AEDC Fellow Luther Neal Jr. remembered for his contributions

Photo By Bradley Hicks | Luther Neal Jr. (U.S. Air Force photo)  

ARNOLD AIR FORCE BASE, TENNESSEE, UNITED STATES

03.28.2025

Story by Bradley Hicks 

Arnold Engineering Development Complex

ARNOLD AIR FORCE BASE, Tenn. – AEDC Fellow Luther Neal Jr. will be remembered for his contributions to Arnold Engineering Development Complex following his passing March 21, 2025, at the age of 89.
Neal is credited for his work across the various positions held throughout his more-than-three-decade AEDC career to expand test capabilities within the complex, ensuring value-added support to customers and facilitating work force development and recognition. Neal was honored as an AEDC Fellow in 2001. The AEDC Fellows program, established in 1989, recognizes AEDC personnel who have made substantial and exceptionally distinguished contributions to the nation’s aerospace ground testing capability.
A native of Pickett County, Tennessee, who grew up in the Crossville area, Neal earned his Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from Tennessee Technological University in 1960. He graduated with the highest distinction and, while studying at the university, was recognized for multiple scholastic achievements, including being selected for the “Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities & Colleges,” an honor established in 1934 to recognize the outstanding achievements of university students across the country.
After his graduation, Neal began working for NASA at the Langley Research Center in Virginia. His obituary states that projects he worked on included the Gemini and Apollo space programs, stability and control testing of high-speed vehicles, and hypersonic turbulent boundary layer research.
While working at NASA, Neal earned a Master of Science in aerospace engineering from the University of Virginia in 1965.
The following year, Neal transferred to AEDC to begin his 31-year career at Arnold Air Force Base, headquarters of the complex.
As director of corporate planning for what was then known as Arnold Engineering Development Center, Neal is credited with revamping the center’s planning process by making it more streamlined with an improved focus on shared goals and incorporation of improved implementation procedures.
Neal was instrumental in helping AEDC establish and defend the need for new facilities such as J-6 and Decade.
“He formulated the statement of need for J-6 and its coordination through other Air Force commands,” Neal’s entry on the Arnold AFB AEDC Fellows webpage states. “On Decade, he was the center’s primary advocate for gaining initial validation of the technical need by multiple program offices to endorsement through various Air Force and [Department of Defense] channels to congressional lobbying to final site selection by the Defense Nuclear Agency.”
He chartered and helped steer an early-1980s study by the National Research Council titled “The Influence of Computational Fluid Dynamics on Experimental Aerospace Facilities – A Fifteen Year Projection.” One of the immediate outcomes of this was a commitment by AEDC to acquire its first supercomputer, a Cray-1, which aided in CFD applications.
Neal subsequently took on the role of chief of the aerospace flight dynamics test division. There, he transitioned shelved continuous pitch technology into conventional testing procedures, resulting in a significant gain in force testing productivity.
He also reinstated the Contractor’s Technical Advisory Board at Arnold, a group made up of nationally recognized experts, and oversaw efforts to bring the 16-foot supersonic wind tunnel at Arnold AFB back online after it had been placed on standby for an extended period of time to support critical F-22 Raptor and F/A-18 Hornet testing.
Neal also provided venture capital resources to “basement experimenters” with innovative ideas that were not yet mainstream such as virtual flight testing and sensitive paint technology.
“In the teamwork and customer satisfaction arena, Neal fostered a formal Air Force and Contractor Team Partnering Agreement, met routinely with onsite customer representatives, acquired needed office space for users and promoted establishment of a core test team concept to improve both internal and external communications,” the AEDC Fellows webpage states. “He also provided support to AEDC’s effort to a develop a 20-year alliance with Boeing.”
As acting chief of the Program Planning and Marketing Division, Neal promoted broadening AEDC’s participation in early test planning, and he negotiated a support agreement with the Space and Missile System Organization which covered planning and advisory services to the program office cadre, source selection activities, and testing and analysis of anomalies between actual flight data and AEDC ground test results.
He further helped develop procedures and methodologies for the complex’s entry into operation under various funding modes. Neal worked with Air Force officials on early upfront identification and resolution of administrative and policy issues regarding AEDC support of commercial and foreign customers.
In 1989, Neal negotiated an information exchange agreement with Britain on wind tunnel testing, serving as the U.S. technical project officer. He established a benchmarking effort between the AEDC 16-foot transonic wind tunnel and the Defense Evaluation and Research Agency’s 5-meter low-speed tunnel at Farnborough, England.
“This effort demonstrated that the same model could be utilized in both tunnels and that data produced correlated well,” the AEDC Fellows webpage states.
Neal also served for five years as liaison on a data exchange agreement with Brazil.
As Aerospace Flight Dynamics Test Division chief, Neal increased training budgets and, as chairman of the Incentive Awards Committee, implemented the AEDC Employees of the Year program. While serving as chairman of the Civilian Policy Board, he promoted establishment of critical new functions at AEDC, including the first Information Systems Office and the Facility Acquisition Program Management Office.
Neal became a registered professional engineer in 1968 and served as an instructor in an off-duty capacity to assist fellow engineers in preparing for the written state examination.
He graduated from the Air University Professional Military Comptroller School in 1976.
During his career, Neal held memberships in the American Society of Military Comptrollers, International Test and Evaluation Association, and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.
He also received numerous recognitions and awards. These include Middle Tennessee Professional and Scientific Federal Employee of the Year in 1976, the Air Force Systems Command Certificate of Merit in 1982, the AFSC Outstanding Corporate Planning Office Award in 1983 and the AEDC Operations Directorate Eagle Award for Leadership in 1994.
In 1985, Neal was awarded the Air Force Meritorious Civilian Service Award, one of the highest civilian honors presented by the Air Force.
“His superior management, technical skills and leadership have resulted in major improvements including initiation of a long-range requirements forecast and development of management policies and procedures which have contributed to the successful accomplishment of the Center’s mission,” the award stated.

• Date Taken: 03.28.2025
• Date Posted: 03.31.2025 09:40
• Story ID: 494020
• Location: ARNOLD AIR FORCE BASE, TENNESSEE, US