The Redbird Matrix was founded by Fred F. Kirk.  Fred’s computer experience dates to the days of the IBM 1620, IBM 1401, and the Control Data Corporation CDC6600 (1960s and 70s).  He holds a B.S. and M.S. in Electrical Engineering.  His technical career spans twenty years in the U.S. Air Force and eleven years as an instructor at a local community college.

Fred’s Air Force career in the engineering field included six years in the Air Force’s space program at Cape Canaveral, Florida, five years in the biggest computer test program ever undertaken by the Air Force, and three years as a manager of several space-related programs at the Pentagon.

At Cape Canaveral he worked with the Titan IIIC and Titan/Centaur space launch vehicles as a guidance and flight controls engineer and, eventually, as a launch controller.  He was involved in the space launches of spy satellites, communications satellites, the Viking missions to Mars, and the Voyager missions to the outer solar-system planets.

Following the Cape Canaveral duty, Fred was assigned to the Air Force’s Phase IV program.  This program was charged with the replacement of all base-level computer systems at every Air Force base and installation throughout the world.  A base-level system -- one or two main-frame central computers and up to a hundred or more terminal sites -- handles all the “housekeeping” functions associated with a base; e.g., aircraft maintenance, personnel, accounting and finance, supply, etc.  Fred was a Test Director during the multi-year “compute-off” between two major computer companies and the initial phases of the test program following the selection of the winning contractor.

Fred’s program management duties at the Pentagon related to operational space communications programs and several research and development programs designed to advance the state-of-the-art of space communications technologies.

Following his Air Force retirement, Fred taught Electronics Engineering Technology courses for eleven years as a full-time faculty member of a local community college.  His courses included circuit theory, solid-state electronics, digital logic fundamentals, microprocessors, and telecommunications fundamentals.

Fred retired from his teaching duties in 1999 and has “messed “ with personal computers ever since.  He has kept himself current in both the hardware and software areas.  A while back one of his friends, who had never owned a computer, wanted to buy one and asked Fred to advise him on his purchase.  Fred said, “I'd like to try my hand at building one.  Let me build it for you.”  Fred enjoyed the experience so much -- both the research required to ensure component compatibility, reliability, and balance, and the assembly and testing of the final product -- that he went on to build himself a new computer. This led to custom building for several other friends and relatives.  This, in turn, led to The Redbird Matrix and this web site.  Fred is assisted in his work -- or he would say “fun” -- by his oldest son, Lee.