Airframe structural analysis, correlated to full-scale test.

Ace Analytics is the independent practice of John Taylor, an aerospace structural engineer with 15+ years of static, dynamic, fatigue, and damage-tolerance analysis of metallic and composite structure.

Twelve of those years went into building, validating, and using a 12-million-DOF full-aircraft finite element model for the USAF T-38 fleet.

Email John Contracting details

Predicted against measured. The 1:1 line is the standard an analysis has to meet before it is used to make fleet decisions.

Capabilities Analysis of aircraft structure, from hand calculation to full-aircraft FEM.

Stress analysis: Strength, buckling, crippling, and joint and attachment failure of metallic and composite airframe structure, by classical hand methods and direct finite element analysis. Linear and nonlinear, including contact.
Fatigue and damage tolerance: ASIP-style fatigue and damage-tolerance analysis for sustainment fleets: stress extraction at critical locations, spectra, and the analysis data packages that support them.
Full-aircraft finite element models: Development and maintenance of large, parts-separated NASTRAN models with discretely modeled fasteners, producing loads and stresses that fleet-management decisions can rest on.
Model validation and verification: Correlation of finite element models to full-scale fuselage and wing tests, with statistician-supported treatment of deflection, gauge error, and residual correlation. Resolving incomplete or conflicting test data so the model is defensible.
Nonlinear and multiphysics: Local nonlinear and contact submodels of major joints, translated into case-based connection stiffnesses for the global linear model. Coupled thermal, structural, CFD, and modal analysis.
Composite structure: Material and process selection, laminate design, radome and rotor-blade structure, parametric CAD, and ASME Y14 drawing packages.
Program support: Material review board and repair analysis, procurement and subcontractor technical lead, Critical Safety Item programs, and proposal co-authoring.

Selected work Programs where the methods above were built and used.

2010–2022

T-38 Talon full-aircraft finite element model

Northrop Grumman, systems engineer and analysis lead

Developed and applied a parts-separated NASTRAN model of the complete aircraft, about 12 million degrees of freedom with roughly 80,000 discretely modeled fasteners, to produce loads and stresses for USAF fleet-management decisions. Led validation and verification against full-scale fuselage and wing tests, including statistician-supported correlation and the resolution of incomplete and conflicting test data.

Built local nonlinear and contact submodels of major joints and carried the results into the global model as case-based connection stiffnesses. Presented methods and results to USAF customers and to the international ASIP and HOLSIP communities.

ASIP 2017: T-38 FEM overview, correlation, and usage (PDF, approved for public release)

2010–2022

A-10 Critical Safety Item program and sustainment support

Northrop Grumman

Led the A-10 Critical Safety Item program across internal and subcontractor teams. Served as site analysis problem-solver for material review, procurement, and repair efforts, and co-authored engineering and procurement proposals from $1M to $34M.

2008–2010

Large composite radomes and a patented fastener

Infinite Technologies, composite engineer

Led multi-site development and production of more than 100 47-foot composite radar domes, from clean-sheet selection of resins, fibers, cores, adhesives, coatings, and manufacturing processes through parametric CATIA V5 assembly models and ASME Y14 drawing packages.

Co-inventor, US Patent 9,562,555, fastener assembly (PDF)

2007–2008

DARPA Heliplane rotor hub and mast

Groen Brothers Aviation, aerospace engineer

Structural design trades, stress, and fatigue analysis for the experimental rotor hub and mast, plus coupled thermal, structural, CFD, and modal analysis of the rotor head and the IM7/BMI composite blade.

2022–present

Autoradiology

JM Research LLC, founder

An AI-driven medical imaging platform. Architected the Python analysis and neural-network training software and applied aerospace verification and validation practice to assessing software output and workflow design, the same discipline Ace Analytics brings to data-heavy engineering problems.

Tools and credentials

Tools

Patran/NASTRAN, Femap, ANSYS — finite element analysis
NX, CATIA V5, SolidWorks — parametric CAD and drawings
Python, MATLAB, Mathcad, C++ — analysis, automation, and data

Credentials

MS Mechanical Engineering, structural mechanics — University of Utah, 2012
BS Mechanical Engineering — Brigham Young University, 2007
U.S. citizen — DoD Secret clearance held 2008–2022, eligible for reinstatement
Presenter — ASIP 2017 and HOLSIP 2018 conferences
Co-inventor — US Patent 9,562,555

Contracting What a contracts or supply-chain office needs first.

Download the one-page capability statement (PDF)

Legal name	Ace Analytics LLC
Structure	Single-member limited liability company, Utah. Small business.
NAICS	541330 Engineering services 541715 Research and development in the physical, engineering, and life sciences
UEI / CAGE	SAM.gov registration in progress
Engagement	Direct contract or subcontract; time-and-materials or fixed-price. Remote, with on-site work as the program requires.
Export control	U.S. person, with twelve years of work under DoD data-handling and export-control requirements.
Insurance	Professional and general liability certificates available on request

Contact

johntaylor37@gmail.com

John Taylor, principal. Based in Utah, USA. A resume and references are available on request.