A group of sophomore students started our organization in 2009 with the intent of winning the SAE Aero Design competition. Since then, our team has competed annually in the SAE Aero competition, which is designed to present undergraduate students with real world design problems while testing their technical, management, and presentation skills. Our team has become a notable competitor among the international field; Since our first win in 2014, Texas A&M Aero Design has finished first overall 4 times, as well as numerous top 3 finishes. Our team now sits at 60 members and we have graduated over 200 total engineers. In 1986, SAE International set out to provide students with the opportunity to solve real-world aerospace engineering challenges. Each year, a competition is held where student teams are given a mission requirement and ruleset which mirrors real-world scenarios. Students are tasked with solving a realistic design problem that requires the use of software, tools, and standards used in the aerospace industry. Teams are evaluated on how well their design meets each requirement, as well as their ability to present their solutions. As a final product, each team is required to build and test a final competition aircraft, write out a design report, and make an oral presentation outlining their findings and accomplishments. Approximately 150 collegiate design teams will gather each year from all over the world to participate in the SAE Aero Design Challenge.
