Phillip J. Stevens - Variable Area Nozzle

Phillip J. Stevens holds several patents for innovative concepts in weaponry. He directed the Minuteman III Weapon System at TRW, Inc., and founded Ultrasystems, Inc., a high-technology business enterprise. A former director of the United Indian Development Association, he received multiple awards for leadership, innovation, and support of the Native American people. Phillip J. Stevens with co-inventor, Larry E. Hughes, invented a new nozzle to control delivery of propellants from rocket motors. The new variable area throat nozzle was simple in construction, light in weight, efficient in operation, and relatively inexpensive to manufacture.