Walter Bastedo Jr. ’45 *47

Walter died Apr. 6, 1998, of a heart attack at home in Hendersonville, N.C. He was 75. He was born and schooled in Princeton. He graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa as an aeronautical engineer in the wartime accelerated program.

Upon graduation, Walter worked for the Natl. Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, which became NASA, as a member of the Army Air Corps Enlisted Reserve Corps. He was sent to Langley Field, Va., to test early experimental jet aircraft models in wind tunnels, including supersonic versions. He was among the first American engineers to review the Nazi German test results with sweptback wings. Upon discharge, Walter returned to Princeton to earn his master's in aeronautical engineering in 1947.

Walter then joined Grumman Aircraft on Long Island, N.Y., as a supersonic aerodynamicist. In 1951 he helped set up a small helicopter company, Gyrodyne Co. of America, which produced remotecontrolled ASW helicopters for the Navy. Walter remained with Gyrodyne for 22 years, becoming its chief aerodynamicist, and patented three inventions for coaxial helicopter control. He later returned to work at Grumman until retiring to North Carolina in 1985.

Walter is survived by wife Barbara and three children, Wayne '70, Ralph '75, and Christine Brunner, and a granddaughter, Sarah Bastedo Brunner. The class extends its deep sympathy to the family.

The Class of 1945