Design Day team enters national hypersonics competition
Team 26053 uses AME hypersonic wind tunnels to validate its design.
For some capstone teams, designing projects can turn into a competition. Interdisciplinary Capstone Team 26053 competed in the University Consortium for Applied Hypersonics undergraduate competition, where engineering students design a hypersonic flight vehicle capable of traveling between Mach 5 and Mach 8.
The team created a professional concept for a guided hypersonic projectile, drawing on trajectory modeling, manufacturability analysis and real-world deployment considerations.
“This was a little different than the average senior capstone project,” said Finn Gerber, systems engineering student and team lead. “From around 80 applicants, only 16 students were selected across two teams. Being chosen and then leading one of those teams made it a unique and rewarding opportunity.”
The team advanced to the semifinal round of the national competition, presenting their design virtually to subject matter experts and government stakeholders. Though they did not advance to the final phase, the project continued.
Working alongside aerospace and mechanical engineering faculty and industry mentors, the team is now collecting data on lift, drag, heat flux and other key performance metrics – gaining exposure to advanced testing facilities and connecting theory with real-world results.
The team will showcase their work at the Craig M. Berge Design Day on May 4.