Overview
Dr. Mingtai Chen is a tenure-track Assistant Professor in the Department of Aerospace Engineering at Wichita State University and a co-founder of Air Mobility Technology LLC. Before joining Wichita State, he served as an Assistant Teaching Professor at North Carolina State University from 2021 to 2026 and was promoted to Associate Teaching Professor, effective August 16, 2026. He earned his Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Alabama in 2021, an M.Eng. in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Toronto in 2014, and a B.E. in Aerospace Engineering from Shenyang Aerospace University in 2006. Prior to his academic career, Dr. Chen worked at the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) as a flight test technician and flight test engineer, gaining professional experience in commercial passenger transport aircraft flight testing. He also completed fixed-wing flight test engineer training at the Test Flying Academy of South Africa (TFASA).
Information
Ph.D Aerospace Engineering, University of Alabama, 2021
M.Eng. Aerospace Engineering, University of Toronto, 2014
B.S. Aerospace Engineering, Shenyang Aerospace University, 2006
Experimental Aerodynamics, Active Flow Control, Wing-In-Ground Vehicle, UAM Aeroacoustics
Experimental Methods, Aerodynamics, Aerospace Vehicle Performance
Peer-Reviewed Technical Papers
[J17] Chen M.*, Peter G., Edwards J., and Fang T., “Effects of Inter-Blade Spacing on Aerodynamics and Aeroacoustics of Two-Looped Toroidal Propellers,” Physics of Fluids, 2026 (Submitted).
[J16] Chen M.*, Chen Y., Prosser K., and Peddisetty S., “Experimental Characterization of a Small 6x6 Fan-Array Wind Tunnel”, Journal of Wind Engineering & Industrial Aerodynamics, 2026 (Submitted).
[J15] Chen M.*, Richard J., Camden M., and Edwards J., “Numerical Study of Archimedes Propeller Configurations,” Unmanned System, 2026 (Revision in review).
[J14] Chen M.*, Richard J., Moore C., Edwards J., and Fang T. “Numerical Investigation of Ground Effect on a Toroidal Propeller,” International Journal of Aeroacoustics, 0(0), 2026. https://doi.org/10.1177/1475472X261488513
[J13] Chen M.*, Mejia O., Cai J., and Fang T. “Numerical Study of Active Flow Control in a Toroidal Propeller Configuration,” International Journal of Aeroacoustics, 0(0), 2026. https://doi.org/10.1177/1475472X261473631
[J12] Chen M.*, Liu T., Edwards J., and Fang T. “Computational Study of Hybrid Propeller Configurations,” Aerospace, 13(1), pp.94, 2026. https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace13010094
[J11] Chen M.*, “Experimental and Numerical Investigation of a 1/36- scaled Airfish 8 Wing-in-Ground Vehicle,” International Journal of Fluids Engineering, 2026 (In production).
[J10] Chen M.*, Liu T., and Fang T. “Experimental and Numerical Analysis of a Toroidal Propeller,” Journal of Aerospace Engineering, 38(6), pp.04025093, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1061/JAEEEZ/ASENG-6423
[J9] Chen M.*, Wimsatt J., Liu T., and Fang T. “Experimental and Numerical Study of a UAV Propeller Printed in Clear Resin,” Aerospace, 12 (5), pp. 362, 2025. https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace12050362
[J8] Chen M.*, Chen Y., Hua J., Maier N., and Burdette D., “Experimental Assessment of Blowing Effect on Vehicle Performance and Aero-acoustics in Small-Rotor/Wing Interaction,” Journal of Vibration and Control, 31 (5-6), pp. 966-980, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1177/10775463241236303
[J7] Chen M.*, Liu L., Chen Y., and Wimsatt J., “Aeroacoustic and Aerodynamic Measurements at the Rotor Plane in the Interaction of a Small Rotor with Wings,” The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 156(4), pp. 2816-2826, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1121/10.0032471
[J6] Chen M.*, Hua J., Maier N., and Burdette D., “Acoustic measurements in single-rotor/wing interaction at low disk loading and Reynolds number,” International Journal of Aeroacoustics, 23 (1-2), pp. 20-37, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1177/1475472X231225630
[J5] Chen Y., Hua J., Ling Y., Liu y., Chen M., Ju B., Gao W., Mills A., Tao X., Yin R.*,” An airflow-driven system for scalable production of nano-microfiber wrapped triboelectric yarns for wearable applications,” Chemical Engineering Journal, 477, pp. 147026, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2023.147026
[J4] Ling Y., Chen M., Liu Y., and Yin R.*, “A Modified Hand-held Force Meter to Measure Yarn Tension in the Ring Spinning Process”, Fibers and Polymers, 24, pp. 2967 - 2975, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12221-023-00271-z
[J3] Chen M.*, Baby R., Dillard S., Lee Y.T., and Ekkad S., “Design and Test a Converging and de Laval Nozzle Using Additive Manufacturing,” Frontiers in Aerospace Engineering, 1(1), pp. 951987, 2022. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpace.2022.951987
[J2] Chen M.* and Hubner J.P., “Experimental and Analytical Analysis of Rotor-Wing Interaction in hover for Low Reynolds Number Flow,” Journal of Aerospace Engineering, 34 (6), pp. 04021073, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)AS.1943-5525.0001307
[J1] Chen M.* and Hubner J.P., “Experimental Investigation of Wing-on-Rotor Effect at Low Disk Loading and Reynolds Number,” Journal of Aircraft, 58 (3), pp. 487-496, 2021. https://doi.org/10.2514/1.C035763
Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, Ltd Full time June 2010 – July 2016
As Flight Test Engineer (Flight Hours: 112.6)
Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, Ltd Full time August 2006 – June 2010
As Flight Test Technician
[A2] MAE Teaching Excellence Award, NCSU, 2024
[A1] AEM Best Teaching Assistant Award, UA, 2019
[P1] Hybrid Toroidal-Conventional Propeller (Provisional application filed, NCSU No. 2026-065-01)
[IP2] Commercial Toroidal Propeller (2024-051, copyright filed in NCSU No. 2026-065-01)
[IP1] Resin Propeller Design for Enhanced Performance and Low Noise Signature (2025-004, copyright filed in NCSU No. 2026-065-01)
External Funding
[EF3] “Translation of Plasma-Actuated Toroidal Propulsion for Efficient and Quiet Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles”, NSF TTP 25-540, $1,200,000, PI. (In draft)
[EF2] “ERI: Development of an Experimental Platform for Coupled Air–Wave–Structure Interaction”, NSF ERI 24-590, $200,000, PI. (Submitted)
[EF1] “Integrated Multi-Modal Platform for Experimental Characterization of Supersonic Retropropulsion (SRP)”, NASA Early-Stage Innovations, 08/01/2027 - 7/31/2029, PI. (Preliminary proposal submitted).
Internal Funding
[IF4] “Using PlayPosit Interactive Videos to Reinforce Key Concepts in MAE 251”, NCSU DELTA Express Grant, 01/12/2026 – 04/28/2026, $2,000, PI.
[IF3] “Hybrid Learning Design in Fluid Mechanics”, NCSU DELTA Hybrid Learning Grant, 09/01/2025 – 03/31/2026, $8,000, PI.
[IF2] “Facilitating Aerospace Engineering Senior Design: Integrating Lab Curriculum Redesign with Student Project and New Technologies”, NCSU 2023-2024 Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Institute Grant, 05/01/2023 – 03/31/2024, $1,250, PI.
[IF1] “Download Force Reduction to Enhance UAM Vehicle Performance”, NCSU Faculty Research & Professional Development (FRPD) Fund, 07/01/2022 – 06/30/2023, $8,000, PI.
Memberships
The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), 2019 – present
American Society of Engineering Education (ASEE), 2021 – 2023
Technical Committees
Panelist, NSF TTP Proposal Review Panel, 2025 - Present
Member, AIAA Vertical/Short Takeoff and Landing (V/STOL) Technical Committee, 2025 – present
Co-Chair, V/STOL-2 and-3 Session, AIAA AVIATION Forum and ASCEND 2025
Editorial Services
Springer Nature, Reviewing editor, 2026 – present
Frontiers in Physics, Handling editor, 2026 - “A Unified Machine Learning and Particle Swarm Optimization Approach for Static-Dynamic Stiffness Enhancement in Parallel Robotic Manipulators” by K. Chen
Frontiers in Aerospace Engineering, Associate editor, 2026 – present
Frontiers in Aerospace Engineering, Community reviewer, 2022 – 2026
Guest Editor for Special Issue on “Aeroacoustics and Active Flow Control” in Frontiers in Aerospace Engineering, 2025 -2026