Rotorcraft Students Swoop in on First Place at AHS

The AHS Student Design Competition, which challenges students to design a vertical lift aircraft which meets specified requirements, provides a practical exercise for engineering students at accredited colleges and universities. The competition, sponsored by The Boeing Company this year, promotes student interest in vertical flight technology.

The UMCP team designed a twin-lift system known as Goliath. The Goliath twin-lift system was designed around innovative control synchronization techniques; a lightweight, load sharing structure; robust, wireless communication as well as modularity and streamlined logistics. As a result of the design efforts Goliath is capable of transporting greater payloads further than any helicopter available while maintaining operational safety during all stages of the flight.

The following students were the recipients of AHS Student Design Competition Awards:

  • Ben Berry
  • Graham Bowen-Davis
  • David Mayo
  • David Pfeifer
  • Vincent Posbic
  • Ananth Sridharan
  • Rajan Sharma

The Goliath design team was guided by Drs. Vengalattore Nagaraj, Inderjit Chopra, J. Gordon Leishman, Roberto Celi, Darryll Pines and Norman Wereley.

The first and second place winning teams are awarded a cash stipend and two members of the winning team are invited to the AHS Annual Forum and Technology Display to present the details of their proposal. Members of the teams receive one-day complimentary registration to the Forum, the vertical flight industry’s principal professional technical event, promoting vertical flight technology.

Each UMCP team member received $500.00 in award money from the AHS and the Gessow Foundation for their excellent work.

For more information on the AHS Design Competition, visit the AHS website.

Published July 20, 2010