February 7, 2022: "
- 4:00 p.m.
- 100 Hancock Hall
- Devon Jedamski, Chief Engineer at Whisper Aero
- Faculty Host: Dr. Nathan Alexander
Abstract: In the world of eVTOL and eCTOL, cost effectiveness comes with scale, and scale requires quiet. Whisper Aero is a company led by ex-Uber Elevate leadership that is developing low noise electric propulsors to lead the emerging electric jet age. Although Whisper’s technology and ambitions are still a closely guarded secret, Devon will discuss his lessons learned through making the move from a DoD prime in Los Angeles to a rurally located tech startup with topics ranging from noise metrics and the quirks of the human response, to propulsion system sizing and the case for distributed electric propulsion.
Bio: Devon Jedamski is the Chief Engineer at Whisper Aero, where he is leading the development of the next generation of quiet electric propulsors for the regional air mobility market. Prior to Whisper Aero, Devon worked at Northrop Grumman in the Advanced Design organization as a Principal Investigator leading multiple DoD design contracts. His work at NG focused on the design of aircraft with novel propulsion integration concepts ranging from low speed hybrid-electric aircraft to supersonic jet aircraft. Devon’s career has spanned multiple disciplines relevant to electric aircraft design ranging from turbine based propulsion systems to aerodynamics, thermal management systems, electrical power systems, and renewable energy technology. He received his Master’s degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology while performing research as the Rolls-Royce Sir Frank Whittle Fellow exploring unsteady aerodynamics in turbine engines. Devon also attended Clarkson University for undergrad where he was awarded the Goldwater Fellowship for his renewable energy research focused on ducted wind turbines.