UA Engineering Students to Compete in Aircraft Contest

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Most children play with toy airplanes during their childhood, but these kids typically don’t grow up and build their very own aircraft.

However, the Crimson Hawx, a team of University of Alabama aerospace engineering students, has done just that. The team will compete with its airplane in the AIAA Student Design/Build/Fly competition April 15-17 in Tucson, Ariz.

Teams must design and build a radio controlled aircraft that demonstrates balance and good flight handling on a specified mission. The team’s success depends on aircraft performance along with a practical and affordable design.

The team received a $5,000 grant from the Alabama Space Grant Consortium for its project and will be competing against 80 teams from around the world.

UA’s team consists of aerospace engineering majors:

• William Appling, a junior from Brookwood
• Daniel Brown, a senior from Daphne
• Jennifer Conway, a senior from Alexandria, Va.
• Melissa Conway, a senior from Alexandria, Va.
• Christopher Cottingham, a freshman from Shreveport, La.
• Derek Donewar, a senior from Harvey, La.
• Chase Leibenguth, a senior from Denham Springs, La.
• Cameron Miller, a junior from Boaz
• Kevin Miller, a junior from Pleasant Prairie, Wis.
• Ryan Mills, a senior from Sugar Land, Texas
• John Palmore, a senior from Mobile
• David Parham, a senior from Birmingham
• David Parsons, a freshman from Folsom, La.
• Tyler Paul, a senior from Foley

“Together, the team excelled and is able to compete this year with a confident design,” said Jennifer Conway, team captain. “This has been a rewarding way to end our undergraduate studies at the University.”

Dr. Thomas A. Zeiler, associate professor of aerospace engineering and mechanics, is the team’s adviser. Zeiler is the director for this senior design course and assists the team during production.

The AIAA is a professional society focused on advancing aerospace science, engineering, technology, operations and policy. Its contest provides a real-world aircraft design experience. Engineering students implement design and test their analytic studies.

In 1837, The University of Alabama became one of the first five universities in the nation to offer engineering classes. Today, UA’s fully accredited College of Engineering has more than 2,700 students and more than 100 faculty. In the last eight years, students in the College have been named USA Today All-USA College Academic Team members, Goldwater scholars, Hollings scholars and Portz scholars.

Media Availability: Interviews with team members and photos of them and the plane will be available Monday, April 11, at 11 a.m. in Hardaway Room 129.