Ben Diachun

Chief Technology Officer
Urban Air Mobility Division, Hyundai Motor Group

 

 

 

 

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Ben Diachun is an aerospace engineer known for creating sustainable, high-growth companies and revolutionary new aircraft. Diachun currently is the chief technology officer at the Hyundai Motor Group’s Urban Air Mobility Division. Prior to joining Hyundai, he served as chief executive officer at Opener, an aerospace startup in the Silicon Valley, and was president at Scaled Composites, an aerospace manufacturing company in Mojave, California, known for creating innovative experimental aircraft.

Diachun’s past projects include the around-the-world non-stop, non-refueled aircraft, Globalflyer; the first commercial manned spaceship, SpaceShipOne, and follow-on SpaceShipTwo; optionally piloted/unmanned air vehicle Firebird demonstrator; high-performance experimental jet Swift; Model 401 advanced research aircraft; the world’s largest composites airplane, Stratolaunch; and BlackFly, an electric personal air vehicle.

He has a Master of Science in Aeronautics and Astronautics from Stanford University and a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue University. He is a commercial pilot with Instrument, Multi-Engine and Seaplane Ratings.