Retired Engineer Cited For Outstanding Technical Achievement

Vice Admiral Joseph Stewart, superintendent of the United States Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, N.Y., during the homecoming reunion of 2005, recognized Bob Tynan of Newtown in October with the award for Outstanding Technical Achievement.

Mr Tynan graduated from Kings Point in 1950. He sailed on several merchant ships, including the SS Independence, a new passenger ship, before serving in the US Navy as engineering officer on the USS Lloyd, a destroyer escort, during the Korean War.

After completing studies for a master of science degree from Columbia University, Mr Tynan joined Sikorsky Aircraft’s engineering department. He was appointed project engineer on the H-34 helicopter, a US Army utility helicopter, the first helicopter used to transport President Eisenhower.

He then was assigned senior project engineer throughout production. This aircraft holds eight world records for maximum altitude and payload altitude, which had been previously held by a large Russian helicopter. Ultimately he became program manager/engineering manager for all Sikorsky commercial aircraft.

With the advent of the Black Hawk production program, Mr Tynan was assigned engineering manager of the technical proposal, competing against Boeing Aircraft. Sikorsky won the largest production program in modern times. He then served as chief of design and Black Hawk engineering manager. He subsequently ran the Black Hawk production line and served as Black Hawk program manager.

His last significant assignment was corporate director of development for Westland Aircraft, a British aircraft corporation. He retired in 1991.