September 30, 2008

Contact: Amy Hewes
College of Engineering
805-756-6402
ahewes@calpoly.edu

Cal Poly is Top Gun at the AIAA Design Competitions

For the third time in the past four years, Cal Poly aerospace seniors flew high above the competition at the national Undergraduate Team Aircraft Design competition, sweeping first, second, third, and, this year, even fourth place. Cal Poly also came in second in the Undergraduate Team Engine Design category.

According to Dr. Rob McDonald, faculty advisor, Cal Poly consistently dominates the prestigious AIAA (American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics) competition because the students work closely with industry.

“Our industry partners run [the students] through the ringer—the teams received six critical reviews by industry engineers this year,” said McDonald. “The way we do design at Cal Poly gives our students better preparation, motivation, and review than any professor could ever hope to match.”

The first place team, Human League, included team leader Kevin Johnsen, Bryan Morrisey, Ryan Nichols, Rory Golden, Eugene Eswonia, and Blaine Bisquera. The group designed “Spraying Mantis,” an agricultural unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).

Johnsen emphasized the dedication of his teammates to the design project. “There is absolutely no reason we needed to spend 30+ hours a week on a three unit class,” he said. “We worked within our group to produce something better than we could make on our own—each team member carried his weight, outside-the-box ideas were encouraged, and everyone was a valued member of the team. The end result is something pretty impressive.”

The other winning Cal Poly teams included Narwhal Aeronautics led by Matt Kistler (Second Place), Floxen Aeronautics led by Bobby Rocha (Third Place), and Warpath Aeronautics led by Ashley Evans, which took second in Undergraduate Team Engine Design.

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