What: Contributing to the Design Build Fly (DBF) competition team at UCLA, focused on
designing,
testing, and building a remote-controlled aircraft for AIAA’s annual collegiate competition.
Why:
To gain hands-on experience in iterative aircraft design and fabrication, collaborate across
engineering
disciplines (aerodynamics, structures, controls, propulsion), and strengthen both technical and communication
skills in a fast-paced, team-oriented environment.
How: In the 2024–25 season, I was a member of the Aerodynamics and Manufacturing
subteams.
- In Aerodynamics, I contributed to CFD simulations, stability analyses, and post-flight data processing using
tools
such as SimScale, XFLR5, MATLAB, and some ANSYS Fluent and C++.
- On the Manufacturing side, I helped construct key components of the competition aircraft, including
performing carbon
fiber layups for the fuselage, laser cutting wooden ribs, and applying Monokote to the wing and tail.
For the 2025–26 season, I now serve as Vice Project Manager (VPM). In this role, I support the Project
Manager
with administrative responsibilities such as budgeting, recruitment, and competition logistics, while also
coordinating
closely with the Chief Engineer. This position serves as training for the Project Manager role in the 2026–27
season.
Additionally, through the Research and Development and Propulsion and Electronics subteams, I worked on designing and integrating a mount for a 3-axis load cell
to conduct ground testing of banners of different sizes and materials. Specifically, I worked on calibrating our load cell and assisted with the creation of the test matrix
needed to obtain valuable data for our team's aerodynamic sizing.
Results
(so far): Our team achieved a historic performance--2nd place in the Design Report and 10th overall at
the
AIAA DBF competition, the best results in team history. We’re excited to build on that momentum in the upcoming
season!
