SAE Aero Design Micro Class Aircraft

Contributions focused on design support, in-house manufacturing development, and flight operations, including the development of a custom CNC system to accelerate aerodynamic prototyping. The project emphasized continuous iteration, practical manufacturing, and consistent flight performance, resulting in a competitive and reliable aircraft platform.

Contributed across design, manufacturing, and flight operations, with emphasis on rapid iteration and reliable performance. Designed and built a custom 4-axis CNC foam cutter for aerodynamic component fabrication, conducted continuous flight testing, contributed to tail configuration and supporting components, supported full aircraft assembly, and served as primary pilot for testing and competition flights. The CNC system became a key enabler of fast prototyping, improving both build speed and consistency of aerodynamic components.

The aircraft was developed around an in-house CNC manufacturing workflow, rapid design-test cycles, lightweight airframe design, and flight-driven validation. The 4-axis foam cutter helped produce consistent wing and fuselage components while enabling faster refinement between tests.

Delivered a competitive and reliable aircraft, achieving 6th place internationally and 3rd place in technical presentation. Performance was validated through consistent flight testing, demonstrating strong takeoff characteristics and stable flight behavior. The project established an effective workflow combining in-house manufacturing, rapid iteration, and flight validation.