Frederick S. Billig

Frederick Stucky Billig (February 28, 1933 – June 1, 2006) was a pioneer in the development of scramjet propulsion.

Billig’s primary research was in the area of high-speed, air-breathing propulsion for advanced flight vehicles including pioneering work in external burning and supersonic combustion. He was responsible for highspeed propulsion programs sponsored by the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Air Force and NASA.

He was born on February 28, 1933, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He grew up in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, D.C. As a boy, Billig was an avid sports fan and participated in many contests on basketball statistics.

Billig received his undergraduate education at Johns Hopkins University, graduating in 1955 with a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Mechanical Engineering.

Following graduation, Billig began his career in the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in 1955. He entered the University of Maryland’s Department of Mechanical Engineering as a part-time student earning his M.S. degree in 1958 and Ph.D. in 1964.

While working at Applied Physics Laboratory, Billig spent 25 years as an Adjunct Professor in Maryland’s Aerospace Engineering Department from 1964-1989. He also taught at Virginia Tech, where he served on Ph.D. committees up until the time of his death.

In his early career in the JHU Applied Physics Lab, Billig worked on hypersonic propulsion and vehicles. He was mentored by Dr. William Avery and Dr. Gordon Drucker.

In 1963, Billig was promoted to the position of senior engineer and supervisor of hypersonic ramjets.

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