Robert James Pegg Jr.

Robert “Bob” James Pegg, of Williamsburg Virginia, passed away on October 11, 2023. Born in Philadelphia, PA on June 10, 1937, Bob attended Girard College and Georgia Tech graduating with a Bachelor of Aeronautical Engineering. He then went on to obtain a Master of Aeronautical Engineering at the University of VA.

Bob worked at NASA as an aeronautical/aerospace engineer for 46 years. He was the flight test project engineer on the Vertol VZ-2 tilt-wing research aircraft, a modified OH-4 helicopter investigating the effect of wings on flying qualities and noise, he worked on the hypersonic NASP X-30 program in the area of subsystems, and developed a hypersonic aircraft vehicle sizing code. He has also been the project leader at NASA Langley on the development of the pulse detonation engine. After retiring, Bob focused on his own company, Performance Aviation Manufacturing Group (PAM Group). The idea of truly personal flight was his lifelong dream. Bob was the official designer of the PAM 100B Individual Lifting Vehicle affectionately known as the “flying platform” and was instrumental in assisting the expansion of the flight envelope and in obtaining an FAA exhibition airworthiness certificate for this vehicle. In the later years, Bob was focused on Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (drones). He developed several devices such as payload drop systems, servo actuated grapple systems, PA systems, and other accessories used by public safety drone programs from around the country. He designed, built and/or collaborated on many manned and unmanned aerial vehicles for commercial and governmental use. His most current project was developing a prototype drone that would eventually lead to one big enough to be a single person aerial vehicle (picture a flying go-cart). During his 65 years in the aeronautical/aerospace field, he won many awards, has published over 60 articles in various technical journals and has three patents.

Bob had other professional affiliations and projects to include serving as the president of the Solar American Co. Inc., the first company in the Tidewater area of Virginia to start experimenting with solar heated homes and water heaters. He was also the president of Custom Medical Devices, Inc., developing specialized tools used by plastic surgeons, one of which is patented and is still being used today.

Bob is preceded in death by his father Robert Pegg and mother Eva Pegg. He is survived by his wife, Cynthia Sadler Pegg; children, Lisa Scroggin (Chris), Julie Wobig (Todd), David Pegg, Robert Pegg (Kristen), Chris Sadler (Yvonne), and Kevin Sadler (Barbara); 14 grandchildren; and 4 great grandchildren.

Visitation will be held on Sunday, October 22, 2023 at Nelsen Funeral Home, 3785 Strawberry Plains Rd., WIlliamsburg, VA from 3:00pm to 5:00pm.

Bob was a true dog lover, his favorite being the Weimaraner. He had several of them over the years and supported various Weimaraner rescue groups so that they could care for and rehome these great human companions. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Tarheel Weimaraner Rescue, 203 Beach Mountain Road, Dripping Springs, TX 78620.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.NelsenWilliamsburg.com for the Pegg family.