85th SAWE Conference Information
85th International Conference
Welcome to our 2026 International Conference
May 17 - 22, 2026
The Society of Allied Weight Engineers (SAWE) is excited to welcome you to attend our 85th Annual Conference on Mass Properties Engineering which will be held in the Los Angeles, California area at the beautiful Hyatt Regency Valencia. We are looking forward to getting together in-person to share our experiences, learn from each other, improve our skills through training, and create some new memories.
A special shout out to undergraduate students as well! We have opportunities for you to present your work through papers, and presentations. Prizes are available for Best Student Paper, so be sure to get your papers and presentations in ASAP.
Use the buttons below to submit your papers, register for the conference, and view/download the Conference Announcement for all the details of what is in store for you during our in-person event.
Don't miss it!
Conference Announcement
Use the buttons below to find more information regarding the conference. Click on the image to the left to view or download our Conference Announcement which contains details of the conference proceedings. This document will be continuously updated, so be sure to check back often to see the latest information.
President's Message
Jason Booth
SAWE President
The Boeing Company
On behalf of the Society of Allied Weight Engineers I want to extend a cordial invitation to our 85th Annual International Conference being held in-person again in Valencia, California. Our conference planning committee has assembled a great line up of topics and papers for you.
Here is a sample of the many benefits you will receive by joining us:
- Learn about today’s latest technologies, techniques and programs.
- Participate in development and updates of mass properties industry standards.
- Take advantage of training opportunities taught by subject matter experts.
- Meet vendor representatives and get acquainted with products and services essential to our jobs.
- Talk informally with customers, competitors, and suppliers
- Get acquainted with SAWE’s Mass Properties Engineer Certification Program
- Great opportunities to seek mentors for all things mass properties engineering.
- Learn first-hand about the latest SAWE activities and programs.
SAWE’s technical sessions, standards and practices workshops, and forum discussions address the many needs of our members across the military aircraft, commercial aircraft, airline, space, marine, offshore, land vehicles, and allied industries represented by our society.
Mass Properties forms the foundation of innovation in engineering - shaping how we design, build, and optimize complex systems, from aircraft to automobiles and beyond to improve vehicle performance, safety, and efficiency.  At the 85th international conference, we’ll explore how mastering mass properties prediction and control empowers smarter designs and sustainable solutions for the future.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Schedule Overview
The general conference schedule is shown below. Daily training is available from Sunday through Thursday. On Monday, a trip to the California Science Center is available for those who are interested. Monday evening, we have a Welcome Reception to kick off the conference. On Tuesday we have the Opening Session with the keynote address, followed by technical sessions. Wednesday is Standards and Practices Day which includes a guest speaker at the luncheon. Thursday is another day of technical paper presentations with the Silent Auction and Awards Banquet in the evening. Finally, Friday we will visit the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and tour their facilities.
General Conference Schedule
Keynote Speaker
Dr. Michael Buonanno
Air Vehicle Manager/X-59 Quiet Supersonic Technology Program
Lockheed Martin
Dr. Michael Buonanno is the Air Vehicle lead for the X-59 Quiet Supersonic Technology (QueSST) X-plane at Lockheed Martin Skunk Works® in Palmdale, CA. In this role he leads the technical development of the X-plane design currently being developed under contract with NASA. Prior to this role, Mike served as Program Manager for the activities that immediately preceded QueSST: The Low Boom Flight Demonstrator Concept Formulation and Refinement studies, as well as the N+2 Supersonic Validations program.
Dr. Buonanno is a Lockheed Martin Fellow and has 20 years of industry experience as a conceptual design engineer at Skunk Works. In that time, he led or supported a diverse array of aircraft development programs, including small UAVs, solar-powered aircraft, and other programs. Recently, his work has been focused on advancing the technology required to reduce the sonic boom that has been historically associated with supersonic overland flight. He received his bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology, and earned Master of Science and Doctorate degrees in Aerospace Engineering from Georgia Tech.
Technical Papers
We are actively soliciting technical papers for the conference! Authors have already submitted their plans to present their work on a variety of topics. While the abstract deadline has officially past, we are still accepting them and will fit your paper into the proceedings if possible. Don't miss this chance to share your experience with your colleagues! Important deadlines for papers are shown below.
Call for Papers Deadlines
Technical Papers to be Presented
| Paper No. | Title | Author/s | Day & Time (MDT) | Track |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3837 | The Influence of Mass Properties on Key Performance Parameters in Space Technology Development | Amanda Cutright – National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Langley Research Center  | TBA | I |
| 3838 | Career Development with SAWE | Robert Zimmerman – SAWE and Lockheed Martin Corp (Retired) | TBA | I |
| 3839 | The Value of Hands-on Experience – Technical Forum Results | Dirk Petersen – SAWE Vice President Certification  | TBA | I |
| 3840 | The Learjet 85: Historical Evolution, Critical Challenges and Lessons from a Misguided Program | Darrin McCloud - M2 Consulting | TBA | I |
| 3841 | Recommended Practice (RP) Functional Weight Subcodes: Simplified Part Codes for Faster and Easier Early Program Weight Estimation | Roman Aman - Lockheed Martin Corp | TBA | I |
| 3842 | Modernizing SumMassProps | Robert Zimmerman – SAWE and Lockheed Martin Corp (Retired) | TBA | I |
| 3843 | Digital Exposure of Mass Properties Data | Nick Thies - Northrop Grumman Corp | TBA | I |
| 3844 | Unintentional Lateral Imbalance Calculation Methodology for Freighter Aircrafts | Alejandro Fiestras Corcho - Airbus | TBA | I |
| 3845 | The Earned Value Evolution of the Plan to Perform | Patrick Brown - Northrop Grumman Corp | TBA | I |
| 3846 | Vendor Guarantee Weights in Product Development | Douglas Fisher - Collins Aerospace | TBA | I |
| 3847 | Selecting the Best Structural Material for a Home-Base Drone: Balancing Weight, Strength, Cost, and Manufacturability | Luis Lopez - Gulfstream Aerospace Corp | TBA | I |
| 3848 | Mass Properties Considerations for Modular Radiators of Nuclear Electric Propulsion Vehicles | Will Grier and Amanda Stark - National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Langley Research Center | TBA | I |
| 3849 | Actual Weight Data Maturity | Manuel Hernandez – Northrop Grumman Corp | TBA | I |
| 3850 | Is Mass Properties the Same Everywhere? | Richard Manning - The Boeing Company | TBA | I |
| 3851 | Roll and Horizontal Axis Moment of Inertia (MOI) Measurements Using a Gravity Pendulum | James Blair – Raptor Scientific | TBA | I |
Technical Forum
"Mass Properties and Performance of Electrical Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) Aircraft Vehicles"
Moderators: Mark Beyer, Beyer Flight Sciences & Amanda Cutright, SAWE VP – Technical, NASA Langley
At this year’s interactive Technical Forum during the SAWE 85th International Conference, a panel of experts from multiple organizations will discuss their experience with electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) vehicles and the critical role of mass properties.
The SAWE Technical Committee welcomes participation from OEMs, suppliers, researchers, engineers, operators, regulators, students, and others. Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) is accelerating the shift toward on‑demand, distributed, lower‑emission air transport, bringing new mass properties challenges across the entire lifecycle—from concept and sizing through certification and operations.
The forum will begin with brief remarks from each panelist, followed by an interactive discussion where audience members can ask questions or share their own perspectives. We encourage you to engage with the panel and contribute your work related to mass properties and eVTOL performance.
We look forward to connecting with a cross‑disciplinary audience involved in eVTOL mass properties, including weights engineering, loads and dynamics, aero/propulsion, structures, systems safety, certification, manufacturing, and operations
Training
The following training courses will be offered at the conference:
Click the button below to learn more about these courses and all of the courses offered by SAWE.
Standards and Practices Day
Join us as we work together to develop and update our standards and recommended practices. The day will open with some remarks by our Vice President - Standards and Practices, followed by a workshop to help us continue to develop our Certified Mass Properties Engineer program. We will then divide up into separate industry breakout sessions to discuss the current standards that are in-work, and plan future activities.
Mike Galvin
Structures Engineering Manager
JetZero
A special luncheon at midday will feature Mike Galvin from JetZero who will discuss innovations in blended wing body aircraft design which promises up to 50% lower fuel burn and carbon emissions compared to existing commercial airliners.
At the end of the day, we will rejoin the main meeting for a summary from each group.
It is important for everyone to be involved in shaping the standards we deliver to the world, so don't miss your opportunity to have a say in the results. You will be glad you did!
Click on the button below to view or download the latest status of our standards and practices documents.
Sponsor Information
The table below lists opportunities that are available for sponsorship at the conference.
Use this link to discover: Why should I become a SAWE Conference Sponsor?
Conference Sponsorship Benefits
Student Information
CALLING ALL STUDENTS!
The SAWE organization is invested in encouraging and mentoring the next generation of mass properties engineers. We are excited to host our student attendees with either free registration for student presenters, or reduced cost for non-presenting student attendees. Registration for the conference includes our Welcome Reception, admittance to all paper sessions, our Standards and Practices Luncheon, and the Awards Banquet at the conclusion of the conference. In addition, our students are invited to attend some special events designed just for them.
Present your work through papers and presentations. Prizes are available for Best Student Paper, so be sure to get your abstracts in ASAP.
Click on the image to the left for more information or use the buttons below to download the invitation or to submit an abstract for your paper or your completed paper.
Guest Events
Once again, SAWE welcomes attendees and guests for some exciting extracurricular events including the following excursions:
- Samuel Oschin Air and Space Museum featuring Space Shuttle Endeavour
- Warner Brothers Tour and Griffith Observatory
- MB2 Entertainment Fun Center
- Vasquez Rocks and Wine Tasting
- Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) Tour
Space is limited, so be sure to register and make your selections as early as possible to ensure you don't miss out.
Click on the image to the left or the button below for more information.
Silent Auction
SAWE invites all attendees to participate in our annual silent auction to benefit our SAWE Scholarship Fund. This event is always memorable and fun for everyone. If you have any items that you feel would be of interest to your colleagues and our guests, please consider bringing them to the conference registration table when you check in. Typical items include:
- Ball caps or shirts with company, project, or interesting logos.
- Books on mass properties, aircraft, ships, or other vehicles.
- Framed images of historical or newly designed vehicles.
- Handcrafted items.
- Food baskets or liquor from either the conference area or attendee country of origin (remember customs rules).
- Vendors items brought to the conference (example, Stanley Vidmar Cabinet).
- Etc.
The items will be laid out on tables during the social hour preceding the Awards Banquet on Thursday evening, with bidding sheets adjacent to each item. Anyone can enter a bid, and many conference attendees enjoy entering a bidding war. The bidding will end at the close of the cocktail hour prior to the Awards Banquet, and the names of successful bidders will be announced at the Awards Banquet. Payment must be made at the conclusion of the banquet either in cash, check or credit card.
Click on the buttons below for more information regarding our Scholarship Program, or to make a cash donation to the program in lieu of bringing an auction item. Thanks very much for your support!
Sponsors
Silver Partners
