Apolonio Ordaz Resume
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Internship · Vandenberg Space Force Base · 2026

Rebuilt a WWII P-40’s propellers, from rust to ready.

The base’s P-40 Warhawk display had lost its propellers to rust. I rebuilt them, from a 3D scan to CNC-machined, steel-reinforced, fiberglass-finished hardware.

Role
Rapid Prototyping & Manufacturing Engineering Intern
Team
TDDEC, U.S. Space Force
Project
Individual
Year
2026
P-40 Warhawk display aircraft mounted outside a building at Vandenberg Space Force Base

The problem

The steel struts inside the propellers had rusted away, and the blades fell off the nose cone.

What I did

Scanned a surviving blade, machined new ones, reinforced them with stainless steel and fiberglass, and rebuilt the nose-cone support.

The result

A stronger, longer-lasting propeller assembly that restores the display’s original look, now heading to paint and reinstallation.

20+shop machines learned
3propeller blades rebuilt
4steps from scan to assembly
1WWII warbird preserved

Before and after

Cross-section of an original propeller blade showing the rusted, deteriorated internal strut
Before The original strut, rusted through.
Inside of the nose cone showing the new stainless-steel support frame and a propeller root
After A new stainless-steel support frame.

How I built it

  1. CAM simulation of the propeller blank on the CNC gantry router
    01

    Scan

    3D-scanned a reference propeller to capture its exact shape for machining.

  2. Foam propeller blade being machined on the CNC gantry router bed
    02

    Machine

    Cut each new blade on a CNC gantry router.

  3. Three fiberglassed propeller blades on stands in a paint booth
    03

    Reinforce

    Embedded stainless-steel rods and wrapped the blades in fiberglass so they last outdoors.

  4. Nose cone test-fit with propellers installed, resting on a stand in the shop
    04

    Assemble

    Fit the blades into the rebuilt nose cone and checked their alignment.

Skills I used

Life at TDDEC

TDDEC is a U.S. Space Force flight that rapidly repairs and builds mission-critical training equipment. Over the internship I learned more than 20 machines across the shop.

The TDDEC team standing in front of the Training Device Design and Engineering Center sign
The TDDEC team.
Two interns assembling a large plywood shipping crate in the shop
Building a shipping crate.
Intern operating the waterjet cutter control station
Running the waterjet.
Engineering details
  • Verified nose-cone and propeller alignment during assembly.
  • Evaluated the propeller support and internal reinforcement.
  • Validated material choices for long-term outdoor exposure.
Close-up of the welded stainless-steel hub plate at the center of the nose cone
Welded hub plate tying the support members together.
CAD model of the propeller and nose-cone assembly with its internal support frame
CAD model of the full assembly.

Next steps: prime and paint, reinstall on the aircraft, and pass a safety inspection.