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From a nine-meter long
watergun to a one-man
flying machine, AD6D
is creating inventions
that would give any
mad scientist a run for
his money.

Special to The Jewish News

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Dr. Frankenstein
Meets James Bond

NICKY BLACKBURN

CERTIFICATE OF DEPOSIT

RE PUBLIC

Business

F

rom the moment you walk
into the offices of AD&D,
Aero-Design &
Development, you know it
isn't your usual high-tech office.
For starters, there are uneven patch-
es of artificial grass over the carpet at
the entrance. A further look around
reveals scale models of helicopters and
boats, propellers made of revolution-
ary new materials, the wing of a solar-
powered aircraft hanging by an elastic
band from the wall, and the odd
Kinder toy or two on staff shelves.
In fact this office, in the Weizmann
Science Park in Rehovot, seems more
like a grown-up play room than a tra-
ditional office. Don't be fooled, how-
ever. These inventions may look like
sophisticated toys, but there's nothing
childish about them.
Over the past 15 years, engineering
firm AD&D has created a string of
cutting-edge developments in the
aeronautical- and marine-design field
for both the military and civilian mar-
kets. It is the only company of its kind
in Israel, and one of only a handful in
the world. Projects developed here
employ the most advanced technology
and materials. There are moments
when you expect James Bond to walk
in with Q, to try them on for size.
AD&D was founded in 1983 by
Dr. Rafi Yoeli, who now owns the pri-
vate company with partner Israel
Gutterman.
While Yoeli isn't keen to discuss fig-
ures, or indeed the source of much of
his funding, he admits that AD&D,
with a staff of 20, is a profitable com-
pany that has a turnover of about $2
million a year. Yoeli, an aeronautical
engineer, decided to open AD&D
after studying for his Ph.D. in artifi-
cial intelligence at the Technion
University in Haifa. During this peri-
od, he worked as a consultant for
Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI), as well
as Boeing in Seattle. With the remu-

neration he received from LAI, he
opened a small office in the
Weizmann Science Park. Gradually he
built up profits, which he ploughed
back into R&D, taking on more staff
as the work increased. For the first six
years he ran AD&D alone. In 1989,
Gutterman joined him when the Lavi
Project, on which he had been work-
ing, was canceled.
AD&D provides clients with full
product development capability, from
feasibility studies to full-scale working
prototypes. "It's a bit like creating
Frankenstein," says Yoeli. "We take a
blank piece of paper and inscribe the
first lines of a new machine, device or
vehicle. Then we design and simulate
it on a computer. Then we build a
model," he explains.
"This is the ultimate job for any
engineer and is rare today. The payoff
in personal gratification is enormous.
That's why this can easily turn into
an obsession," he says.
Sometimes the company is
approached by a client who needs a
new product to solve a problem or
check out the feasibility of an idea.
Other times, the company develops its
own ideas either with in-house money
or funding from other sources, such as
private business, the military or the
government.
AD&D specializes in a number of
areas: aeronautical design, mechanical
and naval engineering, and high-speed
propellers. Over the years, however, it
has increasingly focused on helicopters
and vertical flight, partly by chance
and partly because of Yoeli's love of
flying.
Not only does Yoeli often wing his
way to work in the company heli-
copter, but in his spare time he can be
found paragliding, hang gliding, flying
ultralights, and tinkering with radio-
controlled model airplanes. "Aviation
is [also] an obsession," he admits.
While Yoeli is not at liberty to talk
about his military innovations, he is
keen to talk about the company's civil-
ian successes. These include a low-cost
unmanned marine vehicle called
Stingray which AD&D developed on
its own initiative. The vehicle, which
uses satellite communication, can be
used for a variety of hazardous duties
such as clearing mine fields or envi-
ronmental pollution. It can also serve
as a communications relay or decoy
for search and rescue and surveillance
work.
Another successful project was car-
ried out for Israeli helicopter company
Chimnir, which approached AD&D