Special Projects

Cortland Steck’s engineering expertise and innovative thinking has led him to be involved in a wide variety of unique projects. These have included the design and construction of the Goodyear Blimp’s gondola, the Disney World monorail car bodies, simulator cabins that served as amusement rides for Busch Gardens, and an offshore oil rig sailing system for self-elevating offshore oil rigs.

Goodyear Airship Passenger Car

Contracted as head project design engineer Cortland Steck played instrumental role in the design, engineering, and fabrication of an all-composite passenger gondola for the newest Goodyear GZ-22 blimp. The structure was designed and fabricated of epoxy impregnated Kevlar and carbon fibers over a honeycomb core, vacuum bagged, and oven cured, having a total composite with of 300 pounds.

Disney World Monorail

As head project design engineer Cortland Steck oversaw the design, engineering, and fabrication of 72 all composite car bodies for the monorail at Walt Disney World, Orlando, Florida. The 28′ advanced composite car bodies were designed and fabricated of fiberglass pre-impregnated with epoxy and phenolic resins over a honeycomb core, vacuum bagged, and oven or autoclave cured in fiberglass/epoxy molds. Extensive use of these materials for the car body structure enabled weight reductions in excess of 40% relative to conventional aluminum construction without diminishing the structural performance of the car body.

Busch Gardens Simulator

As head project design engineer, Cortland Steck designed, engineered, and directed the fabrication and installation of four light weight aluminum and composite paneled simulator cabins, each capable of housing 59 people, for Reflectone Inc. Of Tampa, Florida. The cabins were installed as amusement rides at Busch Gardens in Tampa, Florida and in Williamsburg, Virginia. Each cabin was prefabricated, transported, and assembled on site.

Offshore Oil Rig Sailing System

Contracted by Rowan Companies International, Houston, Texas, Cortland Steck designed, engineer, and oversee the fabrication and installation of a sailing system for Self-Elevating Offshore Oil Drilling Rigs. The system consisted of twin roller furling aluminum jackstays with hydraulic tensioning cylinders each capable of withstanding 100 tons tensile load. The system was designed to steady towable exploratory oilrigs and to increase towing speeds by using tow 6,750 sq. Ft. sails each being 180 feet on the luff and 75 feet on the foot.