RESUME
Jesse Wayne Blenn
Las Tumbas de Pérez Zeledon, Costa Rica
Email: jesseblenn@gmail.com Telephone +506 8372-4113 Cédula 8-0106-0045
Personal Data
Born 6 February 1956, Westmoreland, Kansas USA
Citizenship: USA and Costa Rica
IQ 132 (98th percentile), ACT composite 31 (98th %)
Education
Bachelor´s Degree in Business Administration Management
Graduated Magna Cum Laude in October 2011 Troy University, Troy, Alabama, USA
Biological Sciences one semester as Foreign Student, 1977
Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica, Central America
Spanish, 17 credit hours, 1975 Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas
Employment
April 2015 to present Costa Rica Self-employed
Part time design and fabrication of prototype folding recumbent trike as a practical personal transport, while maintaining and improving exotic fruit farm and waiting on funding results for electric car project (government delays).
Nov 2011 to March 2015 Costa Rica Chief Electric Car Designer
Vice President, Technical Director and Chief Designer for ASPADE S.A. to build innovative electric cars in Costa Rica starting 2014 with financing via Costa Rican government’s Bank for Development (Sistema de Banca para el Desarrollo).
Dec 2007 to present Costa Rica Self-employed
Airship design consultant and owner of exotic fruit and orchid farm in Costa Rica. Estación Experimental Quinta Diamante Ltd. is a private project expanding work with new fruit species, varieties, and hybrids (over 200 species) as well as aquaculture and rural energy solutions. See 1983-87 below.
Recent nonfarm activities include preliminary design of Solar Powered Airship for Solair Quest project
, preliminary design of very large natural gas transport airships for a Brazilian client, and design and promotion of proposed electric cars for Costa Rica.
2007 May to Dec TAG International, Malaysia Airship Design/Fabrication
Chief designer and technician in modifications and restoration of the “Joey” experimental two place (32 meter) helium airship originally built for Cargolifter AG, Germany. This included redesign of major areas to correct shortcomings, and to test major innovations in improved comfort and control.
2005-2006 Full-time student Troy Univesity, Troy, Alabama
2001- 2004 Wing Nuts, Inc., Elba, Alabama Aircraft Restoration
Professional restoration and repair of one to four-seat piston airplanes, WWI replicas to 1970´s, FAA Certified and homebuilt. Design and fabrication of components and repairs using aircraft grade materials and methods, including wood, gas welded steel tubing, aluminum sheet and tubing, fiberglass and resins, aircraft fabric and finishes. Business declined after Sept 11, 2001.
2003 Jan-April The Airship Group, Kuching, Malaysia Airship Designer
Chief designer in design study of 6-seat (45 meter) helium airship for research and tourism. Preliminary design of 22.5 meter half-scale demonstrator.
1998-2000 Dorsey Trailers, Inc., Elba, Alabama Fabrication
Worked second shift in welding/electrical/assembly of truck trailers to allow daytime construction of personal home.
1992-1997 Hydro Power Inc., Elba, Alabama Power Plant Restoration
Main technician in restoration of abandoned hydroelectric power plant (2 MW, built 1916, abandoned 1966) for sale of power to Alabama Electric Cooperative. Total project cost was near $600,000. Work included electrical and hydraulic control systems design, fabrication, and installation; inspection, restoration, and repair of massive concrete dam, canal, and power house building; restoration, repair, and adaptation of hydraulic turbines and generators. Designed, built, and installed ten-ton overhead bridge crane with three phase power supply, jig-built trash straining racks and support structure, and many other building systems. Designed, built, and installed support and insulating structure for 2300 volt to 46,000 volt transformer substation. Many components fabricated using engine lathe, milling machine, wire welder, and motorized torch. Supervised 1-3 workers.
1988-1992 Sure Power, Inc., Jackson, Georgia Maintenance
Worked under Plant Engineer in maintenance and repair of tooling and machinery in 40-employee auto part rebuilding factory, including building a new assembly line, lathe and milling machine operation, welding. Also was second major worker in restoration of owner’s 350 kw hydroelectric power plant (est.1919) in Millersville, North Carolina.
1983-1987 Las Tumbas de Barú, Costa Rica Cocoa and tropical fruit farmer
Bought small abandoned farm in SW Costa Rica and planned and planted a wide variety of tropical fruit and usable plants, including over 1000 cocoa trees as main crop. Introduced new fruits to the area. Installation of 1000-meter gravity flow water system for irrigation. Rewound emergency generator windings, installed home-size hydroelectric power plants and developed new design of hydraulic ram water pump for sale to neighbors.
1978-1982 Kretschmer Products, Manhattan, Kansas Warehouseman
Warehousing, loading, inventory, and ingredient supply to production lines of breakfast cereal factory, including much forklift operation. Saved money to return to Costa Rica.
1977-1978 Allingham Volkswagen, Manhattan, Kansas Auto mechanic
In five months worked up to number two in efficiency in ten-mechanic automobile dealership for Volkswagen, Audi, Mercedes, Porsche, and Mazda cars. Long hours conflicted with marriage.
1975-1977 Worked in Kansas after High School graduation, and used savings for trips to explore Costa Rica, including overland trips through Mexico and Central America. Rural Kansas.
1971-1974 Weekends and summers. Cattle ranch hand.
Airship Design Studies have included
*** Investigation of the feasibility of airship logging of mahogany forests in Costa Rica. (Portico, S. A. 1987).
*** In-depth study of an entry-level advertising airship (3-seat, 36 meter) with minimal operating costs (1995-2000).
*** Preliminary studies of 50-ton cargo capacity (180 meter) cargo airships for Transportadora Comercial Colombiana, South America (2001).
*** Design study for a 150 meter 35,000 cubic meter capacity zero-pressure natural gas transport airship for eastern Bolivia (2004).
*** Redesign and restoration of the Cargolifter AG demonstrator airship “Joey” (2007).
*** Design study for a 10-ton horizontal-rotor-assisted cargo airship for EU (2008).
*** Design study for Solair Quest solar-powered airship (planned competitor to Solar Impulse world circumnavigation, 2009).
*** Design study for very large airships to transport offshore Natural Gas (Brazil 2012).
Besides attending numerous airship conferences, technical papers by Jesse include A New Look at Semi-Rigid Airship Construction, presented at the 1992 LTA Technology Workshop, and The Airship Homebuilder (1993-1995), a bulletin putting airship design into simple understandable language and formulas. He has always believed that airships can become a viable transport means for cargo, passenger, tourism, and scientific missions, especially in developing countries.
Memberships Past or Present:
Asociacion de Tansporte Electrico de Costa Rica (President)
LTA Society
Airship Association
Association of Balloon and Airship Constructors
Naval Airship Association
Society of Automotive Engineers
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
Experimental Aircraft Association
American Orchid Society
Asociación Generaleña de Orquideología
International Students Business Organization (Troy University)
Quickie Airplane Builders Association
Las Tumbas Local Water Board (Treasurer)
“Coopediamante” Sustainable Rural Tourism Pre-Cooperative (Secretary)
Skills:
Published the only modern bulletin of airship design, 1993-5, putting airship design into simple understandable form.
FAA Licensed Airframe Mechanic Certificate No. 3240001
Speak, read, and write fluent Spanish.
Mechanic for small engines, motorcycle, automobile, and small airplanes.
Machinist using lathe, milling machine, shaper, punch presses, shears, etc.
Welding with arc, wire, and acetylene.
Pro Se US Patent experience, two issued as US 6019312 and WO 2005/008042 A1.Computer skills Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Internet, DesignCAD Drafting.
Hobbies
Airship history and design, improved internal combustion engines, tropical nature, ecology, and sustainable agriculture, water and wind power, orchids, small and electric automobile design, small airplane design.
