UBC Heavy Lift team takes third in SAE Aero Design West Regular Class

The UBC Heavy Lift team placed third overall (Regular Class) in the recent SAE Aero Design West international competition, held March 6-8th in Los Angeles, California. The team also took second in the oral presentation.

The team's 8lb plane successfully completed the empty weight bonus flight and scored a flight lifting 20.3lbs before crashing spectacularly in an overzealous attempt at lifting 24.1lbs.

This year, the Society for Automotive Engineers' Aero Design West competition saw 54 teams (31 in the Regular Class) competing from across North America and abroad – including teams from Puerto Rico, India, and Poland.

The UBC Heavy Lift Team designs, fabricates and fly’s a remote controlled aircraft capable of lifting the heaviest payload possible while conforming to various competition restrictions. This coming year we are focusing on better project management and more engagement of new members. Participants from all branches of engineering will get a chance to try any and all of the necessary skills to complete a successful project, as well as experience the thrill of seeing it actually work.

The Heavy Lift Team website is undergoing renovations over the summer, but for more information on the team please send an email to ubchl@yahoo.ca. More details of the competition and its results can be found at http://students.sae.org/competitions/aerodesign/.



Team Members at the 2009 Competition:
Julian Fong – 2nd Year Eng Phys
Chu Lin – 4th Year Mech Eng
Ronald Chan – 3rd Year Mech Eng
Jason Currie – 4th Year Mech Eng

Pilot:
Gord Giles – UBC Alumni

Other Main Team Members:
Robert Lion – 2nd Year Mech Eng
Alan Hsu – Graduate Student, Mech Eng
Thomas Chang – 4th Year Eng Phys
Jake Sternig – 1st Year Eng
Jason Gao – 1st Year Eng

Faculty Advisor:
Dr. Pete Ostafichuk

The UBC Heavy Lift Team thanks all of the students who came out to participate and help the team, and their sponsors: UBC Mechanical Engineering, the UBC Engineering Professional Activities Fund, the Society of Automotive Engineers, the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia, and the Walter H. Gage Memorial Fund.