About Us

Who We Are

Experience in Multiple Fields

Craig Heathco has over 45 years of experience in the gas turbine industry. He has been active in the design, certification, installation, and field support of gas turbine engines used in aviation, industrial, marine and vehicular markets. Mr. Heathco has successfully taken a broad range of commercial and military programs from the initial concept through the development and certification process culminating in flight test, volume production, and in-service support.

Significant Background in Engineering

Mr. Heathco has previously served as the Chief Design Engineer for the Rolls-Royce Model 250 engine product line. He supported the certification and application development for various Model C28, C30 C20, and B17 engines. Mr. Heathco was also the Chief Design Engineer for the LHTEC T800 program, which designed and certified the T800 engine. He then became the Chief Engineer for the Allison Mobile Power Systems group responsible for developing several gas turbine-based Auxiliary Power Units (APUs) and turbogenerators, ultimately qualifying a small turbine APU for use in the M1 Abrams tank.

Mr. Heathco moved to Director of Engineering for Rolls-Royce Energy and Marine programs. He oversaw the development, production, and field support for various industrial and marine engine platforms. Mr. Heathco then joined Rolls-Royce North American Technologies Inc. as the Chief Engineer for High Mach Engine Programs, which developed gas turbines for supersonic applications, demonstrating Mach 3+ capability.

Mr. Heathco then became the System Design Specialists for the Rolls-Royce Future Programs Group, responsible for developing advanced propulsion system concepts for new commercial and military applications.

After retiring from Rolls-Royce in 2014, Mr. Heathco formed New Centerline Design LLC, a company dedicated to future propulsion technologies and systems, such as modified Brayton cycle engines and Hybrid-Electric systems, delivering step changes in fuel efficiency for next-generation aircraft.

Industry Achievements and Certifications

Mr. Heathco holds a BSME from Kettering University and a PE license in the state of Indiana. He is a long-standing member of the American Helicopter Society and is currently a NASA Transformative Vertical Flight working group partner. Mr. Heathco has authored and presented several professional papers on gas turbine engines and applications and has been awarded or has pending ten gas turbine and turbine-hybrid-based technology patents.