We lost Kip Dec. 7, 2013, in San Francisco.
Kip was born in Denver and grew up in Amarillo, Texas, where he met his future bride, Susan Ann Slater. They both graduated from Amarillo High School and, when Kip graduated from Princeton, they were married.
At Princeton, Kip majored in aeronautical engineering, belonged to the Flying Club, and wrote for the Princeton Engineer. He worked at Forrestal Research Center’s Helicopter Laboratory, and dined at Dial Lodge.
Kip remained at Princeton following graduation, earning a master’s degree in aeronautical engineering. He joined Bell Helicopter for research on tilt-rotor aircraft, a field in which he secured several patents and where he became chief engineer of Bell’s tilt-rotor project, the XV-15, overseeing its design, fabrication, and first flight.
In 1977, Kip moved on to NASA’s Ames Research Center, serving in several high-level positions in the Rotorcraft Aerodynamics Branch. He retired in 1997. In 2003 the XV-15 was installed in the Smithsonian’s Air and Space Museum, with Kip as an invited guest.
Kip enjoyed photography, studying the stock market, and travel. He is survived by his wife, Susan; children Christopher, Michael, and Laura; and several grandchildren. We have sent condolences.