Brian Tichenor Email & Phone Number

United States

Houston, Texas Area

In my last job I lead a team of engineers in the application of materials & processes technologies to Orion manned spacecraft design, integration and flight test operations. This effort included systematic control of material usage in order to assure compliance of designs with company command media and contract requirements. My involvement in spacecraft design effort also included evaluation and test of materials for crew toxicity, operational flammability, vacuum outgassing, corrosion control, contamination control and thermal control. Structures & mechanism design are particularly enjoyable works for me. I am aggressively converting part and assembly designs to structural titanium castings and using novel additive manufacturing methods to consolidate parts for mass reduction and cost savings.

Dallas/Fort Worth Area

I joined Vought Aircraft and worked as Lead Metallurgical Engineer on the USAF B-2 until 1989 when the Berlin Wall fell. The B-2 was a comprehensive education for me in all things titanium. In 1989 I promoted to a job on Vought's commercial aircraft production operations as a Manufacturing Eng Mgr for the 747 Horizontal conversion to a fuel tank. In 1992 I transferred to the Vought Missiles & Space group prior to its purchase by Loral Space. There I joined the space program for a long effort on the Space Station/ISS development, design, test and production of 10 tons of orbiting thermal control systems. Also supported design modification of Shuttle thermal systems during this time. In 1995 this unit was sold to Lockheed Martin. So I was grandfathered back to my 1985 entry to Vought Aircraft. After delivery of the ISS hardware, I provided M&P support to emerging programs such as Miniature Kill Vehicle and lead product development of ElectroMagetic Gun Stator. Also gave solid support to PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement and Launcher upgrades where we improved bonding processes, titanium casting processes and developed dissimilar material brazing processes using RTI energetic foil.

Wichita, Kansas Area

I joined the Materials & Processes Eng group to perform failure analysis and develop metallic material processes. This turned out to be a key part of my development as I learned to identify all failure modes during analysis of parts returned to Boeing from the strategic fleet of USAF B-52 and KC-135 aircraft. After 5 years of rewarding work with exceptional engineers, I requested a position where I could make a difference in new designs. So I was then tutored in the skills of design support and control of fracture critical part production. I treasure these Boeing friends to present day.

Wichita Ks

Performed mass and inertia updates for single engine aircraft. Participated in team events to improve aircraft producibility. Assisted with flight envelope development for new aircraft. This was good work, but not the direction my studies were taking me in materials sciences. Was a valuable start to give me understanding of aircraft systems.

M.S. Physics, Microstructure Of Dental Enamel

Bs Physics