Robert H. Liebeck

Liebeck pursued studies in aerospace engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in 1961, a Master of Science in 1962 and a PhD in 1968. It was while pursuing his PhD that he produced the first airfoil designs that would come to be known as the "Liebeck Airfoil". ==Career==

Liebeck worked summers at the Douglas Aircraft Company, located in Santa Monica, California, He managed several of Boeing's airplane programs through which several advanced-concept aircraft were designed. As Senior Technical Fellow of the Boeing Company, he served as program manager of the company's blended wing body program. Liebeck was one of the first Senior Technical Advisors to the startup JetZero in Long Beach, CA, co-founded by one of Dr. Liebeck's early Blended Wing disciple, Mark Page. ==Designs==

Liebeck airfoils Designs made by Liebeck during research for his doctoral thesis "Optimization of Airfoils for Maximum Lift", have been applied to the design of high-altitude aircraft. This class of airfoils has been used by NASCAR in its Car of Tomorrow which debuted in 2007. Initially funded by a grant from NASA of $90,000, the aircraft design moves away from the usual tube-and-wing design and instead has the wings blended into the body. and a two-engine version, the X-48C in 2013. Other designs Liebeck's designs include propellers, wind turbines, wings for racing cars that have won the Indianapolis 500 and the Formula One World Championship, the wing for NASCAR's "Car of Tomorrow," the keel for the America³ yacht which won the 1992 America's Cup, and the wing for a World Championship aerobatic airplane. ==Teaching career==

Liebeck lectured in aerodynamics and aircraft design courses at several universities. Since 1995 he was a Professor of the Practice of Aerodynamics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he lectured in aeronautics.. Liebeck was also an adjunct professor at the University of California, Irvine from 2000 to 2025, where he taught aerospace engineering courses. He was also an adjunct professor teaching aerodynamics, flight mechanics and airplane design at the University of Southern California from 1977 to 2000. ==Death==

Liebeck died on January 12, 2026, at the age of 87. ==Awards and recognition==

Liebeck was presented with the Brigadier General Charles E. "Chuck" Yeager International Aeronautical Achievement Award in 2012. • 1992 Member of the National Academy of Engineering for the development of high-lift, high-performance airfoils. • ASME Spirit of St. Louis Medal • ICAS Innovation in Aerodynamics Award • AIAA Wright Brothers Lecture • AIAA Aircraft Design Award • AIAA Aerodynamics Award ==Publications==

• • • • • • • • • ==References==