Chuck Simmons earned a BS in Mechanical Engineering from The Ohio State University. He has more than 25 years of experience designing mechanical, electronic and embedded systems for a wide variety of products – in industries from general aviation, to heavy duty trucks, to law enforcement electronics. In 2008 he left his day job to consult full time. With a lifetime interest in all things automotive, the design of UAV engines and engine-control systems was a natural fit. Recognizing the lack of lightweight, low-power electronic fuel injection systems for the UAV market, he designed a fuel injection system specifically for UAVs. This system got the attention of Insitu and landed him a contract to develop fuel injection systems for Scan Eagle and Integrator.
After spending several years commuting between Seattle and the Gorge, Chuck moved to the Gorge in 2015 to design the engine for the Aerovel Flexrotor. At Power4Flight, Chuck is responsible for engine hardware development and integration, working closely with our partner Cobra Aero on the A33 and A99 engines.