Topic: Aerospace & Defense Companies
Message:
Hi. I'm working with a seasoned, gifted aircraft designer with 30 years experience in aircraft engineering, design, and manufacturing. His background includes service in the Navy; junior years at McDonnell Douglas including assignments with the F18 group; first non-founder employee and principal designer the Eclipse 500 (winner of the 2005 Collier award); principal designer of the ICON Aircraft A5 amphibian Light Sport Aircraft (winner of the 2009 Internation Design Excellence Award).
This gentleman has spent the last couple of years developing a broad set of design criteria and performance specs addressing an opportunity in the market that seems to have significant potential. We've built the forecast model and the accompanying business plan and we've knocked on a number of doors. However, we've been unable to find appropriate funding sources, partly because we are in the Detroit area (not currently a hotbed for aerospace) and partly because I come from tech and have no connections in the aerospace financial community.
If you're still reading this, I'm hoping to find some guys in the A&D SIG who may have some specific ideas on whom to talk to or what groups to approach. This is a really interesting project that, among other things, could generate local jobs.
Please contact me if you think you can help us find the right people to talk to.
Best regards,
Bob Honeyman
CFO
Wave Aircraft, Inc.
[email protected]
Subject: Re:Need Ideas on Sourcing Funding for Aircraft Startup
Message:
From: Neil Livingston
This message is from a long time ago, but I was researching another topic and saw this message in the aerospace SIG.
If you still have a need, write to me and coordinate a specific date and time you could call.
I have formerly worked for Piper Aircraft, Kaman Aerospace, Pratt & Whitney and a few other aerospace companies. I now work in the consulting field and deal with a lot with startups.
Subject: Re:Need Ideas on Sourcing Funding for Aircraft Startup
Message:
Dear Bob,
I have 20 years expereince in the aerospace & defense industry as a President and CFO. Every good idea in the R&D stages needs a DoD sponsor. That being said, you must search for the appliacble program managers in every arm of the service that may find interest i the design. There must be a DOD requirement created for funding to be provided. However, if you have a niche idea that may perk the interest of the users that is cost and time effective, you have an opportunity to get on an existing program or a new program. But it takes time to gain an audience with the appropriate program manager and it is worth the time and effort when qualified as an outside vendorsupplierconsultant. If there are no patents at this time, the Government may be interested in acquiring the data rights to the technology. You want to be careful of what intellectual property the government may request in exhange for the data rights. You can limit their ownership. There are FAR's and DFAR's that are in the public domain that can guide you through the process.
My recommendation is to list program managers of record that you need to contact and learn the steps to becoming a US DOD qualified vendor. You can view my background in LinkedIn. please do not hesitate to contact me should you wish to discuss further.
Much success with your efforts.
Best regards,
Larry D'Andrea
610-864-9380