Aerospace engineering student teams scored 2nd and 4th place wins in the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Design-Build-Fly (DBF) international competition. The undergraduate students achieved their wins by successfully applying all aspects of the competition’s requirements in aerodynamics, propulsion, structures, vehicle design and manufacturing.
The 2008 competition required that teams design an electric-powered, unmanned aircraft system capable of carrying a load of up to 14 partially-filled, half-liter water bottles or four half-size clay bricks, or various combinations of the two, on two flights around a predetermined course. The competition also required a flight without a load that had to complete the course using a minimum number of batteries.
The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics DBF competition is widely considered the premier international aircraft student design competition.
Students on the second place team were: team lead Ivan Kung and key members Jeff Chu, Jason Fortner, Stephan Greening, Vishnu Jyothindran and Daren Wang. Other team members include Tausiq Ahmed, Charlotte Bryan, Joel Chapa, Alex Cheng, Craig Dorsey, William Duong, Akash Gandhi, Charles Gilbreath, Elisa Gravis, Matthew Jones, Jason Lavine, May Ann Li, Garrett Mosely, Tarique Rahman, Krystal Stewart, Paul Wedholm and Nathan Wu.
Students on the fourth place team were: team lead Martyn Hunt and key members Ty Brockhoeft, Brady Lotz and Matias Soto. Other team members include Jeremiah Bracy,Najeh Haq, Joaquin Herrera, Justin Kizer, Michael Skyler Lawson, Seve Rizo Patron, Andrew Pritchard, Andres Perez Segura, Barton Starnes, and David Vargas.
Dr. Bishop and Dr. Chaput were the advisors for these students.
