September 2, 2024
AME student, David Moeller Sztajnbok, won this year’s American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Design Competition! Every year the AAIA hosts a competition for various categories of designs such as aircraft, missiles, space missions, and engines. Each category has subcategories for undergraduate or graduate students and solo or group competitions to apply. The AAIA Competitions are RFPs (requests for proposals) needing an aircraft design that meets the set of requirements. These requirements often detail one/multiple missions an aircraft needs to fly. As well as performance requirements like cruising speed, altitude, and maximum distance to takeoff.
David discusses how he got motivated to participate, “After my first semester at USC, having completed the Introduction to Aerospace Engineering course, AME 105, I had learned the basics of the science of flight. However, I still wondered how airplanes are…designed – as in, how does one go from a blank sheet of paper to an airplane?” He mentions how he, “…read Dr. Raymer’s Aircraft Design: A Conceptual Approach from cover to cover…I was hooked: aircraft design was my newfound passion, and I tried to read everything I could get my hands on…I also discovered during that winter break: the AIAA Aircraft Design Competitions.”
This is the second time David has participated in the AIAA competition. Last year he won second place in the Undergraduate Individual Aircraft Design Competition. This was the first time a freshman at USC submitted a winning report. David remarks, “I had just finished reading the textbook (Dr. Raymer’s) and joined the competition as a means of practicing my newfound skills. I got an award to go with it, which was nice!”
For this year’s competition, David again submitted an entry into the Undergraduate Individual Aircraft Design Competition. He created a 98-page report showing an overview of the mission, a historical look at similar airplane designs, and the design of the aircraft itself, “StratoSOL“. If you want to read his full entry you can read and download his report through this link!
All four shots of the StratoSOL model.
Front view of the StratoSOL model.
Top overview of the StratoSOL model.
His final remark was, “This first-place award was very satisfying, and I’m already looking forward to next year’s. I believe…that it was the first time a Sophomore at USC has placed first in the competition. It is…the first time a USC student places first in over 15 years.” David would also like to thank Dr. Geoffrey Spedding for being his faculty advisor.
David also requested that we mention that he founded the Human-Powered Flight Research Team (HPFRT). The team hopes to beat the world record duration flight of a human-powered aircraft by designing and flying a plane that is capable of sustaining flight for just over 4 hours! If you are interested you can contact David for further information!
Published on September 2nd, 2024Last updated on September 2nd, 2024