Paulo Iscold, 40, has been announced as the 2016 winner of the EAA’s prestigious August Raspet Memorial Award, which recognizes an individual or group that has made an outstanding contribution to the advancement of light aircraft design. Notable past recipients include Dick VanGrunsven, Burt Rutan and Paul Poberezny.
Iscold is Professor of Aeronautical Engineering at the Federal University of Minas-Gerais (UFMG), Brazil. Dr. Iscold has been a proponent of using high performance experimental aircraft as a means to teach students the fundamentals of aircraft design and construction. Iscold’s first design, the CEA-308, holds four words records for speed and time to climb, and his third design, the CEA-311 “Anequim”, holds six world records. Iscold and his students have also designed and built an Unlimited aerobatic airplane, a flight simulator and wind tunnel for UFMG, and provided engineering support for Red Bull Air Race Champion Paul Bonhomme.
Iscold was thrilled to hear of the award. “It is a great honor to receive this award, since my career has a huge influence from EAA. My mentor, Prof. Claudio Barros, was an EAA member and always used EAA material to stimulate aviation in me. But, my name is just part of the nomination! It is all about the Anequim Project and all students, individuals and companies that participated on this journey! We could not do such projects without the help of the Cattos [Catto Propellers], Murrays [Sky Dynamics], and Cunha [Fibraer] family! Big thanks also to Gunar Armin, who not only sponsored the project but also did a magnificent job taming and riding the machine! By the way, did you already read any of Prof. Raspet papers? If not, you should, otherwise you will not set speed records!”
Iscold and students are currently working to complete an aerobatic trainer designed by famed Tucano designer Joseph Kovacs, as well as a custom fly-by-wire 27 meter wing for an ASH-30 sailplane. Iscold will take a sabbatical from UFMG later this year to work in Jackson, California with Craig Catto and Catto Propellers on a variety of consulting projects.
