Barry Lakinsmith

Barry R. Lakinsmith
Director (Acting)
Aeroflightdynamics Directorate (AFDD)
Aviation and Missile Research, Development, & Engineering Center (AMRDEC)
U.S. Army Research, Development, & Engineering Command (RDECOM)
Moffett Field, CA

Mr. Lakinsmith is a distinguished graduate of the USAF Academy, with a B.S. in Aeronautical Engineering. He has a M.S. from Stanford University in Engineering Management.

Mr. Lakinsmith was a commissioned USAF officer at Wright-Patterson AFB, OH from 1983-1988. His assignments in the Aeronautical Systems Division and the Deputy for Simulators ranged from evaluating simulated performance and flying qualities for the B-52 to leading the training device development for the B-1B and Special Operations Forces Aircrew Training System (HH-60, MH-53J, and CV-22). In 1988 he began his career with the Army at NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA. He was project engineer for a major applied research effort in human performance modeling and crew station design called MIDAS (Man-machine Integration Design & Analysis System. In 1997, the joint Army-NASA Rotorcraft Division was formed and Mr. Lakinsmith became a supervisor in the Flight Control and Cockpit Integration Branch, also serving as the technology area leader for Army Aviation’s S&T program in rotary wing vehicle flight control. He and a NASA colleague led this productive 35 member group for 8 years, performing $5-$7M per year of in-house analysis, piloted simulation, and flight projects in the areas of rotorcraft handling qualities, flight control, and human-system interaction. In 2005, upon AFDD’s reorganization, he became a Division Chief. Mr. Lakinsmith became Acting Director of the Aeroflightdynamics Directorate in January 2006.

Barry is a Member of the American Helicopter Society, International and was a prior chair of the Crew Systems/Human Factors Engineering committee. He is vice-president of the local chapter of AHS . Mr. Lakinsmith has technical publications in the areas of flight simulator development, human performance modeling, and aircraft design. He holds a private pilot’s license and previously flew sailplanes recreationally.