Ross New Head of McDonnell Aircraft Unit
William S. Ross, a former test pilot, was named president of the McDonnell Aircraft division of McDonnell Douglas Corp. on Thursday.
Ross, who was named executive vice president of the division last August, replaces Donald Malvern, who is retiring.
In addition, Irving L. Burrows and John D. Wolf were named executive vice presidents of the division. All three appointments are effective April 28, the company said.
McDonnell Aircraft produces three high-performance combat aircraft at its plant in St. Louis: the F-15 Eagle for the U.S. Air Force, the F/A-18 Hornet for the Navy and Marine Corps and the AV-8B Harrier II for the Marine Corps.
Ross, 60, served as an Air Force fighter and test pilot prior to joining McDonnell Douglas in 1955 as a company test pilot. He headed the company’s flight test and laboratory division from 1960-82 and was vice president and general manager of the F-15 Eagle program from 1982-85.
