Engineering for the Skies:

Designing, Simulating, and Optimizing Aircraft for the SAE Aero Design Competition

PROJECT OVERVIEW
Simulated and refined autonomous aircraft designs using RealFlight, ArduPilot SITL, and CAD—winning 3rd place in SAE Aero Design
As part of Rice Flight Club, I led avionics simulations for the autonomous aircraft “Magpie,” ensuring successful mission execution using RealFlight with ArduPilot SITL. I also contributed to mechanical design with SolidWorks and Fusion 360, helping the team secure 3rd place. Now as Avionics Lead (2025–2026), I’m designing custom PCBs and control systems to enhance payload delivery and weight efficiency.

Team Recognition
Albatross Plane (RC)
Magpie Plane (autonomous)
3rd Place Design (Magpie)

I joined the Rice Flight Club in my second semester of my first year. We designed two planes for the SAE Aero Design competition: one for the regular class named Albatross, and one for the advanced class named Magpie. The regular class had specifications requiring a limit to 1 kW, a wingspan limit of 15 feet, and a takeoff distance of 100 feet. The goal of the regular class is to maximize payload weight. The advanced class is an autonomous plane which has a 4 pound weight limit. The goal of the advanced class was to deploy a payload at a designated landing spot and then fly a loop around the course after which it must recapture the payload back to home base.

Much of the physical design of the plane was completed by the time I joined the club. However we had to simulate and ensure the plane flew properly before competition. I was in charge of simulating Magpie in the RealFlight simulator via the ArduPilot command page. I performed SITL simulations to ensure that Magpie flew properly and was able to perform our mission. Using these simulation data and the Magpie design we were able to win third place in our second year of competition. Additionally, I designed mechanical components and helped assemble using SolidWorks and Fusion360 for both planes.

This year, 2025-2026, I will be taking the Avionics Lead position working on custom PCB designs and avionic components for both the aircraft and ground station to communicate and optimize for weight. I am responsible for the electronic systems and control software.

I will continue to edit this page throughout the 2025-2026 school year as I continue to work on projects for the team.

Additionally, please make sure to check out our team sponsorship packet below!

AIAA 2025 Sponsorship Packet Download