Engineering Students Take 2nd Place in International Aero Design Competition
After four years of placing in the top 15, Boise State engineering students
are celebrating a second place overall win in the 2009 SAE Aero Design West competition
held in Van Nuys, Calif., March 6-8. The international competition featured 54
teams from all over the world, and Boise State came second only to Kansas State
University in designing, building and flying a remotely piloted aircraft capable
of carrying maximum pay load while meeting competition specifications. The distinction
earned the 8-student team $750 in prize money, which will help build a base for
future contest submissions.
Teams were tested separately on communication skills through a technical design report and oral presentation, and Boise State took the top prize in this category. The double-victory validated nearly eight months and countless hours of work on design and construction of an aircraft “superbly suited for its intended mission.” Judges, other teams, even professional aircraft builders were impressed with the quality of construction and performance of the Boise State airplanes, according to co-captain Landon Nye, an undergraduate majoring in mechanical engineering.
“Spectators and judges also commented on the good sportsmanship and positive attitude of the Boise State team towards competitors,” Nye said.
Advised by Don Plumlee, an assistant professor of mechanical and biomedical engineering, the team also included Matt McCrink, Cody Blevins, Mark McNew, Joe Fouts and Eugene Castro from the Department of Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering and Rebecca Ahern and Alex Miller from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering.
“This competition provides an exceptionally valuable learning tool for students, as it allows for the development of real world engineering and project management skills in addition to reinforcing classroom concepts,” said James Ferguson, chair of the Department of Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering.
“With interested students and support from the College of Engineering, the Aero Design team will continue to represent Boise State well,” added Nye.
SAE International is the premier membership society dedicated to advancing mobility engineering worldwide. It has more than 121,000 members from more than 97 countries — engineers, business executives, educators and students who share information and exchange ideas for advancing the engineering of mobility systems.
For more information, visit http://coen.boisestate.edu.