Five students from Loughborough University’s Department of Aeronautical and Automotive Engineering have been awarded joint 2^nd place in an international aircraft design challenge.

The annual competition, run by the American Institute for Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), challenged undergraduate students from across the globe to design a hybrid aircraft for the general aviation market.

The students’ aircraft, codenamed “HEGAAsus”, was designed in collaboration with students from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) in the US. The team say that the aircraft:

“brings the latest development in hybrid powertrain technology to the 4 and 6 seat general aviation market, carrying its passengers up to 1000nmi at speeds in excess of 200kts. Thanks to its hybrid powertrain, which optimises energy utilisation through two electric motors and a diesel engine, fuel burn is reduced by up to 50% compared to its nearest competitors. The HEGAAsus is due to enter into service in 2028 and aims to mark a step change in air travel.”

The team of 10 included the following Part D students from Loughborough: Ashley Peyton-Bruhl; Daniel Guerrero; Jennifer Glover.

They undertook the international collaboration as part of their final year group design module with support from academic staff including Dr James Knowles, Lecturer in Dynamics and Control here at Loughborough University. Although most of the work took place with the team split over 2 continents, using video conferencing to work on the design collaboratively throughout the year, the students at Loughborough hosted a visit from their American teammates just before Easter this year. The visit helped the team to advance the detail of their final design, something that particularly impressed the judges.

Congratulations to the team on achieving a fantastic result!