Dan Duggan and Ron Gerdes 1928-2006

Daniel C Duggan

From 1970 to 1990 Dan Duggan worked as a Research Pilot at NASA Ames Research Center and tested the XV-5B Lift Fan YOV-10A Rotating Cylinder Flap Research Aircraft

RONALD M GERDES

Born in Oakland in 1928, Gerdes graduated from Alameda High School in 1946. Entering the Navy V-5 program (as an aviation midshipman) at UC Berkeley, he completed his naval aviator training at NAS Pensacola and served in the Korean War, flying an F9F Panther with VF-111.
His Navy flying also included F2H Banshees and A-4 Skyhawks. He completed his engineering degree at Cal in
1957, including summer work at Ames. Initially working in the Ames Flight and Systems Simulation Branch, he transferred into Flight Operations as a research pilot in 1961. During his NASA flying career, Gerdes made significant contributions to vertical flight aircraft, including the XV-5 Fan-In-Wing, X-14 Deflected Jet, UH-1 V/STOLAND, and XV-15 Tiltrotor aircraft.
He performed a key role with the NASA/DARPA/USMC AV-8 V/STOL Systems Research Aircraft Program.
Gerdes also flew and participated in airborne astronomy missions aboard the Lear 24 and Kuiper C-141.