Kathiresan Sundarappan

With 30+ years in the Aerospace sector, I have built a distinguished career with leading organisations like DRDO, CAE, Moog, and Honeywell, specialising in flight simulation, control systems, avionics, and environmental control systems. My transition to independent consulting is driven by a passion for sharing expertise in the following areas and empowering innovation. • Skilled in defining precise system requirements and designing advanced digital controller systems. • Expert in developing aerospace mechanical components—valves, pumps, actuators. • Proven ability in building and managing test rigs for components, aircraft systems, and HILS. • Experienced in training engineers at all levels for complex, innovative projects. • Strong collaborator with Indian public sectors and R&D labs to create new business opportunities. • My recent interest in quantum computing has led me to actively share knowledge via YouTube and lectures for students, faculty, and engineers. Major Freelancing Highlights: • Delivered quantum computing lectures to corporates and institutes in India and abroad. Produced 50+ YouTube videos/shorts on quantum computing. • Collaborated with Indo-French teams to resolve manufacturing and reliability issues for crystal oscillators. • Reviewed technical projects for DRDO and the Ministry of Heavy Industries. • Delivered actionable insights in aerospace on market trends, market sizing, risk factors, and emerging opportunities to global investors, supporting informed investment decisions. • Trained Indo-German engineers in design, developing & implementing PLC-based hydraulic control software. • Supported an Indian MNC in preparing proposals for actuator testing for a top global aircraft manufacturer. • Assisted in drafting and executing a GoI-sponsored Quantum Cryptanalysis proposal. • Deveoloping Mobile apps for diferent applications

Developed models/ algorithms for health monitoring of engine LRUs and APU. Enabled development of connected systems by adding non-intrusive sensors, energy harvesters and wireless data transmitters for solenoids, valves, brake system and starting system. Enabled regional business opportunities with government enterprises and R&D organisations. Assisted setting up of test rigs and testing of fuel nozzles, developing requirements for a smart air data probe for a military application, developing a geared stepper motor, etc.) As a Technical Forum domain leader and Innovation focal, enabled paper presentation, organised techshares, encouraged/ assisted team members for generating a lot of growth ideas, helped the team members to develop the ideas and to mature into NPI/ RMU. Given many techshare sessions on gas turbine engines, hydraulics & pneumatics, AI/ML for mechanical engineers and Quantum Computing Guided a team of engineers to come out with POC hardware of ventilator (meeting all the minimum requirements) within a short period.

Mentoring young engineers and building competency on aircraft system modeling and simulation. Developing armored vehicle simulator. Aircraft simulator for Indian armed forces. Involved in developing aircraft system (hydraulics, ECS, Oxygen, fuel, brakes) models for flight simulators of many BGA/ ATA aircrafts and helicopter.

Achieved organizational growth (in terms of turn over and site development) as a member of management committee. Moved the complete ownership of building test systems from US/ UK sites to Bangalore. Established a center of excellence for building test systems and exporting systems across globe. Built a system engineering group for modeling, simulation and controller tuning for tandem hydraulic and mechanical actuation systems (UUT and load). Enabled qualification testing of actuators at Bangalore by developing processes and offering training. Assisted in setting up facilities and conduction of qualification tests for Primary and Secondary (High Lift) flight control actuators.

Development of fuel and variable actuation systems of gas turbine engines (includes requirement capture, design, development, vendor (global & local) interaction, testing, qualification and integration. Developed control laws for aero and marine engines for the first time in the country for which received the team award from Dr. Abdul Kalam (when he was DG, DRDO). Established state of the art hardware in loop simulation facility for testing engine control system apart from setting up of test rigs for fuel (main and afterburner) control system and actuation system. Specialized in modeling and simulation of continuous systems and developed a strong team. Actively involved as an Engine Manager for defining objectives of each engine build, interacting with all the groups including manufacturing and quality for building gas turbine engine, testing and analysis of test results.

M.Tech. in Precision Engineering & Instrumentation

B.E. (Mech)