Researcher
While Gessow is best known for his book ''Aerodynamics of the Helicopter'', his earliest published technical papers and reports helped bring a new level of clarity to the development of the helicopter, which prior to then had relatively primitive standards for flying qualities. For example, Gessow authored one of the earliest efforts to standardize mathematical symbology in helicopter aeromechanics to enable aerospace engineers to more easily communicate advances in the field. One of Gessow's earliest theoretical papers was on the subject of blade twist and plan-form effects, and how it affected the fundamental performance of a hovering helicopter. While it is now established that numerical techniques became the basis of methods in early use by the helicopter industry, the digital computers in 1956 were very primitive by modern standards. His approach lays down the well-known "blade element method" incorporating two-dimensional, non-linear sectional airfoil data from tables, a fundamental engineering approach that even today remains the basis for most helicopter rotor design analyses. In 1967, Gessow published an article in ''Scientific American'' on "The Changing Helicopter."Educator
Gessow devoted much of his government and teaching career to expanding the knowledge of helicopter aerodynamics, developing new theoretical approaches, and conducting flight experiments.University of Virginia (1945-1956)
Gessow began his formal career as an educator while assigned to the NASA Langley Research Center, where he also served as Chairman of the Committee on Graduate Studies and as Chairman of the Faculty at University of Virginia's Hampton Roads Graduate Extension Center. During this period, he developed an advanced degree program administered by the University of Virginia for the benefit of personnel working at the Langley Research Center. He organized and taught undergraduate and graduate courses on helicopter and fixed-wing aerodynamics, and also served as a thesis advisor.A Lecturer in Helicopter Theory
Gessow taught ''Helicopter Theory'' in New York University's summer program in the Aerospace Sciences (1966), and subsequently taught graduate courses as an Adjunct Professor of Aerospace Engineering (1968-1969). He also taught Helicopter Theory at the Catholic University of America (1970-1971), and also served as an invited professor at the Korean Advanced Institute of Science (1979-1980). Gessow lectured widely on helicopter technology, and delivered lectures at several universities in the United States including Princeton University, Cornell University, Penn State University, Georgia Tech, Colorado State University, Brooklyn Polytechnic, Virginia Polytechnic, and the Catholic University. He also lectured at international universities including the University of Aachen (Germany), the Technion (Israel), and the Korean Advanced Institute of Sciences (South Korea).University of Maryland (1980-2002)
Gessow joined the University of Maryland in 1980 as the Chair of the Department of Aerospace Engineering. He served in this capacity from 1980 through 1988. During his tenure as chair, his leadership was instrumental in expanding the department's research and educational programs into a wide range of fields in aeronautical and astronautical engineering including: rotorcraft; space systems; flight dynamics and control; flight structures; and hypersonic vehicles. In 1981, Gessow founded the ''Center for Rotorcraft Education and Research'', and continued as its Director until 1992, when he became Professor Emeritus. In 1997, the center that Gessow founded was renamed the ''Alfred Gessow Rotorcraft Center'' to honor his extensive contributions to both the field of rotorcraft and to the University of Maryland. Today, the Alfred Gessow Rotorcraft Center is internationally recognized for its continuing mission of fostering both research and education in the field of vertical flight.Honors
Gessow was the recipient of numerous major awards in the field of aerospace engineering. Gessow was recognized with theLegacy
Gessow was the founding editor of the ''Journal of the American Helicopter Society'', published by AHS International, and served as editor for one year as was the custom of the time. The journal was established in 1956 to provide a forum in which original technical papers dealing with the theory and practice of vertical flight could be peer-reviewed and archived. The journal fosters the exchange of information about innovation and practical information of various aspects of helicopters and V/STOL aircraft. The ''Journal of the American Helicopter Society'' celebrated its 50th year of publication in 2006, and reprinted its first issue to commemorate the occasion, and has continued publication to this day. Every year, theReferences
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