MAIDO SAARLAS, who is recently retired, has been a professor or chairman of the Aerospace Engineering Department at the United States Naval Academy for the last thirty-eight years. He received his undergraduate and master's degrees at the University of Illinois and his doctorate at the University of Cincinnati. His industrial experience includes work with Bell Aircraft, North American, Douglas Aircraft, and General Electric companies. He is an author or coauthor of two books: "Steam and Gas Turbines for Marine Propulsion" and "An Introduction to Aerospace Propulsion,"