8th Finglish trip June 2009 #20
Tapio Kartiala has over 45 years’ experience as an Aerospace Structures Engineer, and over 35 years teaching experience as an adjunct teacher at Los Angeles Valley College in the Engineering Department. He earned his Master’s degree from University of Southern California, and a Bachelor’s degree from University of California, Los Angeles.
Tapio worked at "Skunk Works" at Lockheed Martin. "Skunk Works" is an official pseudonym for Lockheed Martin's Advanced Development Programs, formerly called Lockheed Advanced Development Projects. Tapio Kartiala participated in the design of U-2 spy plane, SR-71 Blackbird and F-117 Stealth fighter.
Tapio´s father 2nd Lt Tauno Kartiala was a fighter pilot of the Finnish Air Force 26. squadron during the Continuation War against the Soviet Union. After the war Tauno moved to the United States. In addition to Tapio, his father Tauno, his sister Pirkko and his brother Eero all worked in the US in the aircraft industry.
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