UC Aerocats compete in international design competition

"Soon after launch, the wings started to snap left and right. Santiago somehow was able to use the snapping to make the first turn, taking the turn at almost a full 90 degree bank. Along the backstretch of the course, the plane was still see-sawing and looked as if it could drop out of the sky. Santiago maintained enough control to complete the second turn in similar fashion to level out the plane long enough on the front stretch to make a smooth landing. The crowd cheered and I gave him a big hug and shook him around a bit,” Gapinski proudly reported.

The flight portion of the competition generates the most buzz, but the teams have to develop fully-functional design packages for the judges. To highlight the importance of communication skills in the engineering field, teams are required to write an extensive design report and give an oral presentation in addition to completing the flight challenges.

The competition is the culmination of the senior aerospace engineering capstone course and also a student organization. The Aerocats capstone integrates SAE’s design challenge so that students can compress a typical aircraft development program into one calendar year, offering the opportunity to develop a project from conception to demonstration. Throughout fall and winter, the Aerocats plan and test aircraft designs to fit specs designated for each challenge.

Students who are interested in Aerocats or the aerospace engineering program are invited to contact Mark Fellows in the department of aerospace engineering.