Mentor Blogs

The Boeing Company was struggling after World War I, but Founder William Boeing and his management team pressed on, encouraging and funding the proactive research and development of many different commercial biplane designs. As it turns out, none of the new biplane designs ever made it into production. Not to be dissuaded by this unfortunate fact, Boeing continued to innovate and make history. On 3 … Read More

Mentor, Geek, Mentor Graphics, U.S. Navy, B-1, Warfighters, William H. Boeing, Aerospace, Mentor.com, Eddie Hibbard, Mil-Aero, Engineer, Milaero, Boeing, Military, C-700

World War I ended in 1918 and brought with it a huge surplus of aircraft. This surplus caused the newly formed Boeing Company to experience some growing pains as the extra military aircraft were sold into the commercial aircraft market. Making things worse, the company’s commercial sales of the Model C biplane hit a slump at the same time. This challenging era did not bode well for the 337 people that … Read More

Mil-Aero, Mentor.com, Milaero, Boeing, Curtiss Aeroplane Company, Aerospace, Mentor, Military, Model C, Mentor Graphics, Geek, Red Barn, HS-2L, William H. Boeing

Virtually everyone knows of Boeing, but how many are aware of its history? This geek finds it fascinating. In 1916, Yale University Alumnus William E. Boeing formed The Boeing Company in Seattle, Washington. Why Seattle? Seattle’s booming wood industry included a wealth of Spruce, a wood deemed to be perfect for manufacturing airplanes. Interestingly enough, Boeing began his career in the timber industry … Read More

Mentor.com, Mentor Graphics, Mil-Aero, Seattle, B&W, William H. Boeing, Yale University, Aerospace, Milaero, George Conrad Westervelt, Navy, Mentor, Pacific Aero Product Co., Boeing, Seaplane, Geek

Airbus aircraft, in stark contrast to some Boeing airliners, are largely manufactured in Europe. The company’s origin as a consortium of European aerospace companies no doubt is a contributing factor; yet, the company is not entirely immune to outsourcing. In fact, Airbus opened a plant in China, one of the fastest-growing consumers of air travel, in 2009. The name “Airbus”, interestingly enough, was … Read More

Mentor Graphics, Mentor, Mentor.com, Aerospace, Airbus, A300, Mil-Aero, Boeing, Milaero, Geek, Outsourcing, Aviation History

The Boeing 747 was the pinnacle of success in aviation. The jumbo jet became the symbol for aviation and opened up the world to global travelers. Boeing was reaping the rewards and reveling in the success that was the 747. Airbus wasn’t resting on its laurels, however, and had set its sights on the popular jet. In 1988, Airbus lead engineer Jean Roeder and a team of engineers began to develop … Read More

Paris Air Show, Military, Mentor Graphics, A380, Aerospace, Mentor.com, Mil-Aero, Milaero, 747, Engineer, European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company, BAE Systems, Geek, Aérospatiale-Matra, Mentor, Airbus, DaimlerChrysler Aerospace, Boeing, EADS, Technology

Airbus and Boeing have held a duopoly on the worldwide large commercial aircraft (LCA) market, which includes narrow-body aircraft, wide-body aircraft, and jumbo jets, since the 1990s. Both companies have effectively used outsourcing, government loans/contract/subsidies, technology, currency, tax breaks, and even the selection of engine manufacturers to gain a competitive advantage. Many of the world’s … Read More

Mentor, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Mentor Graphics, Airbus, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Boeing, Aerospace, Japan, Mentor.com, Mil-Aero, Jim Albaugh, duopoly, Milaero, Military, Geek

The rivalry between large civil aircraft (LCA) manufacturers Airbus in Toulouse, France, and The Boeing Company in Seattle, Washington, spans three decades—only now, though, is it getting particularly heated (and even ugly). The latest conflict centers on the legality of government subsidies and loans enjoyed by both parties. On 12 March 2012, the World Trade Organization (WTO) Appellate Body released … Read More

Geek, European Union, Mentor, A350, Military, Aerospace, World Trade Organization, WTO, 787, Mentor Graphics, Boeing, Mentor.com, EU, Mil-Aero, Airbus, Milaero

Engineers from Bell Helicopter, a Textron Company, and The Boeing Company have unleashed a unique aircraft that has been turning heads at recent air shows, and for good reason. The Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey was designed from the ground up (a rarity in a downturned economy, it seems) to meet the needs of multiple armed services. In doing so, it combines the capabilities of a helicopter with those of fixed-wing … Read More

Geek, Embedded Systems, Hardware, Warfighters, V-22, Milaero, Bell Helicopter, Military, Software, Aerospace, Textron, Mentor, Electric, Mentor Graphics, Electronic, Mentor.com, Boeing, Mil-Aero

Goodrich Corp. engineers used electronic design automation (EDA) software to design, verify, and test the company’s latest innovative electronic brake automation avionics. The company’s electric brake system is being employed on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner airplane; in fact, a majority of 787 customers to date have selected the Goodrich electric brake system. Goodrich executives announced in March 2011 … Read More

Mil-Aero, Mentor.com, Goodrich, Aerospace, Hardware, Mentor, Mentor Graphics, 787, electrical, Electronic, Design Automation, Engineer, Boeing, Geek, Computer, Dreamliner, Electric, Milaero

It’s the last thing I think about when I board a plane; yet, it’s first of mind when I see that we’re approaching pavement at a high rate of speed upon reaching our destination. You guessed it: I’m talking about brakes. This aircraft element gains little consumer attention (unless it fails to work, of course), but the critical system component is garnering considerable attention from the technology … Read More

Milaero, Mil-Aero, Mentor Graphics, Aerospace, Boeing, Mentor Graphics Capitol, Mentor.com, Mike Shaw, 787, Dreamliner, Embedded Systems, Geek, Goodrich, Mentor, Design Automation, electrical, Electric, Electronic, Software

“Technology leadership and innovation define and distinguish Washington state, and we need creative solutions to ensure businesses across the state have a pipeline of talent to remain competitive in a global economy,” affirms Jim Albaugh, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, a business unit of The Boeing Company in Renton, Wa. Albaugh’s statement is specific to Washington state, … Read More

Jim Albaugh, Jet, Mentor, Aerospace Industries Association of America Inc., Military, Raptor, AIA, Aerospace, Mentor Graphics, F-22A, Mentor.com, Geek, Mil-Aero, Milaero, Boeing

Is your company, state, or region investing in the future of military and aerospace—the market, its staff, and its technology? If you live in Washington state, you can answer with a resounding “yes” thanks, in large part, to Washington State Representative Tim Probst’s House Bill 2088 and proactive players in the mil/aero and commercial markets. House Bill 2088, sponsored by Rep. Probst, signed by … Read More

Microsoft, Mentor.com, Mil-Aero, Boeing, Geek, Aerospace, Mentor, Milaero, Military, Mentor Graphics, Gov. Chris Gregoire, Tim Probst, House Bill 2088, Washington

The Boeing Company and Microsoft Corp.  have partnered to help support and grow the number of Washington state students earning bachelor’s degrees. The state’s two largest private employers are pledging $25 million each over the next five years to the new public-private Washington Opportunity Scholarship program and endowment signed into law by Gov. Christine Gregoire. Together with matching … Read More

Mentor.com, Mentor Graphics, Microsoft, Boeing, Washington, COTS, Aerospace, Gov. Chris Gregoire, Mil-Aero, Milaero, Mentor, Education, Military, Scholarship, Geek

The aerospace industry was born more than 100 years ago, when the internal combustion engine was joined to the balloon and the glider, reads a NASA Web page. “America’s contribution to it is vast, ranging from the first airplane and the first modern rocket to the latest in avionics.” Is the U.S. the losing its status on the world stage as a leader in aerospace innovation? On the state level, … Read More

Mentor.com, Mentor Graphics, Mil-Aero, Boeing, Aerospace, Gov. Chris Gregoire, Milaero, Military, Mentor, Electronic, nasa, Geek, Ray Conner

When the Space Shuttle retires as scheduled in June, NASA will be dependent on the Russian Soyuz spacecraft to ferry astronauts to and from the International Space Station (ISS). Based on a recent $753 million contract NASA awarded to the Russian Federal Space Agency, these outsourced services cost U.S. taxpayers roughly $63 million per seat. It’s doubtless a hefty price tag, but NASA lacks U.S.-based … Read More

Aerospace, nasa, Virgin Galactic, Soyuz, Milaero, Geek, Mentor.com, Mil-Aero, ISS, Elon Musk, rad-hard, spacex, Mentor, Boeing, Russian Federal Space Agency, Space Shuttle, Mentor Graphics