Edmund W. Pendleton

Edmund W. Pendleton is an American research and development engineer, commercial pilot, and flight instructor best known for his work on the X-53 flight research program. He joined the United States Air Force Research Laboratory in Dayton, Ohio in 1980. While employed there, he conducted wind tunnel research leading up to the Grumman X-29, the X-30 National Aerospace Plane, and the X-53 aircraft programs. He was one of the original developers of the active aeroelastic wing concept, a novel engineering design approach that utilized wing aeroelastic twist to control aircraft at high speeds. Pendleton was responsible for the Air Force's development of the X-53. He served as a program manager and chief engineer of the X-53 Active Aeroelastic Wing flight research program from 1992 through 2005. The Active Aeroelastic Wing project received a NASA "Turning Goals into Reality Award" in 2004. Mr Pendleton was also active in quantifying the effects of aerodynamics on the twin tails of fighter aircraft .

Ed Pendleton attended grade school in Wayne Township, Ohio. After transferring, he graduated from Beavercreek High School, Xenia Ohio, where he played on the school's basketball and baseball teams from 1972-1975 After service in the U.S. army, Ed Pendleton earned his bachelor’s degree in systems engineering from Wright State University in Fairborn, Ohio in 1979 and a commercial pilot's licence in 1981.

He earned a master’s degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Dayton in Ohio and his flight instructor’s certification in 1984. In 1998, Ed graduated from the Defense Systems Management College’s Advanced Program Manager’s Course. In 2003, Ed earned a master’s degree in national security strategy from the National Defense University located in Washington DC. As a commercial pilot and flight instructor, he taught quite few student pilots to fly including several who went on to fly professionally. Mr. Pendleton is also an amateur guitarist who has recorded a number of popular songs on several CDs.

In 2005, he became involved in efforts to provide technology for an initiative entitled "Operationally Responsive Space". From 2006 through 2011, he has served as a project manager/engineer for an air/spaceframe development effort involving the integration of a low mass fraction, load bearing, cryogenic, composite, linerless fuel and oxidizer tank with lifting surfaces, thermal protection, and condition based maintenance under a Future Responsive Access to Space Technology initiative. This initiative will pave the way for increased the structural efficiency of future Space Launch Vehicles.

Ed served for ten years on a NATO technical panel for aerospace structures and materials where he coauthored several papers.

As hobbies, Ed has taken a number of courses on world history, particle physics, quantum mechanics, general relativity, and cosmology including "Cosmology: The History and Nature of Our Universe" produced by the Teaching Company. Ed Pendleton has been a registered Professional Engineer in the State of Ohio since 1984.