Show-Me State Times

Saint Louis University's Aerodynamic Design Team is preparing to participate in the upcoming 2024-25 Design/Build/Fly Competition in Tucson, Arizona. The event, overseen by the AIAA Applied Aerodynamics, Aircraft Design, Design Engineering, and Flight Test Technical Committees, was established in 1996. It provides university students the chance to gain practical aircraft design experience by allowing them to put their analytical studies into practice.

Participants are required to present designs that balance flight handling qualities with high vehicle performance while maintaining affordability.

Last year's initial idea emerged when a group of SSE students aimed to enter their senior design project into the 2024 competition. Although their design was not selected, the challenge attracted the interest of several classmates, leading to the formation of the Aerodynamic Design Team to target the 2025 contest.

The team, consisting of Joshua Nguyen, Emily Rollins, Jessica Rutherford, Caroline Hunt, Michael (Tan) Ho, Yoa Peralta, Lydia Backer, Ava Alton, Cameron Kernaghan, Ikran Ali, Peter Mwaura, Nomin Erdenebileg, Russel Hymel, Ahron Bloom, Danielle Rogers, and Jacob Plonka, is advised by Susheel Singh, Ph.D., an assistant professor of aerospace and mechanical engineering.

Since August, the team has been preparing diligently, submitting its initial proposal in October. By the end of the year, their proposal got accepted, followed by a final report submission deadline in February, alongside proof-of-concept for their plane.

The unmanned, electric-powered aircraft boasts a six-foot wingspan and a top airspeed of 85 miles per hour. Competiting in four judged events, the team hopes to achieve the best scores.

Beginning on Thursday, April 10, and concluding on Sunday, April 13, the national competition will evaluate the entries over multiple days. Supporting their endeavor, SLU’s Intelligence Community Center of Academic Excellence (IC-CAE) is financing the travel expenses, while the Student Government Association (SGA) and the School of Science and Engineering have funded the manufacturing costs and shipment of the aircraft to Arizona.