BASc Aero Eng, MASc
4T1 Engineering Physics
Inducted: 1993
Bernard Etkin’s long career of academic accomplishments, aeronautical research, invention, publication and engineering consulting began immediately after his graduation and continued to revolve around his expanding role in the University’s teaching and governance.
Bernard’s teaching and research encompassed many areas—the development of new equipment, supervision of many graduate students and teaching 30 courses in aeronautics. He assumed the role of Dean of the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering from 1973-1979.
In University governance, Bernard was a member of the Senate and later the Governing Council; he was actively involved in University affairs, including governance and finance and the Association of Teaching Staff.
Among the dozens of projects he worked on, which covered a wide range of areas, he contributed to the design and production of two gliders and most of the Avro and deHavilland aircrafts that were produced during and after the war.
Bernard’s activities and research led to eight patents, three authoritative books and dozens of articles, which confirmed his global pre-eminence in several subjects mostly related to aeronautics. In 1957, he was appointed as a professor at the Institute for Aerospace Studies in Downsview, Ontario.
Achievements
- Pioneering work in aeronautics at the Institute for Aerospace Studies (Downsview, Ontario)
- Significant contributions to aerodynamic theory in supersonic wings, flight dynamics and flight in turbulent wind
- Three books on flight dynamics widely used in English, German, Russian and Chinese editions
- Recognized contributions to space flight in the spin decay of satellites and gravity-gradient stabilization
- Founding Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering (1982)
- Fellow of The Royal Society of Canada (1970), The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (1971) and The Canadian Aeronautics and Space Institute
- Recipient of the Centennial Medal (1967), the McCurdy Award, CASI (1969) and the Thomas Eadie Medal, Royal Society of Canada (1980)