Phyllis Bolds facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Phyllis Bolds
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Phyllis Bolds in 2017 upon receiving plaque at Dunbar High School
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| Born |
Phyllis Gaynell Allen
January 16, 1932 |
| Died | November 9, 2018 (aged 86) |
| Alma mater | Central State College University of Dayton Simmons University |
| Employer | United States Air Force Wright-Patterson Air Force Base |
Phyllis Gaynell Bolds (born Phyllis Allen; January 16, 1932 – November 9, 2018) was an amazing American physicist. She worked for the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Her important work helped make airplanes safer and better.
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Early Life and Education
Phyllis Bolds was born on January 16, 1932. She was the ninth of ten children in her family. She grew up in Dayton, Ohio.
Phyllis was a very bright student. In 1947-48, she won an award for her Spanish studies. She graduated from Dunbar High School in 1950. She was the best student in her class, known as the valedictorian.
She then went to Central State College. She studied physics there and graduated in 1954. She earned her degree with high honors. Often, she was the only woman in her physics classes.
After college, she started working for the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. The Air Force even helped her get two master's degrees. One was in computer science from the University of Dayton. The other was in management from Simmons University.
Her Career and Research
Phyllis Bolds began her career as a physicist in 1955. She worked at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. She first worked with radar technology.
In 1957, she moved to the Flight Dynamics Laboratory. Here, she studied how aircraft behave during flight. She looked at things like vibrations and noise.
Understanding Aircraft Vibrations
One big challenge for aircraft designers was knowing about vibrations. These vibrations happen when planes fly. Phyllis helped lead a project from 1966 to 1968. This project aimed to predict vibrations in new aircraft. They used information from older planes to do this.
Phyllis collected vibration data from many aircraft. These included the Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit, McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle, and Douglas C-133 Cargomaster. She used special test flights to gather this information.
Because so much data was collected, they used special tools. These included spectrum analyzers and minicomputers. Her work helped find ways to fix problems. These problems were caused by strong vibrations and noise. This was especially true when high-performance aircraft flew with their weapon bay doors open.
Improving Helicopter Safety
Phyllis also worked on helicopter vibrations. Her research showed that a common test curve for helicopters was not good enough. This curve was called "Helicopter Vibration Test Curve M." Her findings helped prevent equipment failures in the field.
In 1970, Phyllis attended a big meeting. It was at the United States Air Force Academy. She was the only woman among 350 delegates. She regularly published reports about her findings.
In 1979, she received an award. It was the Air Force Systems Command Certificate of Merit. This award recognized her important work.
A "Hidden Figure" at the Air Force
Phyllis Bolds worked for the United States Air Force for over 30 years. For 15 of those years, she worked on the Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit "stealth" bomber. The Wright-Patterson Air Force Base celebrated her as a Hidden Figure. This term refers to brilliant but often overlooked scientists.
The Air Force gave her another award for her 30 years of service. They said her work greatly improved the B-2 Spirit bomber.
In 2017, she was honored by her old high school. She was added to the Dunbar High School Wall of Fame.
Phyllis Bolds passed away on November 9, 2018. In 2019, she was honored in an exhibit called "Dayton Skyscrapers." This exhibit celebrated important people from Dayton.
Personal Life
Phyllis Bolds met her husband, Elmer Graham Bolds, at Central State University. Her family followed in her footsteps. Her daughter, Karen Beason, and son, Keith Bolds, both worked for the United States Air Force. Her granddaughter, Adrienne Ephrem, also studied engineering. She works in a special Air Force unit that focuses on human performance.
Phyllis had a stroke when she was in her early 40s. But she bravely continued her important work.
