Aerospace engineers design high-performance systems, including aircraft, spacecraft, satellites and missiles. They have an understanding of aerodynamics, flight mechanics, structures and propulsion. Our graduates work in analysis/design and research/development for local, national and international companies and organizations.
2026 Senior Design Projects
ADF 1 - D.R.A.G.O.N.F.L.Y.: Athlete Delivery Flyer
MEMBERS: Caden Carlson, Jordan Manning, Reese Pekny, Alexis Silva, Gary Tran
ADVISOR: Vijay Matheswaran
The primary mission is to develop a long endurance UAV capable of providing support to multiple ultra-endurance athletes during races or training events. These athletes traverse remote terrain where access to aid stations is limited. This UAV will serve as an on-demand supply platform, capable of dropping essential payloads (e.g., nutrition, hydration, small first-aid items) to different athletes at various locations or at multiple intervals for a single athlete. The aircraft’s design will prioritize flight stability for accurate payload delivery, extended loiter time to remain on station, and the capability to manage and deploy multiple distinct payloads during a single flight.
Carbon Dragons
MEMBERS: Rylan Fay, Colton Hill, Richard Kaiser, Zachary Saffell, Jacob Walden
ADVISOR: Vijay Matheswaran
Our Aircraft will be a scaled version of a full size aircraft that drops dome shaped
habitats for people in need. These habitats will go to people who are stuck in situations
that are too treacherous for aircraft to reach by standard means. These habitats will
allow for 1-4 people to survive for several days while the weather subsides and they
are able to be rescued.
Our Aircraft differs from the competition because it allows for the delivery of something
that is not suited for a typical standard aircraft. Most aircraft that are meant for
dropping payloads are not equipped to drop something this size and shape while also
flying in adverse conditions to provide safety to those in need. Our aircraft has
the capability of being more maneuverable than other aircraft that are capable of
carrying payloads of decent size. Our Aircraft will also be able to be certified in
multiple countries, so this is an aircraft that can be deployed, used, and purchased
worldwide.
Hurricane Hunter
MEMBERS: Austin Sanderson, Kylen Divelbiss, Logan Honors, Cole Matthews, Clayton Crockett
ADVISOR: Vijay Matheswaran
Inspired by full-scale hurricane data collection missions, our aircraft simulates
the deployment of dropsondes used to measure wind velocity and barometric pressure
throughout a storm system. Rather than releasing a single dropsonde device into large
sections of the storm, our design emphasizes diverse data collection through multiple
cluster deployments into large sections of the storm. The aircraft carries six external
payloads, represented by pickleballs, which are released in paired drops across multiple
laps. This approach allows for broader coverage and improved data resolution within
a single flight. By enabling rapid, repeatable, and distributed data collection, our
aircraft contributes to advancing storm prediction, enhancing public safety, and improving
response strategies for weather-related disasters.
Large External Payload Carrier
MEMBERS: Jocelyn Mallonee, Michael Lammers, Catalina Blair, Xavier Villagrasa Itzaina
ADVISOR: Vijay Matheswaran
Our aircraft is designed to be a large external payload carrier, capable of dropping
a payload into a 12ft diameter square while being able to take off and land from a
32ft by 12ft runway. The payload is six pickle balls carried underslung the wing with
2 dropped at a time. The design theory behind the aircraft is to make a biplane it
has a lower stall speed due to the heighted wing area, but would reduce the size of
the horizontal tail due to having a lower chord length. The aircraft is designed to
have a stall speed of 22ft per second and a cruise speed of 30ft per second.
Lock Key Martians
MEMBERS: Kellsie Juhl, Caden Dresher, Riley Strandberg, Isaac Thompson, Samuel Schwarz
ADVISOR: Vijay Matheswaran
As part of the 2026 Bronze Propeller Competition, Senior Design Team Lock Key Martians
built a model fixed-wing aircraft capable of externally carrying 6 pickle balls through
multiple figure-eight maneuvers and dropping them in 2 successive runs. The aircraft
prioritizes efficiency in construction and weight, with its design notable for forgoing
some traditional components (such as an enclosed fuselage) in pursuit of this goal.
The aircraft was largely designed over the Fall 2025 semester, building from analysis
of requirements and initial conceptualization, to initial aerodynamic, structural,
and stability calculations, to an overall preliminary design. After a consultation
and reflection period, the aircraft design was finalized, and throughout Spring 2026
it was constructed, tested, and flown.
Multi-Purpose Fixed Wing Search and Rescue Unmanned Aircraft
MEMBERS: Parker Struve, Seth Newton, Caleb Zimmerman, James Wright, Gabriel Remmert
ADVISOR: Vijay Matheswaran
The Multi-Purpose Fixed Wing Search and Rescue Unmanned Aircraft is an aircraft designed
to deploy rescue materials in flight. The rescue materials are deployed in the form
of pods that can carry a wide array of items for both coastal and terrestrial search
and rescue operations. This can include, but is not limited to, dye packs for identification
in water, flotation devices, food, and medical supplies. The aircraft is designed
to be modular, allowing the various items that can be dropped to be swapped quickly
to save time and allow a single aircraft to have multiple configurations. The design
incorporates two nacelles that can hold various pieces of telemetry gear, including
cameras and sensors to aid rescuers in identifying and locating survivors. The two-nacelle
layout allows the payload to sit right underneath the CG location, allowing the longitudinal
stability of the aircraft to remain virtually unchanged when the payload is deployed.
The design will be scaled up to have a 10-foot wingspan, making the aircraft large
enough to complete the desired missions, yet small enough to be utilized in carrier
or amphibious assault ship operations. With both civil and military applications in
mind, this low cost and versatile design is ideal for tackling all forms of search
and rescue operations.
NOMAD | Next-gen Open Mission Air Delivery
MEMBERS: Luke Johnson, Tyler Roush, Nicolas Perilla Rivera, Janak Samant, Brylea Schmidt
ADVISOR: Vijay Matheswaran
NOMAD is a scaled aircraft designed to support rapid disaster relief and critical
payload delivery across diverse environments. Increasing frequency and severity of
natural disasters in the United States have exposed limitations in traditional ground-based
logistics, particularly in regions where infrastructure is damaged or inaccessible.
NOMAD addresses this gap by providing a compact, high-payload, long-range aerial platform
capable of operating in challenging conditions and slowing sufficiently to safely
deploy payloads.
The aircraft features a modular payload system with interchangeable mission-specific
modules, enabling rapid adaptation for transporting structural supplies, medical resources,
and specialized equipment. This flexibility allows NOMAD to support multiple industries
while maintaining high operational efficiency. By reducing delivery times and improving
access to isolated regions, NOMAD enhances emergency response effectiveness, offering
a cost-effective and versatile solution for accelerating disaster recovery and mitigating
long-term impacts.
Pelican Provisions: Airdrop of Externally Mounted Disaster Relief
MEMBERS: Garrett Sunds, Ella Kreger, Alyssa Rutherford, Isaac Spencer, Anastasia Markovich
ADVISOR: Vijay Matheswaran
On the 29th of August, 2005, Hurricane Katrina made landfall in New Orleans, Louisiana.
The aftermath of the storm and the poor government response resulted in approximately
4,000 people stranded on an Interstate 10 overpass for multiple days. On the 25th
of April, 2015, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck Nepal, destroying infrastructure
and leaving people trapped in remote areas. These are only a few of many cases in
which the most efficient or only way to provide humanitarian aid to survivors was
by air delivery. Our mission is to develop a small cargo plane, similar in size to
a light-sport aircraft, that can efficiently and accurately deliver aid to people
stranded in the aftermath of disaster situations such as these. Our team will accomplish
this by developing a small single-engine propeller plane that is capable of taking
off from any regional airport and delivering aid to affected areas. The plane will
feature an external payload drop system that allows quick loading and delivery.
Revenant: Redefining Aerial Agriculture Through Precision Payload Delivery
MEMBERS: Benny Godwin Manoharan, Holden Goertzen, Dhruv Roy, Manuel Salamanca, Isai Waboshi
ADVISOR: Vijay Matheswaran
Revenant is an unmanned aerial system (UAS) developed by the Phantom WingWorks team
for the 2025–2026 Bronze Propeller competition. The project explores an innovative
approach to improving efficiency and adaptability in modern agricultural aviation.
A common issue in traditional aerial agriculture spraying is pesticide drift, which
contributes to chemical waste and environmental contamination. Instead of dispersal-based
methods, Revenant utilizes precision payload deployment to ensure materials are delivered
directly to targeted areas. The aircraft features a modular payload bay designed to
carry and deploy materials such as seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides, allowing a
single platform to support multiple mission types. For competition purposes, pickleballs
are used to represent these payloads. This modular architecture enables rapid reconfiguration,
offering potential reductions in operational cost and increased flexibility for agricultural
applications. The design process incorporated historical aircraft data, requirement
and constraint analysis, and analysis to determine optimal sizing and configuration
parameters. The result is a system built for stable, controlled flight, even during
dynamic operations like payload deployment, ensuring consistent performance. By combining
modularity, precise deployment capability, and an efficient aerodynamic design, Revenant
provides a scalable solution to enhancing agricultural productivity and adaptability
to help our farmers and landowners.
SAFE DROP
MEMBERS: Kenil Patel, Folarin Olaobaju, Joshua Amiegbebhor-Onikolase, Arshey Raj, Magdalene Karashani
ADVISOR: Vijay Matheswaran
SPONSOR: Boeing
The aim is to develop an aircraft that is exclusively designed for the protection
of aquatic ecosystems and human lives against chemical and oil spills type to enable
prompt response to the affected areas. The aircraft would be designed to carry external
payloads to enable prompt dispatch to the affected areas. The aircraft would be designed
to have external cameras to ensure precise identification of the affected areas due
to spills. The cameras would also be used to track the dispersants’ movement. The
aircraft would be designed to have hardpoints on the wings to enable the carrying
of spherical payloads that would be released to ensure precise dispersal of materials
to the affected areas.
SF4 Dropout
MEMBERS: Jonathan Hammler, Patrick Mack, William Fischer, Jordan Lower, Sameer Bhandari
ADVISOR: Vijay Matheswaran
SPONSOR: Boeing
The goal is to be able to design and build a controlled, robust RC aircraft with the
ability of sustained flight; with the ability to deliver a payload. With this type
of design, the application for such an aircraft would be in the use of ecological
payloads within remote or difficult terrain. Environmentalists and ecological organizations
can protect ecosystems with greater efficiency at a fraction of the cost and time
with increased safety.
Sky8 - The SkyFi Project
MEMBERS: Omarion Davis, Don Boyd, Aakriti Karki, Silja Fahnestock, Sulab Pahkrin
Plane that is designed to fly and drop payloads of internet service to areas affected
by natural disasters. These internet servers can connect for many miles providing
safe connections to those in need.
Team Talon: Ocean Environmental Research
MEMBERS: Nathaniel Boyer, Daniel Reichart, Marcos Gomez Hernandez, Salma Echakar, Kaden Schueler
ADVISOR: Vijay Matheswaran
The proposed aircraft is an unmanned fixed wing that will serve as a low-cost external
payload carrier capable of deploying biodegradable sensor pods over marine environments
affected by pollution, harmful algal blooms, or oil spills, as highlighted by the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in its work on autonomous ocean
observing systems. Carrying up to six pods mounted externally, the aircraft provides
a rapid and flexible method for oceanographic data collection and environmental monitoring.
Unlike drones or quadcopters, which are limited by short endurance, small payload
capacity, and speed, a fixed wing aircraft offers, greater range, longer loiter time,
and larger payload efficiency, allowing it to cover larger coastal areas in a single
mission. Drawing inspiration from the external payload operations of the B-52 with
the X-15 program, its external payload design allows multiple precise release attempts
in targeted zones while maintaining aerodynamic stability, and low stall speeds for
safe and efficient operation. The design can be scaled to a full size capable of operating
short takeoff and landing for practical research operations. This capability provides
environmental agencies and research organizations with a low cost, scalable, and energy
efficient alternative to traditional ship-based or rotary-wing deployment methods,
making marine monitoring faster and more sustainable.
The Flying Circus: The Goliath
MEMBERS: Cole Jackson, Connor O'Dwyer, Morgan Scott, Jude Swilley, Kelsey Thurman
ADVISOR: Vijay Matheswaran
The Goliath is a biplane aircraft designed to transport and deploy up to six externally
mounted payloads into a specified drop zone. The mission requires a safe takeoff and
landing with a minimum flight time of 150 seconds. It uses a twin engine configuration
to maximize lift at low speeds. The Goliath is designed to be capable of takeoff and
landing within a 32 foot runway. A box tail configuration was incorporated to enhance
structural support and improve directional stability for control surfaces. The aircraft
incorporates a full control system including ailerons, flaps, rudders, and elevators
to ensure maximum maneuverability and handling. A claw-type payload mechanism is integrated
into the fuselage to securely hold and release the external mounted payloads, which
enables controlled and repeatable deployment within flight.
The TB-1 Storm Station
MEMBERS: Seth Aistrup, Cole Cumberland, Surajkumar Vaddy, Jonathan Wessel, Carson Wolfe
ADVISOR: Vijay Matheswaran
Extreme hurricanes and tropical storms present an ongoing threat to coastal regions
and their population, infrastructure, industry, ports, and in turn, global trade.
Just last year hurricane Helene caused around 78 billion dollars' worth of damage.
Forecasting and providing early warning for these potential disasters is dependent
on the quality and quantity of gathering atmospheric data, specifically over the ocean
where there are no ground-based stations. Meteorologists currently use data from NOAA
aircraft that deploy dropsondes in and around storm systems to measure pressure, humidity,
wind speeds and directions all at different altitudes as they fall through the sky.
Flying manned arial vehicles poses an unnecessary risk for the crew and risk damaging
expensive aircraft.
Our mission aims to design a mobile, in-air meteorological UAV station with capability
to release payloads acting as dropsondes in the atmosphere over the ocean but with
a distinct difference in weight and cost. This will allow multiple UAVs to be deployed
at the same time, or even cycled periodically, collecting more data in a wider storm
area simultaneously while also maintaining low operational costs. Having a small fleet
instead of one large asset could prove to be more valuable as when a drone returns
to base, another can be sent out in its place, so the mission never has to end until
the storm ends. Smaller-scale UAVs can support meteorological research, weather forecasting
and monitoring of natural disasters at a fraction of the cost and risk of current
methods in use today.
2026 (Non-Senior Design) Undergraduate Projects
Aerodynamic affect of rotating splitter plate in tractor-trailer gap
MEMBERS: Connor Gartrell, Cody Black, Andres Rodriguez, Zach Weimorts
ADVISOR: Vijay Matheswaran
SPONSOR: Traton SE, Lisle Illinois
The gap on a tractor-trailer assembly accounts for a significant portion of the drag on a truck. The air flowing over and around the tractor is trapped in this gap and becomes incredibly turbulent; this creates a low-pressure area that creates drag. A large amount of research has gone into reducing the drag in the gap using different aerodynamic devices. However, an articulating splitter plate is not something that has been researched and could be effective when placed in this gap. An eighth scale model of a tractor-trailer assembly and a manufactured splitter plate will be tested at both different yaw angles of the truck and different sweep angles of the splitter plate to determine the effect on the drag forces impacting the vehicle.
Aerodynamic Effects of Winglets on Vertical Axis Wind Turbine
MEMBERS: Liam Coiner, Itzel Gonzalez Jurado, Natalie Kite, Nomin-Erdene Purevdorj
ADVISOR: Vijay Matheswaran
Vertical axis wind turbines are not as common as horizontal wind turbines. This is because they are less efficient at converting wind to power, but they are more practical in city settings where the flow is turbulent. To increase this efficiency, other studies have digitally simulated wind turbines with winglets. We wanted to test this physically by adding winglets to the blade tips of an H-type Darius wind turbine. This is to study the change in the coefficient of power. The control test is a standard wind turbine test, and the experiment test is with the addition of winglets that have been designed for optimal performance in a different study.
Aerodynamics Strakes as a Form Of Stability Enhancement Device
MEMBERS: Esther David, Damyin Allmond, Abraham Tsuma
ADVISOR: Vijay Matheswaran
SPONSOR: ROBERTS AEROSPACE
The goal of this experiment is to find whether modest, passive aerodynamic strakes can improve the Beechcraft Model 35 Bonanza V tail's yaw dampening capabilities and lessen its propensity to display lateral directional "wagging" during cruise flight. In order to accomplish this, the project will build and model candidate strake shapes, determine the main axis causing the instability, establish baseline stability derivatives using XPlane analysis tools, and assess their aerodynamic performance using simulation and wind tunnel testing. The ultimate objective is to determine whether strakes can offer a workable, certified way to increase yaw stability without necessitating significant structural alteration or active control systems.
Documentation of Turbulence Intensity and Flow Angularity in the 3'x4' Wind tunnel
Using a DANTEC Dynamics MiniCTA
MEMBERS: Keith Dunn, Syed Ali Safarat Kirmani, Emilio Veana Velazquez
ADVISOR: Vijay Matheswaran
This project documents turbulence intensity and flow angularity in the WSU 3'x4' wind tunnel using a DANTEC Dynamics MiniCTA 54T42 constant-temperature anemometry system. The objectives are to, design a probe mount, calibrate the instrumentation to the facility, measure turbulence levels throughout the 3'x4' test section, and create a short operating guide for future testing. At multiple dynamic pressures, the probe will record the velocity fluctuations, which can be used to determine the turbulence intensity within the test section. After that, a five-hole probe will be used to document the flow angularity. The results aim to improve experimental consistency and provide a standardized measurement procedure for the 3'x4' wind-tunnel.
Effect of Inflow Skew Angle on the Power Performance of a NACA 0015 H-Type Vertical
Axis Wind Turbine
MEMBERS: Austin Goodnight, Lizabeth Mueting, Alexander Niblack, Jordan Rider
ADVISOR: Vijay Matheswaran
This project investigates the effect of inflow skew angles of Vertical Axis Wind Turbines
(VAWTs) in a controlled wind tunnel environment. Interest in the installation and
use of VAWT within urban rooftop environments has increased considerably due to their
compact design and unique ability to operate in the multi-directional and turbulent
flow conditions. In urban environments, the wind flow over building rooftops is skewed
upward due to the flow separation at the building's leading edge, which creates a
unique flow that deviates significantly from horizontal flow. Understanding how this
skewed flow affects wind turbine performance is crucial to the viability of rooftop
VAWT installations in urban environments.
To research this unique flow on a VAWT, a three-bladed H-type Darrieus VAWT using
NACA 0015 airfoils will be designed, fabricated and tested. The turbine will be installed
onto an adjustable mount that will allow the turbine to be angled relative to the
freestream flow of the wind tunnel simulating skew angles of 0°, 10°, 20°, and 30°.
During each test, the power output will be measured using a DC motor along with power
coefficient and tip-speed ratio will be calculated for each configuration.
The expected result from the testing will be a maximum power coefficient occurring
between 10° and 20° of inflow skew, which will be consistent with the findings in
prior literature.
Exploring Leading Edge Spoilers on Cambered Airfoils for Gust Load Alleviation
MEMBERS: Gaspard Vrignault, Chance Badon, and Christina Horta
ADVISOR: Vijay Matheswaran
The gust loads on an aircraft decreases the lifespan of the the airframe. Using passive
gust load alleviation systems, airflow is disrupted toward the leading edge, decreasing
lift and increasing drag to lessen the aerodynamic load on the wing from a gust. The
aerodynamic characteristics of a deployed leading edge spoiler on symmetrical airfoils
has been well researched and tested, producing positive results in lift reduction
caused by the spoiler. However, the effects a leading edge spoiler on cambered airfoils
has not been studied as thorough, possibly hindering the use of passive gust load
alleviation devices in commercial settings.
International Rocket Engineering Competition 2025
MEMBERS: Natalie Kite, Cody Black, Carson Crow, Nathan Manthey
ADVISOR: Atri Dutta
In June of 2025 members of the Wichita State Rocket Club participated in the 10k COTS
category at IREC. This means our goal was to launch a rocket that went to 10,000 feet
using components of the shelf. The team had a successful launch and placed 45th out
of 145 overall and 30th out of 87 in our category. The team also won the award for
Best Live Onboard Video.
Quantifying the Loss of Roll Stability When Reducing Drag Using Tapered Fins on a
MK-14 Torpedo at low Reynolds Number
MEMBERS: Lucy Mungarevaani, Immanuel Arocena
ADVISOR: Vijay Matheswaran
This study examines the tradeoff between drag reduction and roll stability for a MK-14
torpedo using swept tapered, and deflected fins at low Reynolds numbers. Changes in
fin geometry are expected to improve drag performance but may also reduce the forces
that help maintain stability. By varying sweep, taper, and deflection, this work analyzes
how these modifications influence overall performance. The fins are approximated as
simple surfaces due to low Reynolds number effects such as flow separation. The goal
is to understand how much roll stability can be sacrificed to achieve improved drag
and to identify a balance between efficiency and stability in the design.
The Reverse Hinge Spoiler Concept
MEMBERS: Joseph Snodgress, Ryan Bay, Sandhya Poudel
ADVISOR: Vijay Matheswaran
Our experiment expands on a new novel concept for an aircraft's spoilers. Spoilers
conventionally are hinged towards the front of their flap and rotate forward toward
the leading edge, whereas a new concept of the opposite has promising potential. By
placing the hinge at the rear of the flap and rotating toward the trailing edge of
the airfoil a higher adverse pressure gradient is formed in front of the spoiler.
By trapping a larger amount of the flow in front of the spoiler we hope to achieve
a larger increase in drag and a larger decrease in lift, increasing the effectiveness
of the spoiler. Using a finite swept wing, intended to mimic those of commercial aircraft,
we hope to explore the effectiveness this new concept would have for everyday aircraft.
Utilizing the 3x4 wind tunnel on the WSU campus we intend on comparing our model airfoil
in three separate configurations to understand the effectiveness of the reverse hinge
spoiler compared to the traditionally used configuration.
Vortex Generator Geometry Influence on NACA 0015 Airfoil
MEMBERS: Gabriel Flores, Ahn-Nika Cassidy, Rishuhin Goto, Micheal Riddle
ADVISOR: Vijay Matheswaran
Numerous design iterations of an airfoil among the aerospace industry have had a lasting
impact in the pursuit of optimization. An area of consideration is the characteristics
of the airfoil and addressing the issue of how to maximize the beneficial properties
and stifle the aerodynamic negative properties. Through this, Vortex generators have
been further investigated to change these characteristics of the airfoil to promote
fuel efficiency, reduce induced drag, and delay flow separation. This project will
analyze and refine the geometry needed to enhance the passive flow control around
the airfoil with an aim to reduce flow separation and induced drag on the NACA 0015
Airfoil.