Grant supports Trine Design Build Fly team

Trine University has received a $3,000 grant from the Indiana Space Grant Consortium to support a student team in the annual American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Design Build Fly competition.

The grant will help cover travel expenses and materials for building an aircraft. The 2020 Design Build Fly competition will take place in April in Wichita, Kansas.

The contest, which Trine participates in each year, provides a real-world aircraft design experience for engineering students by giving them the opportunity to validate their analytic studies. Student teams design, fabricate and demonstrate the flight capabilities of an unmanned, electric-powered, radio-controlled aircraft that can best meet the specified mission profile.

The goal is a balanced design that demonstrates good flight handling while using practical, affordable manufacturing requirements.

The Research and Outreach Project grant awarded to Trine University seeks to provide hands-on or project-based experience geared toward STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) workforce development.

The Indiana Space Grant Consortium (INSGC) is one of the 52 consortia that make up the National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program. In the state of Indiana, INSGC is a source of NASA-related information, awards and programs.

The consortium seeks to Inspire public interest in aerospace-related disciplines and lifelong learning through partnerships with educators at all levels. Trine University is one of 26 Indiana organizations affiliated with INSGC.

Photo: G. Leroy Johnson, left, a 1956 mechanical engineering graduate from Tri-State College (now Trine University), discusses the AIAA Design Build Fly project with mechanical engineering senior John Anderson of Carmel, Indiana, at the 17th annual Engineering Design Expo on April 26. Trine University has received a $3,000 grant from the Indiana Space Grant Consortium to support a student team for the 2020 competition.