September 9, 2010 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Foundation (AIAA Foundation) is pleased to announce that a team from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, Calif., has won first prize in the AIAA Foundation's annual Undergraduate Team Aircraft Design Competition.
The competition asked competing teams to design an alternative fuels and environmentally friendly aircraft system that would mitigate the effects of fossil fuels on earth's environment.
Teams winning awards were:
First Prize: California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, Calif., for their design "Much Better Planes Introduces the Bearodactyl." Bruce R. Wright, faculty advisor, Dominic Surano, team leader, and team members Jake Armstrong, Chris Choi, Jake Gaunt, David Guerrero, Ben Naravage, Dan Shehan, and Kyle Thoma. The team will receive an award of $2,500 from the AIAA Foundation.
Second Prize: California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, Calif., for their design "GFX-50." Bruce R. Wright, faculty advisor, Kasey Johnsen, team leader, and team members Simo Alberti, Brian Borra, Erin Hambrick, Kevin Hougen, Peter Huang, Casey Regan. The team will receive an award of $1,500 from the AIAA Foundation.
Third Prize: University of Southern California, Los Angeles, Calif., for their design "Egret." Ron Blackwelder, faculty advisor; Oussama Safadi, project advisor, Sina Golshany, team leader, and team members Phillip Adkins, Todd Erickson, Darin Gaytan, Keith Holmlund, Kristina Larson, Devin Lewis, Chris Nvavu, John Roehrick, and Michael Zarem. The team will receive an award of $1,000 from the AIAA Foundation.
For more information on the AIAA Foundation Undergraduate Team Aircraft Design Competition, please contact Stephen Brock at stephenb@aiaa.org or 703.264.7536.
The AIAA Foundation is a nonprofit, tax-exempt educational organization supporting science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) educational programs. By devoting resources to the education of both practicing and future aerospace professionals, and by recognizing professional achievement, the AIAA Foundation influences the future of aerospace. The AIAA Foundation offers a wealth of resources to support educators at both the university level and K, including scholarships, classroom grants, design competitions, and student conferences. THE AIAA Foundation's financial assistance enables educators and students to improve scientific literacy and advance the arts and sciences of aerospace.
AIAA is the world's largest technical society dedicated to the global aerospace profession. With more than 35,000 individual members worldwide, and 90 corporate members, AIAA brings together industry, academia, and government to advance engineering and science in aviation, space, and defense. For more information, visit www.aiaa.org.
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
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