helicopter Active Control Systems"
2001
- Marc Gervais
- University of Maryland
"Tiltrotor Blade-Vortex Interaction (BVI) Noise Control Through Non-Unique Longitudinal Forum Trim"
2000
- Craig P. Fuehne
- Washington University of St. Louis
"Application of Generalized Floquet Theory to Ground Resonance Data"
1999
- LCDR, Robert L. King
- US Navy
"Nonlinear In-Plane Flexbeam Stiffness Provides Rotor system Stability without Lag Dampers"
1998
- Joseph F. Horn
- Georgia Institute of Technology
"Flight Envelope Cueing on a Tilt-rotor Aircraft Using Neural Network Limit Prediction"
1997
- Bryan S. Cotton
- Sikorsky Aircraft Corp.
"Autonomous Flight of the Cypher UAV"
1996
- Andreas P.F. Bernhard
- University of Maryland
"Development and Hover Testing of a Smart Trailing Edge Flap with a Piezo-Induced Bending-Torsion Coupled Actuator"
1995
- Jeffrey D. Keller
- Princeton University
"An Investigation of Helicopter Dynamic Coupling Using an Analytical Model"
1994
- Jeffrey T. Evernham
- Boeing Defense & Space Group, Heli. Division
"Acoustic Noise Suppression for Helicopter Communication Systems"
1993
- Carl Bauer
- The Boeing Company
"A Landing and Takeoff Control Law for Unique-Trim, Fly-by-Wire Rotorcraft Flight Control Systems"
Carl Bauer, right accepts the Lichten Award from the Society's Technical Director, Dr. John Shaw.
1992
- Hieu T. Ngo
1991
- D. Dale Davis
- US Army Aerostructures Directorate
1990
- Joshua H. Gordis
- Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
"A Frequency Domain Theory for Structural Identification"
1989
- Earl P.N. Duque
- Research Scientist
- US Army Aeroflightdynamics Directorate - AVSCOM
"A Numerical Analysis of the British Experimental Rotor Program Blade"
1988
- Brian Hamilton
- McDonnell Douglas Helicopter Co.
"Optimal Design of an Advanced Composite Rotating Flexbeam"
1987
- Dwayne F. Kimball
- Bell Helicopter Textron
"Recent Tilt Rotor Flight Control Law Innovations"
1986
- Barbara K. Townsend
- NASA Ames Research Center
"The Application of Quadratic Optimal Cooperative Control Synthesis to a CH-47 Helicopter"
In the photo, Zincone, left and VFS (then AHS) Technical Director David S. Jenney, right, recognized Lichten Award winner Barbara Townsend, NASA Ames.
1985
- Michael S. Lewis
- AVSCOM Aeromechanics Laboratory
"A Piloted Simulation of One-on-One Helicopter Air Combat at NOE Flight Levels"
1984
- Mark Davis
- United Technologies Research Center
"Development and Evaluation of a Generic Active Helicopter Vibration Controller"
1983
- Todd R. Quackenbush
"Testing and Evaluation of a Stall Flutter Suppression System Based On Individual- Blade-Control"
1982
- Raymond S. Hansen and Jon P. Rogers
- NASA Ames Research Center, and Washington University
Hansen's Paper: "Toward A Better Understanding of Helicopter Stability Derivatives", and
Rogers' Paper: "Application of an Analytical Stall Model to Rotor Dynamics Analysis"
Rogers' Paper: "Application of an Analytical Stall Model to Rotor Dynamics Analysis"
1981
- Shyi-Yaung Chen
- Washington University
1980
- Kenneth P. Leighton
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology
1979
- Ivo Zvolanek
- McDonell Douglas Aircraft Co.
1978
- David P. Chappell
- Aeromechanics Laboratory, U. S. Army AVRADCOM
1977
- Debashis Banerjee
- Washington University in St. Louis
1976
- Thomas W. Sheehy
- Aerodynamicist
- Sikorsky Aircraft, Aeromechanics Branch
Cached November 9, 2025 1:23:31 AM CST