Starting at Catholic University, Vas earned a bachelor’s in mechanical and aeronautical engineering, and in 1955 received a master’s in that field from Princeton. He worked full time until 1977 at Princeton’s department of mechanical and aerospace engineering, where he did research and taught, rising from research assistant to senior aeronautical engineer and lecturer. Meanwhile, he earned a Ph.D. in 1970 from New York University.
In 1977, Vas left Princeton to join New York State’s Energy and Research Authority. Since 1987 he had been with Boeing Co., working in advanced aeronautics, aerodynamics, and electrodynamics with NASA. He authored more than 100 papers and presentations on supersonic and hypersonic flows, wind energy, and aeronautic fields.
Vas is survived by Manya, his wife of 42 years; two children; and three grandsons.