American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics

About Us

We are the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) chapter at the City College of New York, an undergraduate club that began in 2000 with a small group of people that shared the same interest for designing and building planes. Since then, the club has expanded to include many more members and we compete yearly in AIAA's Design/Build/Fly competition against teams all around the world. Along the way, we enhance group dynamics and learn to work together to get the best results. Here at AIAA, not only do we strive to build better aircraft, but build better future engineers.

Join Us

Regardless of academic level, major, or experience, AIAA DBF is a competition for those interested in flight. The program offers a chance for students to gain real-world experience in a variety of STEM fields. Feel free to join our weekly meetings, hosted on Zoom (time TBD) until in-person classes resume.

To join the AIAA CCNY Chapter, it is important to first become an AIAA Student Member and obtain an AIAA ID. To do so, please follow this link and click "Become a Member" at the bottom.

To join AIAA CCNY Chapter, complete the following steps:

  • Campus Groups - Join us on Campus Groups through this link
  • Member Questionnaire - Fill out the Member Questionnaire with all pertinent information here

If you have any questions about the club, the DBF competition, or about joining, feel free to send us an email at aiaa@gtest.ccny.cuny.edu or stop by our office, ST - 231.

Member Benefits

Aerospace Engineering

Get hands-on experience in the many sub-fields of aerospace engineering including fluid mechanics, mechatronics, flight testing, numerical simulation/modeling,  technical writing, etc...

Software & Manufacturing

Learn and gain experience using programs such as SolidWorks, ANSYS Fluent, Excel, MATLAB, AVL, etc., all valuable in the real world.

Experience & Internships

Gain valuable technical and leadership experience, useful for finding internships with competitive companies/agencies (Boeing, Lockheed Martin, NASA, Collins Aerospace, Tesla, etc.)

Connections

Make valuable connections with other students and faculty members that can help with classes or finding internships/research experience.

Team Statistics

7

Officers

115

Members

12

Events

7

Emails/Newsletters

Officers

John Pabololot Profile

John Pabololot

Vice-President
Hansen Pan Profile

Hansen Pan

Treasurer
Jeremy Maniago Profile

Jeremy Maniago

Secretary
Michael Jacobson Profile

Michael Jacobson

Officer
Moin Khan Profile

Moin Khan

Officer
Islam McDowell Profile

Islam McDowell

President
Prathap Ramamurthy Profile

Prathap Ramamurthy

Advisor
 

Project Leads

 

Aerodynamics

Kyle Rucker

CFD Analysis

Kyle Rucker
Structures Michael Jacobson
Stability & Control Marwan Ahmed
Propulsion Moin Khan
Subsystems Islam McDowell
Manufacturing Michael Jacobson
 

Project Timeline

2019 - 2020 team meeting during the detailed design phase

  1. 1

    Conceptual Design Phase

    Late Summer - Early Fall

  2. 2

    Preliminary Design Phase

    Early Fall - Mid-Fall

  3. 3

    Detailed Design Phase

    Mid-Fall - Mid-Spring

  4. 4

    Manufacturing & Flight Testing

    Winter Break - Early Spring

  5. 5

    Flight Competition

    Spring Break

Events (2022 - 2023)

Spring General Body Meeting                 September 15, 2022 | 12:30 pm | Steinmann Hall Lobby

General Body Meeting for current and new members of the team. Reviewed the project requirements, tasks, methodology, and results. Discussed technical and non-technical matters with members from various academic levels and positions within the team. Began planning for 2022-2023 DBF competition.

Wet Lay-Up Trial #1                      November 10, 2022 | 7:30 pm | ST-230

Reviewed the basics of the wet-lay up method. We conducted our first trial using left-over 2x2 twill weave carbon fiber and epoxy resin. A negative mold of a 0.5-scale fuselage was 3D printed. Procedural errors and final results were documented throughout the process.

Vacuum Bagging Trial #1                          November 19, 2022 | 7:30 pm | ST-230

Reviewed the basics of the vacuum bagging method. A negative mold of a 0.5-scale fuselage was 3D printed, implementing changes to avoid errors from the previous trial. Using household vacuum bags, 3 layers of 2x2 twill weave carbon fiber were set and vacuumed in room temperature conditions. Errors and results were documented. A comparison between the vacuum-bag and wet lay-up products highlighted key differences.

Vacuum Bagging Trial #2      November 23, 2022 | 7:30 pm | ST-230

Reviewed results and errors from previous trials. Implemented proper design and procedural requirements to avoid errors. An attempt was made to make the carbon fiber more handleable and minimize excess resin. While the method yielded positive results, a procedural error complicated the demolding process. Attempts to prepare a proper vacuum bag failed.

Previous Competitions' Photos

Airvengers

2020 - 2021

Gallery Link (Fickr)

The Towing Company

2019 - 2020

Gallery Link (Fickr)

Useful Links