The S&T Miner Aviation student design team will take its aircraft, named Dragonfly (pictured), to compete in an international competition in April. S&T’s team will compete at the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics’ (AIAA) Design, Build, Fly International Competition Wednesday, April 10, to Monday, April 15, in Tucson, Arizona. To learn more or donate, visit the team’s crowdfunding page.

“The competition design requirements and challenges change every year — very similar to FIRST Robotics but with planes,” says Chandler Cairatti, a junior in mechanical engineering. “This year, we had to design an aircraft, the Dragonfly, that is very similar to an aircraft carrier jet. The aircraft must fit within a 3-foot-wide by 2-foot-high box while also being capable of taking off from a 10-foot, five degree ramp without touching the ground. This meant designing a folding wing aircraft capable of ‘heavy’ lift while also being extremely lightweight.”

Learn more at mineraviation.mst.edu.