Don Nolan-Proxmire Embargoed Until: August 3, 1996
Headquarters, Washington, D.C.
(202) 358-1983
Keith Henry
Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA
(804) 864-6120
Mary Sandy
Virginia Space Grant Consortium
(804) 865-0726
Release No. 96-123
Kansas Universities Team to Win NASA/FAA Design Competition
Award
A joint design effort by student teams from the University of
Kansas in Lawrence, Kan., Wichita State University in Wichita,
Kan., and Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kan., took second
place in the 1996 NASA/FAA National General Aviation Design
Competition. The award was presented today in a special ceremony at
the Experimental Aircraft Association's Annual Fly-In Convention
and Sport Aviation Exhibition at Oshkosh, Wis.
The design competition seeks to involve students from U. S.
engineering schools in the revitalization of the general aviation
sector. Revitalization goals present open-ended design challenges
that stimulate engineering students and provide the basis for a
quality educational experience while helping students understand
the economic relevance of general aviation.
The Kansas universities' design package created an economically
viable light airplane made of composite materials. The review panel
of general aviation experts
from industry, government and academia was impressed with the
team's demonstration that an airplane built of composite materials
produced in large quantities using an automated assembly method
could have lower weight and cost than its metal counterpart. The
team was cited for its outstanding effort, which included a strong
systems engineering approach and a professional manufacturing
plan.
Twenty-two students and 13 faculty advisors participated in the
project. As the second place winner, design team members will share
a cash award of $2,000.
The competition is coordinated for NASA and the FAA by the
Virginia Space Grant Consortium. Guidelines for the third annual
competition to be held during the 1996-1997 academic year will be
available from the consortium in August at
(804) 865-0726 or from msandy@pen.k12.va.us.
-end-
text-only version of this release | 
