As a Manufacturing Engineer for the USC AeroDesign Team, I played a key role in the design, fabrication, and testing of our competition aircraft for the AIAA Design/Build/Fly competition. Over the course of more than 100 hours, I gained extensive hands-on experience with various manufacturing techniques, including carbon composite layups, 3D printing, and laser cutting. These methods allowed our team to create lightweight yet durable aircraft structures that met strict design and performance requirements.
Beyond fabrication, I collaborated closely with team members from different subsystems to ensure seamless integration between structural, propulsion, and control components. My contributions extended beyond the lab, as I was selected to attend professional design reviews and travel with the team to present and compete at the AIAA DBF competition. This experience strengthened my technical manufacturing skills, teamwork, and ability to apply engineering principles to real-world aerospace challenges.