A team of students from the University of Missouri-Rolla won the design portion of the Aero Design East Competition April 21-23 in Marietta, Ga. Unfortunately, UMR’s radio-controlled aircraft crashed on takeoff, costing the team in the overall standings.         

UMR’s 30-page design report was determined to be the best in the competition by judges. The teams were also judged in load-lifting capabilities, flight scores and oral presentations.          

About 50 teams entered remote-controlled aircraft in the competition, which is sponsored by the Society of Automotive Engineers. The University of Sao Paulo placed first overall.         

The main objective is to design and build an aircraft, within contest parameters, that can carry as much weight in flight as possible. New standards and rules are established each year.        

“You learn more if you’re willing to look at what went wrong,” says Kyle Zimmer, president of UMR’s 2006 Advanced Aero Vehicle Group.         

The following UMR students helped design and build the aircraft for the contest in Georgia:            

– Sunil Aggarwal, a senior in aerospace engineering from New Delhi, India.

– Tim Assel, a senior in aerospace engineering from Cameron, Mo.

– Kris Atkins, a senior in aerospace engineering from St. Peters, Mo.

– Matt Conway, a senior in aerospace engineering from Boonville, Mo.

– Mike Ezell, a junior in architectural engineering from Henderson, Nev.

– Adam Damoude, a senior in aerospace engineering from Holdridge, Mo.

– Alyse Dannenberg, a sophomore in aerospace engineering from Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo.                                    

– Steven Griffin, a senior in aerospace engineering from Princeton, Ill.

– Andrew Jordan, a freshman in aerospace engineering from Jackson, Mo.

– Jared Loebs, a freshman in aerospace engineering from St. Charles, Mo.

– Chris Marley, a sophomore in aerospace engineering from Springfield, Mo.

– Andrew Modlin, a sophomore in aerospace engineering from St. Joseph, Mo.

– Chris Norgren, a senior in aerospace engineering from Wichita, Kan.

– Bryan Ralston, a sophomore in aerospace engineering from O’Fallon, Ill.

– Matt Robinson, a freshman in aerospace engineering from Blue Springs, Mo.

– Derek Schmitz, a graduate student in aerospace engineering from Rolla

– Elijah Schuldt, a sophomore in aerospace engineering from Cambridge, Minn.

– Justin Shoemaker, a sophomore in aerospace engineering from Macon, Mo.

– Trent Taylor, a graduate student in aerospace engineering from Mt. Vernon, Mo.

– Aubrey Tuk, a sophomore in aerospace engineering from Leawood, Kan.

– Patrick White, a sophomore in mechanical engineering from Lee’s Summit, Mo.

– Kyle Zimmer, a sophomore in aerospace engineering from Columbia, Mo.

– Sam Zitterkob, a senior in aerospace engineering from Yukon, Okla.