Dr. Paul Bevilaqua
Chief Engineer, Advanced Development Projects
Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company

Dr. Paul Bevilaqua has spent much of his career developing Vertical Take Off and Landing aircraft. Bevilaqua joined Lockheed Martin as Chief Aeronautical Scientist of the Lockheed Advanced Aeronautics Company, and became Chief Engineer of Advanced Development Projects in the Lockheed Martin Skunk Works. During this time he played a leading role in creating the Joint Strike Fighter Program. Bevilaqua invented the Lift Fan Propulsion System that made it possible to build a stealthy, supersonic Vertical Take Off and Landing aircraft, and led the engineering team that demonstrated the feasibility of building conventional and VTOL variants of this aircraft for the US Air Force and Marines, and the British Royal Navy. Prior to joining Lockheed Martin, Bevilaqua was Manager of Advanced Programs at Rockwell International's Navy aircraft plant, where he led teams designing VTOL interceptor and transport aircraft. He began his career as a Captain in the US Air Force and Deputy Director of the Energy Conversion Laboratory at Wright Patterson Air Force Base. Bevilaqua has a BS in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Notre Dame, and MS and PhD degrees in Aeronautics and Astronautics from Purdue University.