Poly Students' Passion for Engineering Takes Flight

A shared enthusiasm for engineering led a group of Poly undergrads on a 14-hour journey to Marietta, Georgia, where they tested their design and construction skills in the Aero Design East Competition. The Society of Automotive Engineers sponsors this annual competition to challenge engineering students to conceive, design, build, and test a radio controlled aircraft that can take off and land while carrying heavy cargo. The three-day competition took place April 21-23, providing students with practical, hands-on experience designed to simulate situations engineers would face in real life.

Seven dedicated undergraduates took part in creating the competition aircraft, “Falling Fast.” The team consisted of: Darryl Williams (team captain), Leonid Simkin, Sourabh Mathur, Eric Laird, Brian Dias, Parth Kumar and Michael Sazhin. Professor Said Nourbakhsh served as faculty advisor for the team.