AIAA Foundation Making an Impact: 25 Years of Design/Build/Fly

First-place winners: Dayananda Sagar College of Engineering’s Team Arcis and their aircraft Primis – II. Credit: Dayananda Sagar College of Engineering

Each year AIAA invites university students from around the globe to participate in the AIAA Design/Build/Fly (DBF) Competition (aiaa.org/DBF). DBF is a premier event for student aerospace engineers because it provides a real-world aircraft design test for them by giving them the opportunity to validate their analytic studies. DBF experience is known to give students a resume boost.

This year we celebrated the 25th annual DBF fly-off virtually. The objective was for teams to design, build, and test a UAV with a towed sensor. Committed to providing teams the opportunity to highlight their aircraft, the DBF Organizing Committee add in a third round to this year’s competition. This allowed teams the opportunity to submit video footage demonstrating and presenting their aircraft in flight.

On 15 May a virtual Zoom awards ceremony was held to announce the winners. 2017 DBF alumnus Joshua Dobbs, who majored in aerospace engineering at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and currently is a quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers, shared his DBF experience and how he has applied his aerospace engineering degree on and off the field.

AIAA is proud to have had 92 teams compete in our 2020–2021 competition. This year’s top three winners are:

• First Place ($3,000): Dayananda Sagar College of Engineering
• Second Place ($2,000): University of Central Florida
• Third Place ($1,500): Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach
• Best Report Score: University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

The full list of team placements can be found at aiaa.org/dbf. You also can watch footage of all of the 2020–2021 teams flying their aircraft at AIAA’s YouTube channel (https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOl5RDXeYOMCvy5-l5g23OfVVRrtunu-B).

DBF’s success is thanks to our sponsors from Textron Aviation, Raytheon Missiles and Defense, and Mathworks and our volunteers. Volunteers from AIAA Applied Aerodynamics, Aircraft Design, Flight Test, and Design Engineering Technical Committees collectively set the rules for the contest, publicize the event, gather entries, judge the written reports, and, in all other years, organize the fly-off.

Dayananda Sagar College of Engineering: Team Arcis and their aircraft Primis – II
Faculty advisor: Hareesha N. G.
Team members
Nayan Ganguli
Anirudh Vasist
Saurav Deshmukh
Ayush K
Raghav M
Dhruv Dhaduk
Anjali A
Preethi S
Srinivasa G S
Ronith Palaksha
Sai Sanketh R S
Sakshi Rastogi
Gagana B

University of Central Florida: Team Dark Knights and their aircraft, Knightmobile
Faculty advisor: George Loubimov
Team members
David Silva-Melendez
Devin Unterreiner
Kyle Ramos
Dillon Graves
Mariangelo La Rosa
Andrew Schroeder
Jack Faysash
Harshavardhan Bangaru
Abhilash Manjula Prasad
Bilal Rauf
Mark Aldritz Dela Virgen
Joseph Barr

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University: Team Embry-Riddle Eagles and their aircraft Sensor Towing Air Tractor (STAT)
Faculty advisor: J. Gordon Leishman 
Team members
Carson Raleigh
Hunter Gray
Harshil Patel
Caleb Reeves
Daniel Garlock
Joseph Ayd
Eva Dave
Alexander Roy
Marissa Murphy
Daniel Chen
Andrew Bunn
Victor Chang
Zefu Ren
Alex Neuman
Nicholas Marshall
Brandon Babey
Vedang Patil
Matthew Mueller
Ryan Hickerson
Patric Hruswicki
Riley Cox-Grosss

Please consider donating $25 in honor of the AIAA Foundation’s 25th anniversary. Programs like DBF help inspire the next generation of aerospace professionals. For more information about how to get involved with AIAA and make an impact please visit aiaa.org/foundation or contact Alex D’Imperio, alexandrad@aiaa.org.

Award Announcements Nominations for AIAA Directors Being Accepted Through 23 July

The AIAA Council of Directors Nominating Committee (CNC) will compile a list of potential nominees for the open Director positions on the AIAA Council of Directors. This list will include nominees who will be selected to go to the next step of competency review held by the nominating committee. The nominating committee will select specific candidates for the open Director positions who will be voted on by the AIAA membership. The final slate of candidates will be publicized by December 2021 for the election that will be held January/February 2022.

Nominations are being accepted for Regional Directors, Integration and Outreach Group Directors, and Technical Group Directors for the term May 2022–2025. AIAA members may self-nominate or nominate members qualified for the open position by submitting a nomination at aiaa-awards.org/a/solicitations/1173/home no later than 23 July 2021.

Regions coordinate the activities of geographically related sections to facilitate cooperative efforts between the various geographical areas. A Regional Director shall lead each region. The voting members who belong to that region shall elect the Regional Director for that region. The Regional Director for each group shall be a member of the Regional Engagement Activities Division (READ) as well as a delegate to the Council of Directors. The term for Regional Directors shall be three years and there shall be a limit of the Regional Director serving two consecutive terms. Nominations are being accepted for:

• Region IV – South Central, Director
• Region V – Mid-West, Director

For more information on AIAA regions and sections, visit the AIAA website: aiaa.org/get-involved/regions-sections.

Integration and Outreach Groups coordinate the activities of related Integration and Outreach Committees to facilitate cooperative efforts between the various professional areas. An Integration and Outreach Group Director shall lead each Integration and Outreach Group. All voting members shall elect the Integration and Outreach Directors. The Integration and Outreach Director for each group shall be a member of the Integration and Outreach Activities Division (IOD) as well as a delegate to the Council of Directors. The term for Integration and Outreach Group Directors shall be three years and there shall be a limit of the Integration and Outreach Group Director serving two consecutive terms. Nominations are being accepted for:

• Aerospace Outreach Group, Director
• Integration Group, Director
• Young Professionals Group, Director-Elect

For more information on AIAA integration and outreach, visit the AIAA website: aiaa.org/get-involved/committees-groups/Integration-and-Outreach-Division-Committees.

Technical Groups coordinate the activities of related technical committees to facilitate cooperative efforts between the various technical disciplines. A Technical Director shall lead each Technical Group. The voting members who belong to that group shall elect the Technical Director for that group. The Technical Director for each group shall be a member of the Technical Activities Division (TAD) as well as a delegate to the Council of Directors. The term for Technical Directors shall be three years and there shall be a limit of the Technical Director serving two consecutive terms. Nominations are being accepted for:

• Information Systems Group, Director
• Propulsion and Energy Group, Director

For more information on AIAA technical activities, visit the AIAA website: aiaa.org/get-involved/committees-groups/technical-committees.

To nominate an AIAA member in good standing for the open positions on the AIAA Council of Directors, please submit the nominee’s bio and/or CV, history of AIAA activities and/or engagement with other professional societies, and a statement from the nominee of willingness and ability to serve if elected.

Please submit nominations directly at aiaa-awards.org/a/solicitations/1173/home no later 23 July 2021. For more information please direct questions to Christopher Horton, AIAA Governance Director, chrish@aiaa.org.

AIAA Foundation First Kahn Scholarships Awarded

Inaugural Roger W. Kahn Scholarship winners: Natalie Brenton, Madison Chubb, Daichi Horiguchi, and Gloria Johnson. Credit: Brenton/Chubb/Horiguchi/Johnson

AIAA was excited to have over 180 high school seniors from all over the world apply for the inaugural Roger W. Kahn Scholarships, which honors the memory of Roger Kahn and his passion for aviation and entertainment. The four $10,000 scholarships have been awarded to Natalie Brenton, Madison Chubb, Daichi Horiguchi, and Gloria Johnson. These students also will receive a travel stipend for an AIAA event and an AIAA professional member mentor to help guide the student on their career path. We can’t wait to see how they shape the future of aerospace!

Natalie Bretton, Menchville High School, Newport News, VA

I have participated in FIRST robotics programs for almost a decade. Now, as the mechanical fabrication lead and pit crew lead of Menchville High School’s FIRST Robotics Competition team, I am responsible for the design and building of our robots, training mechanical sub-team members on using machine shop tools, and troubleshooting mechanical problems under pressure. At competitions, I led my team’s first all-girl pit crew to win several prestigious technical awards, making us one of the youngest, yet most successful, pit crews the team has ever had. My team also partnered with VCU’s Occupational Therapy program, where we worked collaboratively with Ph.D. students to design and implement assistive technology (AT) – technology that helps those with disabilities. I led the process of designing, modifying, and implementing AT, an experience that taught me just how much STEM can help the people around me. After completing two invitation-only NASA summer academies, I discovered that I have a passion for aerospace engineering. As a student at the Governor’s School for Science and Technology (GSST), I was able to further explore this passion through a mentorship at NASA. I worked alongside an aerospace engineer to develop a customizable turbofan engine component in a program called OpenVSP. I am going to continue this project through a paid internship this summer, and hope to publish my work. This coming year, I am excited to be attending the University of Virginia as a Rodman Scholar where I plan to double major in mechanical and aerospace engineering.

Madison Chubb, Timber Creek High School, Orlando, FL

My parents believe that growing up in their own country they were never permitted to figure out who they were. My four younger siblings and I are first-generation Americans and have always been allowed and encouraged to follow our individual passions. This freedom has allowed me to discover who I truly am inside and what I want to do with my life. I have always been allowed to freely investigate everything I loved. I built, I fixed, and I took a zillion things apart. As a child I would spend hours in my sandbox building different shapes, or sitting on the floor pouring pasta from one saucepan to another through funnels and cardboard tubes. As a six-year-old I asked for a model jet engine for my birthday. Ever since then I knew I wanted to work with planes. I built hundreds of Lego sets, later moved onto Meccano, and now VEX Robotics advancing to States and Worlds. All these things I did as a child have allowed me to realize my passion for aero engineering. Living in different countries I learned to be at ease with who I am. I was the one who was different, and I chose to embrace that, wherever I might be. I am so excited to take the next step into aero engineering and I look forward to all the new exciting things that my future holds! I will be attending the University of Florida in fall 2021.

Daichi Horiguchi, Mira Costa High School, Manhattan Beach, CA

I’ve had the chance to delve into many different endeavors and skills. I’ve painted thousands of artworks, recently got scouted into and entered a talent agency, have been learning martial arts for the past decade, and have spent a great fraction of my life on music. I began learning the violin when I was two and performed a solo with orchestra accompaniment by the time I was four. I have been on news and media since five and have led numerous orchestras as a concertmaster. Music has provided me with phenomenal opportunities like performing solo with the Mira Costa Symphony in Spain, performing for former President Bill Clinton, and getting to mentor many young musicians.

Despite my varying interests, engineering has always been my biggest passion. As a child, I used to break apart and fix household machineries like clocks and printers. I loved finding out the mechanics of any device and gaining knowledge by hands-on experience. I learned woodcrafting and the handling of electric tools in elementary school, and I learned programming and 3-D modeling in junior high. After learning metalwork during high school I turned scrap pieces of motorcycles into a cafe-racer. I now feel that my childhood ambitions and curiosity have grown over the years. It’s always been my dream to become an astronaut, but now I cannot stand not knowing what lies beyond our reach in the universe. My absolute goal is to take part in the Mars colonization plans as an engineer-astronaut and help advance the astronautical-engineering world. I will attend Stanford University in the fall.

Gloria Johnson, Brooke Point High School, Stafford, VA

I’m an aspiring aerospace engineer with the goal of changing the face of the fueling of aircraft. I grew up as a military child and was born to immigrant parents from Liberia. As we constantly relocated, I found a love for flying and aircraft. Because I grew up with a more global perspective, due to my cultural background and constant relocation, I wanted to ensure that I was also learning from a holistic approach. To achieve this objective, I applied and was accepted into the International Baccalaureate (IB) Program at my high school. IB is an academically extensive program that requires students to be well rounded in their academics and extracurriculars. While in high school, I also participated in the Virginia Aerospace Science and Technology Scholars Program (VASTS), which further inspired me to reach my goal of becoming an aerospace engineer.

In pursuit of becoming an aerospace engineer, I have accepted a summer NASA Internship prior to beginning college. I will attend Washington & Jefferson College in fall 2021, and participate in its dual-degree program with Case Western Reserve University where I will receive bachelor’s degrees in Mathematics and Aerospace Engineering. I am thankful for this scholarship, which will assist in supporting my education to help me reach my goals. This investment is not only a blessing to me and my future but will also impact my contributions globally through Aerospace Engineering. Thank you for this opportunity!

Applications for the 2022 Roger W. Kahn Scholarships will open 15 August 2021. AIAA will award up to four $10,000 scholarships to high school seniors who enroll in an accredited college or university and intend to pursue an aerospace or STEM major. A $2,500 travel stipend will also be given for the students to attend an AIAA event such as AIAA SciTech Forum, AIAA AVIATION Forum, or ASCEND. The Institute will provide each student with a mentor from AIAA’s professional members to help guide the student to achieve a career in aerospace. Underrepresented students are encouraged to apply. For more information, visit aiaa.org/get-involved/k-12-students/scholarships or email K-12STEM@aiaa.org.

AIAA Announcements Call for Participation: AIAA Standards Revision — AIAA G-095B, Guide to Safety of Hydrogen and Hydrogen Systems

This guide that is being proposed as an American National Standards (ANS) presents information that designers, builders, and users of hydrogen systems can use to ensure safe hydrogen systems or resolve hydrogen hazards. Guidance is provided on general safety systems and controls, usage, personnel training, hazard management, design, facilities, detection, storage, transportation, and emergency procedures. For more information, or if you wish to participate, please contact Nick Tongson (nickt@aiaa.org).

Section News National Capital Section Presents Future City 2021 Special Award

(Right) Tabletop model of the Selene Future City. (Left) AIAA NCS judges: (pictured top left and right) Nitin Raghu, NCS Chair; Ananthakrishna (Sarma) Sarma, Technical Fellow at Leidos; (bottom left and right) Sri Ayyalasomayajula and Lt. Col. Anna Gunn-Golkin, USAF. Credit: NCS

By Bruce Cranford

What a year! The Covid pandemic presented new challenges to the Future City organizations and teams. They were successful in reorganizing and conducting a very successful Future City 2021 Competition and Awards. On 13 March, regional Future City winners from 44 middle schools, afterschool organizations (e.g., scouts, 4H, boys/girls clubs) nationwide and China to Nigeria, participated in the Future City National Finals. The Special awards judging were done remotely, via Zoom, while meeting local and regional Covid pandemic restrictions. This presented special challenges to foreign teams, many time zones away from the judges located in the United States.

In its 29th year, this year’s Future City theme was “Living on the Moon.” Middle school students were asked to create cities of the future, first on a computer and then as large tabletop models. Working in teams with a teacher and volunteer engineer mentor, students create their cities using the SimCity 3000 TM video game donated to all participating schools by Electronic Arts, Inc. Students wrote an abstract and an essay on using engineering to solve an important social issue. Then they presented and defended their cities before engineer judges at the competition. More than 45,000 students from more than 1,350 schools participated in the 2020–2021 competition.

The students created detailed – often fantastic – cities of tomorrow that give intriguing insight to how young minds envision their future. At the same time, their bold designs and innovative concepts provide a refreshingly optimistic appreciation of how our nation can realistically deal with the many challenges facing its cities, including the power of public spaces.

As part of the Future City’s program, the AIAA National Capital Section (NCS) presented the 19th annual Special Award for the Best Use of Aerospace Technology to Morgan Fitzgerald Middle School Center for Gifted Studies from the Tampa Bay, FL, region. Future City Name: Selene. Team Members: Megan Pace, Kassidy Farrar, Lily Meloy, Laura Meyer. Educator: Peter Scalia. Mentor: Diana Wolff. The AIAA NCS congratulates the team for their outstanding efforts. Nitin Raghu, NCS Chair and Space Product Manager Technical at Amazon Web Services, presented the award on 7 April at a virtual awards ceremony conducted by Future City. Each student team member received a savings bond and a plaque. The AIAA NCS thanks the NCS judges for the Best Use of Aerospace Technology: Ananthakrishna (Sarma) Sarma, Lt. Col Anna Gunn-Golkin, and Sri Ayyalasomayajula.

For more information and a list of all the winners, visit futurecity.org.

Section News AIAA New England Section 2020/2021 Honors and Awards

The AIAA New England Section honored 12 individuals for sustained achievements and three for special service for 2020/2021. The sustained achievement awards follow the 10-year criteria used at the national level for our section-level activities, while the special service awards celebrate activities over a more-concentrated time period.

Members recognized for
sustained achievements:

John Blandino
Hsiao-hua Burke
Ian Dargin
Deborah Douglas
Sheryl Grace
David Guo
Philip Hattis
Col. Douglas Joyce
Bruce Mackenzie
Albert Moussa
Gene Niemi
John Wilkes

Members recognized with special
awards for outstanding service:

Yari Golden-Castaño
Hiroaki Endo
Martina Stadler

Award Announcements Kammeyer Receives AIAA Special Service Citation

Mark Kammeyer, AIAA Associate Fellow and St. Louis Section Chair, recently received AIAA’s Special Service Citation for outstanding leadership in the development of the St. Louis Section’s Policies and Procedures. Not only will the documentation provide valuable reference for how the section conducts business and its roles and responsibilities, but it has been a model and served as a benchmark across all sections. The Special Service Citation is an AIAA nationally recognized award for service that goes above and beyond at the local level.

Obituary AIAA Senior Member Moorman Died in June 2020

General Thomas S. Moorman Jr., USAF (Ret.), died 18 June 2020. He was 79 years old.

Moorman began a distinguished 35-year Air Force career after graduating from Dartmouth College in 1962. He served as an intelligence officer with the B-47 bombardment wing, the Director of the Office of Space Systems, Vice Commander of the 1st Space Wing, several staff positions at Air Force Space Command, and numerous operational and staff positions in space, aircraft reconnaissance, and intelligence units.

In 1987, Moorman became Director of Space and Strategic Defense Initiative Programs where he directed the development and procurement of satellites, launch vehicles, antisatellite weapons, strategic radars, and space command centers. From 1990 to 1994, he served as vice commander and commander of Air Force Space Command, responsible for the operation of the Air Force space systems, space surveillance radars, and the ICBM force. Moorman ‘s last military assignment was as Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force. From July 1994 until his retirement in August 1997, he oversaw and managed the day-to-day activities of the Air Staff, chaired the Air Force Council, and was the Air Force representative to joint and interagency organizations, including the JROC and Quadrennial Defense Review.

After retirement, Moorman served until 2008 as senior executive advisor and partner with Booz Allen Hamilton, responsible for the firm’s Air Force and NASA business. He remained engaged with numerous boards and studies, including the congressionally directed Space Commission. He also served on space-related studies and task forces on behalf of the Department of Defense, U.S. intelligence community, and the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration.

Moorman was the 1998 winner of AIAA’s von Kármán Lecture in Astronautics Award.

Obituary AIAA Associate Fellow Leithiser Died in March

Major General (Ret.) Richard E Leithiser, 91, died on 29 March.

Major General Leithiser was a a Distinguished Military Graduate of the Virginia Military Institute, Class of 1950B, and an Honor Graduate of the Army Command and General Staff College. Following his Army active duty tour in 1950, he served for many years in the U.S. Army Reserve, retiring as a Major General in 1989. He held numerous command and staff assignments, retiring as the Commanding General of the 79th Army Reserve Command. He received the Army Distinguished Service Medal and several other medals and awards.

Major General Leithiser held several challenging engineering and management assignments during his 34 years with the General Electric Company’s Missile and Space Division, in an era spanning from Sputnik to the early design phases of the International Space Station. He was an Eagle Scout, an AIAA Associate Fellow, a member of the Military Officers Association, the Reserve Officers Association, the Association of the U.S. Army, the Society of the Cincinnati, and a Registered Professional Engineer in Pennsylvania.

Obituary AIAA Associate Fellow Lin Died in April

John C. Lin died on 9 April. He was 64 years old.

He grew up in Taiwan until his family moved to Washington, DC, in 1970, and began an unparalleled 43-year career at NASA Langley Research Center in 1978.

Lin’s career at NASA Langley Research Center was marked by incredible innovation in flow-control technology that embodied NASA’s mission to discover, explore, develop, and enable. He made an extraordinary impact with his research on advancing the U.S. commercial and defense industries. As an internationally recognized authority in flow-control technology, his significant contributions cover the entire spectrum of technology development, from fundamental research to important applications on aircraft and marine vessels.

Lin worked on many different projects with aerodynamic and hydrodynamic applications during his tenure at NASA, and his contribution to the development of micro vortex generators has found the widest impact in the field as an inexpensive, effective means of reducing flow separation. Using this technology, Lin helped aircraft manufacturers expand flight envelopes and controllability of their aircraft. The innovation also resulted in 50 national and world records, as well as the Collier Trophy. By solving performance problems, he enabled sales of over $2.4 billion by accelerating the introduction of aircraft into the market earlier than planned.

Lin’s commitment to fundamental science extended to advancing national security as well. He also worked with Newport News Shipbuilding to provide valuable assistance to Northrop Grumman and the Navy through his support of the Advance SEAL Delivery System. His willingness to provide hands-on assistance, operate effectively within a multi-organizational team, and brilliant technical performance under tough testing conditions led to an affordable, low-impact design modification that exceeded the Navy’s expectations.

In addition to distinguished accomplishments as an engineer and scientist, Lin was extremely active in the local AIAA Hampton Roads Section (HRS), where he served in a number of leadership positions, including the Section Chair, as well as newsletter editor for 14 years (which won the section a first place Communications Award in the annual Section Awards). His work as the AIAA HRS Representative to the Peninsula Engineers Council allowed him to reach far beyond the aerospace community, where his positive attitude and ever-present willingness to lend a hand where needed was an inspiration to his colleagues. His involvement with the Langley Toastmasters inspired the admiration and respect of many, and his affinity for tall tales garnered state recognition and a feature in a Daily Press article entitled “He’s No Stuffy Scientist.”

Over the course of his career, Lin received 72 professional honors and awards, including: NASA Distinguished Service Award, Best Paper Award from AIAA Applied Aerodynamics Technical Committee, the NASA Exceptional Engineering Achievement Medal, Peninsula Engineer of the year, AIAA Region I Engineer of the Year Award, NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) Engineering Excellence Award, and the AIAA Sustained Service Award. His work with the ERA project contributed to the team being awarded the Aviation Week Laureate Award for Technology and the ARMD Associate Administrator Award on Technology and Innovation.

Obituary AIAA Associate Fellow King Died in April

William (Bill) S. King died 19 April; he was 85 years old.

King received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California Berkeley. He received his Master’s in Mathematics/Physics and his Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics/Physics and Engineering from UCLA. He had a background of over 40 years of aerospace engineering and was recognized nationally as an expert in the field of fluid mechanics. King worked at Rockwell International (Rocketdyne Division), The Aerospace Corporation, and the Rand Corporation.

While working at the above research institutions, King also worked part-time in the Mathematics Departments at Santa Monica Community College and Los Angeles City College. He taught math, fluid mechanics, and heat transfer at UCLA. and California State University at Northridge. He was also a member of Sigma Xi, the scientific research honor society.