Biography

Michael K. Milauskas

Michael Milauskas has been involved in the manufacture of advanced composites for aerospace since the early 1980’s.  His first assignment was supervising the fabrication of boron/aluminum metal matrix composites used for the mid-fuselage struts of the US Space Shuttle.

In 2009, he completed a three-year multi-international auditing assignment with Boeing Commercial Airplane (BCA). The audits were mandated to qualify 787 Dreamliner advanced composite wing and fuselage structure at multiple BCA Partner and supplier sites throughout Asia, Europe and the US.

In May of 2010, Boeing, again, ask for his assistance in supporting the team currently designing the CRB (Common Rotor Blade) for the next generation CH-47 Chinook Helicopter.

Past projects spanning the last two decades include

• Project Engineer for Northrop-Grumman’s Counter-Man-Portable Air Defense Composite Fairing developed under a Homeland Security Contract

• Process Engineer for the manufacture of NASA’s Super Lightweight Interchangeable Carrier designed for the recently successful final Service Mission to the Hubble Space Telescope

• Materials Engineer for the Naval Air Systems Command V-22 Program Office with oversight of the V-22 Composite Proprotor

• Materials & Process Engineer for several major aerospace firms:  authoring major revisions to Gulfstream’s advanced composite process specifications and conducting multiple advanced composite prepreg material qualifications for Boeing’s Apache Program

• Production Systems Manager for a start-up manufacturer, responsible for transferring eight major composite manufacturing programs from a prime contractor – the founders successfully sold the corporation in 2009

• R&D Process Engineer completing materials qualifications to supply Boeing and Airbus advanced composite sandwich panels and Nomex honeycomb core

He has founded two corporations in his career

Flightline Composite Structures (FCS) was created in the 1990’s to supply mission critical antenna coupler boots to all US Air Force F-15 Fighter Squadrons for the TEWS Electronic Warfare Program Upgrade.  FCS also developed the component design structure, materials and processes for carbon/epoxy equipment racks and workstations, FLIR sensor doors, MTI radar mounts and wingtips for the US Army’s RC-7 Crazy Hawk Airborne Low M Reconnaissance Mission.

Composites-By-Design (C-B-D) was founded in 1999, and is currently being re-launched following completion of the Boeing assignment.  The initial product was a hybrid composite housing for a portable real-time 80Kv X-ray unit for use by US military and clandestine US agencies. C-B-D’s current mission:  bridging the gap between art & technology with carbon fiber.

Currently under design and prototyping

• A line of consumer and business furniture fabricated from carbon fiber laminate, accented with Nomex honeycomb panels veneered in exotic hardwoods.  The design intent is to create museum quality state-of-the-art advanced composite furniture – without the outrageous prices demanded by others that work in this media.

• Carbon fiber laminate speciality products for the photographic industry, including ultra-lightweight brackets, and booms, and a few stealth projects that may dazzle the industry.

Personal

Mr. Milauskas resides in Piney Point on the Potomac River, southeast of Washington DC.  He is a avid, but still learning photographer and videographer, using Nikon dSLRs and high definition AVCHD camcorders.  He has a new interest in evocative High Dynamic Range (HDR) photography.  He travels frequently to Japan, Korea, Spain and Italy for design inspiration and exploration.  His Blog can be found at: http://carbonboy.com