David W. Trop

787 Deputy Chief of Structures Engineering

The Boeing Company

Biography

Dave Trop is the Deputy Chief Structures Engineer for 787, wherehe leads the engineering effort to develop improved 787 derivative airplanes.Dave has spent the majority of his 25 year Boeing career in airplanedevelopment in positions of increasing responsibility on the 777, 767, 747, and787 programs. He has placed special emphasis on development of creative designsolutions to improve airplane performance and product integrity. In recentyears, Dave led the engineering development of the 787 One-Piece FuselageBarrel; was Structures Integration Leader for 787, led the Airframe team (wingand fuselage) for 787-9 development, and led the 747-8 Wing Integrated ProductTeam in developing a new wing for the 747-8. Dave earned an MS in Aeronauticsand Astronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where hespecialized in structural mechanics. His Master’s work included research incomposite aircraft fuselage damage tolerance.

Abstract: 

Design of highperformance, safety critical systems such as aircraft has been pacedsince  inception by the available simulation technologies, from theinvention of the wind tunnel to the use of the finite element method. The powerof information technology has touched society and industry in many ways over thepast decades and continues to evolve at a rapid pace, enabling new ways todesign and build the high performance products of tomorrow. How will thesetrends affect the ways we work, the speed of development of new products, andthe skills needed to compete in the global economy in the future?  DaveTrop, Deputy Chief of Structures for the Boeing 787,will describe Boeing's process of design through integratedoptimization, detail design, and test; and how advancements in the toolsuite can enable better products to reach the market faster and open newopportunities for engineers.