52 BOEING FRONTIERS Photo: John Roundhill, left, worked closely with famous Boeing engineer Joe Sutter on the 747. COURTESY OF JOHN ROUNDHILL to look for folks like him.” For all the inroads made on his watch, Roundhill dealt pragmatically with the projects that didn’t get off the ground. He was heavily involved in the Sonic Cruiser, an airplane that was never built. When pressed whether they preferred something 20 percent faster or 20 percent more efficient, airlines chose the latter, which led to the development of the 787 Dreamliner. “I learned that until you agree on what the plane is, you don’t have a plane,” Roundhill said. “You’re emotionally disappointed, but there were reasons it didn’t happen. You start working on the next one.” He retired from Boeing in 2002, which was somewhat of a misnomer. He was gone only six months when Boeing leadership asked him to return as a consultant. It’s another way for the company to pass its engineering knowledge from one generation to the next, something Sutter and others had done after formally retiring. It also was an effective manner to solve a pressing issue with broader resources in play. Roundhill has provided input for the 737 and 787 programs. He’s been asked to weigh in on issues facing some of the newer jets. He’s quick to point out that he’s strictly an adviser, not a boss. “We’re not in charge again,” Roundhill said. “It’s not like we come in and say how to do it. What we do is review the plan and we ask, ‘Have you thought about doing it this way?’” n DANIEL.W.RALEY@BOEING.COM
Frontiers November 2015 Issue
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