<p><img alt="Yoshiuasu Hirano - WW 20151020" src="/getasset/ff31adfe-d0b0-49c8-8d35-1ba954815d81/" /></p>
<p>A long-standing interest in flight and composite structures has thrust the engineer to the forefront of Japan’s next-generation supersonic civil transport project, and to also look at space-based applications for material.</p>
<p><strong>Where were you educated?</strong></p>
<p><em>I attended the Tokyo Institute of Technology in Japan, where I earned my bachelor’s degree from the department of mechanical-aerospace engineering.</em></p>
<p><em>There I joined a club developing human-powered aircraft, in the role of chief designer.</em></p>
<p><em>Flying only with human power requires the ultimate in weight-saving design.</em></p>
<p><em>We decided to adopt carbonfibre-reinforced polymer. The longest flying distance it covered was over 18km.</em></p>
<p><em>In graduate school I researched the optimisation design of composite aerospace structure. Three years later I earned my Ph.D. in engineering.</em></p>
<p><strong>What was your first aviation job?</strong></p>
<p><em>I took up a fixed-term post-doctoral position at JAXA’s AdvancedComposite Research Center just after finishing my doctorate.</em></p>
<p><em>My first research project was to design and develop a low-cost composite wing demonstrator with a VaRTM [vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding] process. I was in charge of the material design and manufacturing process development, conceptual and detailed structural design and structural verification with full scale demonstrator test.</em></p>
<p><em>The research project finished successfully, and it provided me with a valuable experience of developing composite aerospace structure. After completion of the project, I signed with JAXA for mid-career employment.</em></p>
<p><strong>What are you working on?</strong></p>
<p><em>I’m a researcher in composite material and structure, involved in both the fundamental research on composite material and the development of flight experimental vehicles.</em></p>
<p><em>My recent research interests include the optimisation design of composite structures and the lightning damage behaviour of composite materials. </em></p>
<p><em>I’m also involved in the conceptual design of the next generation supersonic civil transport, as well as the structural design of the experimental flight demonstrator of the D-SEND2 and FEATHER projects.</em></p>
<p><em>My role in the D-SEND project was to develop structural design for an unmanned experimental aircraft which demonstrates JAXA’s low-sonic boom aerodynamic design concept, called the S3CM: Silent SuperSonic Concept Model.</em></p>
<p><em>No composite materials were applied for the experimental aircraft, since a lightweight structure was not a priority for the project. </em></p>
<p><em>My current challenge is to develop composite materials concepts for JAXA’s next generation supersonic civil transport.</em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong style="color: rgb(100, 123, 135); font-size: 24px; line-height: 38.4000015258789px; text-align: center;">“There is a large gap between fundamental research and practical application”</strong></p>
<p><strong>Do you work with JAXA’s space programmes?</strong></p>
<p><em>In the past, I have had few opportunities to contribute directly towards the development of a space exploration project. However, since composite materials have been drawing greater attention as a space structure, I am now getting involved.</em></p>
<p><strong>What’s most difficult about your job?</strong></p>
<p><em>There is a large gap between fundamental research and practical application. Since structural integrity is directly related to safety, aircraft development is often based on conservative approaches and it usually takes a long time when applying new material or a structural concept into aircraft development. </em></p>
<p><em>Although there are frequent pressures that request short-term outcomes from fundamental research activity, it is always necessary to ensure I have a long-term perspective.</em></p>
<p style="box-sizing: border-box; position: relative; word-wrap: break-word; margin: 0px 0px 0.8em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 15.2px; line-height: 21.28px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(77, 77, 77);"><em style="box-sizing: border-box; position: relative; word-wrap: break-word; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-family: inherit;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; position: relative; word-wrap: break-word; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-family: inherit;">Looking for engineering positions within Aerospace? Check out our listings online by <a href="https://jobs.flightglobal.com/jobs/aerospace-engineering/?intcmp=FGJOB-careers_hub-Yoshiusau Hirano">CLICKING HERE</a>.</strong></em></p>
<p style="box-sizing: border-box; position: relative; word-wrap: break-word; margin: 0px 0px 0.8em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 15.2px; line-height: 21.28px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(77, 77, 77);">If you would like to feature in Working Week, or you know someone who does, email your pitch to <span style="box-sizing: border-box; position: relative; word-wrap: break-word; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: inherit; line-height: 1.6; font-family: inherit;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; position: relative; word-wrap: break-word; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-family: inherit;"><a href="mailto:kate.sarsfield@flightglobal.com?subject=Working%20Week%20Submission">kate.sarsfield@flightglobal.com</a></strong>.</span></p>
<p>A long-standing interest in flight and composite structures has thrust the engineer to the forefront of Japan’s next-generation supersonic civil transport project, and to also look at space-based applications for material.</p>
<p><strong>Where were you educated?</strong></p>
<p><em>I attended the Tokyo Institute of Technology in Japan, where I earned my bachelor’s degree from the department of mechanical-aerospace engineering.</em></p>
<p><em>There I joined a club developing human-powered aircraft, in the role of chief designer.</em></p>
<p><em>Flying only with human power requires the ultimate in weight-saving design.</em></p>
<p><em>We decided to adopt carbonfibre-reinforced polymer. The longest flying distance it covered was over 18km.</em></p>
<p><em>In graduate school I researched the optimisation design of composite aerospace structure. Three years later I earned my Ph.D. in engineering.</em></p>
<p><strong>What was your first aviation job?</strong></p>
<p><em>I took up a fixed-term post-doctoral position at JAXA’s AdvancedComposite Research Center just after finishing my doctorate.</em></p>
<p><em>My first research project was to design and develop a low-cost composite wing demonstrator with a VaRTM [vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding] process. I was in charge of the material design and manufacturing process development, conceptual and detailed structural design and structural verification with full scale demonstrator test.</em></p>
<p><em>The research project finished successfully, and it provided me with a valuable experience of developing composite aerospace structure. After completion of the project, I signed with JAXA for mid-career employment.</em></p>
<p><strong>What are you working on?</strong></p>
<p><em>I’m a researcher in composite material and structure, involved in both the fundamental research on composite material and the development of flight experimental vehicles.</em></p>
<p><em>My recent research interests include the optimisation design of composite structures and the lightning damage behaviour of composite materials. </em></p>
<p><em>I’m also involved in the conceptual design of the next generation supersonic civil transport, as well as the structural design of the experimental flight demonstrator of the D-SEND2 and FEATHER projects.</em></p>
<p><em>My role in the D-SEND project was to develop structural design for an unmanned experimental aircraft which demonstrates JAXA’s low-sonic boom aerodynamic design concept, called the S3CM: Silent SuperSonic Concept Model.</em></p>
<p><em>No composite materials were applied for the experimental aircraft, since a lightweight structure was not a priority for the project. </em></p>
<p><em>My current challenge is to develop composite materials concepts for JAXA’s next generation supersonic civil transport.</em></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong style="color: rgb(100, 123, 135); font-size: 24px; line-height: 38.4000015258789px; text-align: center;">“There is a large gap between fundamental research and practical application”</strong></p>
<p><strong>Do you work with JAXA’s space programmes?</strong></p>
<p><em>In the past, I have had few opportunities to contribute directly towards the development of a space exploration project. However, since composite materials have been drawing greater attention as a space structure, I am now getting involved.</em></p>
<p><strong>What’s most difficult about your job?</strong></p>
<p><em>There is a large gap between fundamental research and practical application. Since structural integrity is directly related to safety, aircraft development is often based on conservative approaches and it usually takes a long time when applying new material or a structural concept into aircraft development. </em></p>
<p><em>Although there are frequent pressures that request short-term outcomes from fundamental research activity, it is always necessary to ensure I have a long-term perspective.</em></p>
<p style="box-sizing: border-box; position: relative; word-wrap: break-word; margin: 0px 0px 0.8em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 15.2px; line-height: 21.28px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(77, 77, 77);"><em style="box-sizing: border-box; position: relative; word-wrap: break-word; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-family: inherit;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; position: relative; word-wrap: break-word; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-family: inherit;">Looking for engineering positions within Aerospace? Check out our listings online by <a href="https://jobs.flightglobal.com/jobs/aerospace-engineering/?intcmp=FGJOB-careers_hub-Yoshiusau Hirano">CLICKING HERE</a>.</strong></em></p>
<p style="box-sizing: border-box; position: relative; word-wrap: break-word; margin: 0px 0px 0.8em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 15.2px; line-height: 21.28px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; color: rgb(77, 77, 77);">If you would like to feature in Working Week, or you know someone who does, email your pitch to <span style="box-sizing: border-box; position: relative; word-wrap: break-word; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: inherit; line-height: 1.6; font-family: inherit;"><strong style="box-sizing: border-box; position: relative; word-wrap: break-word; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-family: inherit;"><a href="mailto:kate.sarsfield@flightglobal.com?subject=Working%20Week%20Submission">kate.sarsfield@flightglobal.com</a></strong>.</span></p>