Apr. 7, 2012

Ladies & Gentlemen:

In this update: Preparations continue for next week's engine installation, Valerie hangs out with nitro burners in Las Vegas, Cameras about to be turned on, COE conference is just around the corner, Highlights from Chris' big adventure, and Magnetic brakes headed to LevX®.

Please consider donating today and help us with our test session in early summer. We would like to thank those who have shown their support of our recent call to action:

This Week's Featured Sponsors:

Our mountain - Mt. Rainier - was out and showing off against blue skies this morning. Enjoying the view from the hangar were Ed Shadle, Jerimiah Avery, Von Armstrong, Rich Pengelley, Larry Martinson, and son Dustin, Keith Zanghi, Omar Chramosta, John Winchester & Crew Chief Bill Eckberg. Working virtual this week were Brandyn Bayes, Jon Higley, and Darren Grove.

Dustin brought his friend, Rhiannon Becker, out to the hangar to watch him work, take the tour, and climb up into the cockpit for the traditional thumbs up picture.

There is much work to be done in order to have our 56 foot long, 50,000 plus horsepower jet car ready to be tied down and tested next month. Sanderson Field in Shelton, WA last hosted the Eagle on July 4th of 2010. We celebrated our nation's independence with our own fireworks... a spectacular display of afterburner flame. We're looking forward to a repeat performance as we static test systems prior to speed runs in late summer.

Work progressed today with laying out positions for the new rear axle suspension struts. The original long side struts have been retired. New and shorter struts have been designed for better aerodynamic airflow at high speeds. This requires modification of the existing fuselage hardpoints, attachment points, and hardware.

Bill Eckberg made the trip down from up north of Seattle and worked with Ed on resolving some camera issues. Location and circuitry for the cameras are being finalized. Front and rear facing Ecliptic Enterprise's RocketCam® on-board cameras will record our future high speed test runs.

Valerie Thompson News

While preparing for her May 5th test session, Valerie (left) took time to stop off to attend the Las Vegas NHRA event and to be interviewed on ESPN. Here she is, above, with Alexis Dejoria. Alexis drives the Kalitta Motorsports Patron sponsored Top Fuel Funny Car.

NAE and Idex Solutions Team Up at COE

Once again, Team NAE will be participating in COE. This will be the fifth Fifth Annual PLM Conference & TechniFair the team has attended. COE has been bringing together the users of Dassault Systèmes PLM solutions for twenty-five years.

COE (formerly the CATIA Operators Exchange) is the only international, professional organization uniting the users of Dassault Systèmes software solutions. Thousands of users in hundreds of member companies, represent aerospace & defense, automotive & transportation, architecture, engineering & construction, energy & processing, industrial equipment, consumer goods, consumer packaged goods, shipbuilding, finance & business services, high tech electronics, and life sciences.   There is no better support community available.

Bernard Charlès, President & CEO with Philippe Forestier, EVP & Global Affairs & Communities

 Joining Ed and Keith will be newly announced Co-Driver of the North American Eagle™ Valerie Thompson. Please visit all three in the Idex Solutions booth.

The Team at Idex Solutions has been working with the North American Eagle™ engineers since 2006 and is responsible for maintaining our Dassault Systèmes CATIA V5 licenses. We look forward to working with the team from Idex Solutions next month in Las Vegas.

Photo Highlights from Chris' Big Adventure

Jerry Lamb from LevX®

Jerry Lamb, from LevX® stopped by to pick up the two rear wheel magnetic brakes. He is taking them back to his shop and will perfom a complete brake inspection for our upcoming test session. When interviewed by television documentaries like the Discovery Channel, and asked what he does on the team, Jerry always says, "I'm trying to stop them!"

Next week it will be all hands on deck as we re-install the giant S&S Turbine Service, LTD LM 1500 back into the fuselage.