Bography:
Ko-Wei is a Technical Lead Engineer on the C-17 Program at Boeing in Long Beach, California. His career has been spent entirely in the field of aircraft structures in various disciplines supporting ASIP. This includes research and methodology development, requirements, stress, fatigue, fracture mechanics, finite element, testing, aircraft tracking, design and production support, structural certification, failure analysis, repair, risk analysis, and sustainment.

Ko-Wei began his aerospace career with Rockwell International in 1978 in El Segundo, California. During his time at Rockwell International Aircraft Division, Ko-Wei worked in research, development, B-1 and T-39 programs. His assignment included analysis tool development, stress, finite element, design support, testing, and aircraft tracking. It was on the B-1 program when he was first introduced to MIL-STD-1530, MIL-A-83444 and MIL-A-8866.

In 1985, Ko-Wei joined McDonnell Douglas Commercial Aircraft in Long Beach. He worked the development of DC-10 supplementary inspection document and MD11 damage tolerance assessment. Later he was tasked to lead the Navy T-45 landing gear team supervising the durability analyses and full scale fatigue test engineering development. With his experience on D&DT on B-1, he was also supporting C-17 ASIP during this time. He officially joined the C-17 program in 1987 as lead engineer forming a team responsible for analysis tools development, establishing durability and damage tolerance design criteria, analysis procedures and guidelines, planned and executed development test program, and supported the maintenance steering group in the development of structural maintenance requirements.

In the early 1990s Ko-Wei was asked to lead the durability and damage tolerance group responsible for executing C-17 ASIP that included DADTA, full scale durability test, individual aircraft tracking, loads monitoring, force structural maintenance and Analytical Condition Inspection programs. The team’s main accomplishment was to complete all the contractual ASIP requirements, and obtain airframe airworthiness for flight. He was also in charge of full scale durability test failure root cause assessment and developing solutions to correct the deficiencies. In late 1990s Ko-Wei participated in large unitized structure implementation and evaluating new technologies to reduce manufacturing cost. He worked closely with customers to develop criteria and qualification plan to certify the new design structure. Currently Ko-Wei oversees the team that is responsible for executing all the ASIP sustainment activities, support in-service issues, defining structural maintenance and modification requirements, and support force management activities. He also works closely with USAF and foreign customers on maintaining structural airworthiness of the C-17 aircraft.

Ko-Wei earned his MS degree in Engineering from California State University, Long Beach. He has authored several technical papers as well as engineering reports. Ko-Wei was selected as a Boeing Technical Fellow in 2003. In this capacity, he has been asked to provide engineering support and consultation to other Boeing aircraft programs and has served as member of numerous Independent Review Teams, within and outside of Boeing.

 

View the History of Dr. Jack Lincoln

Mr. Ko-Wei Liu, Technical Lead Engineer on the C-17 Program, Boeing

Year	Lincoln Award Winners
2023	Mr. Chris Maddox
2022	Dr. Lawrence M. Butkus
2021	Dr. Dale L. Ball
2020	Delayed Until 2021
2019	Mr. Ko-Wei Liu
2018	Dr. Robert "Bob" J. Bucci
2017	Mr. Robert J. Burt
2016	Dr. Anders Blom
2015	Mr. Ed Ingram
2014	Mr. Larry Perkins
2013	Dr. Thomas R. Brussat
2012	Mr. James L. Rudd
2011	Mr. Len Reid
2010	Professor Graham Clark
2009	Mr. Robert M. Bader
2008	Dr. Joseph P. Gallagher
2007	Dr. Alan P. Berens
2006	Dr. Ulf G. Goranson
2005	Mr. Charles R. Saff
2004	Mr. Robert Bell
2003	Mr. Ward Rummel
2002	Mr. Royce Forman
2001	Prof. James C. Newman, Jr.
2000	Prof. Alten Grandt, Jr.
1999	Prof. Jaap Schijve
1998	Mr. Thomas Swift
1997	Mr. Charles F. Tiffany
1996	Dr. John W. Lincoln

Year	Manager of the Year Award Winners
2022	Jessie W. Martin
2021	Gregory T. Wood
2020	Delayed Until 2021
2019	Richard B. Tayek
2018	Travis L. Reese
2017	Jon Kimmel
2016	Wirt Garcia
2015	Robert E. Bair
2014	David K. Wilkinson
2013	Darren B. Fritz
2012	Rodney Harberson
2011	Bryce Harris
2010	Paul D. Currie
2009	Michael P. Blinn
2008	Mike Sneed
2007	Mark L. Thomsen
2006	Peter J. Christiansen
2005	J. Alex Gaskin
2004	Alfred A. Clark