Queen's Aerospace Design Team (QADT) - Aerodynamics Manager

Please read through the entire description!

Captain's Message

The aerospace industry is among the fastest-growing industries worldwide. In 2025, the market size was estimated at 402.75 billion USD and is projected to double by 2034.

At Queen's Aerospace Design Team (QADT), we are dedicated to pushing boundaries with the development of high performance & autonomous UAVs for national and international competitions in Canada, Europe, and the United States. With the continued growth in industry aerospace applications in recent years, QADT has seen an unparalleled expansion, and our dedicated team of more than 150 undergraduate students has not disappointed.

This year, the AEAC technical team developed 2 UAVs from the ground up to compete at the AEAC 2026 student competition hosted in Ottawa. Including a 3D printed airframe VTOL to map for urban fires, as well as a heavy-lift quadcopter designed to autonomously extinguish fires indoor and outdoor using a water gun. The AIAA technical team developed a fully carbon fiber fixed wing aircraft optimized for long range cargo flights and banner towing. While in parallel, the QADT research team wrote two research papers for submission to the IMAV conference paper call and the VFS student design competition. Respectively, these papers focused on the application of compliant airfoils on efficiency gains in flight and conversion of a tilt rotor aircraft to a hybrid electric engine to prove the feasibility of electrifying the aerospace industry.

QADT offers a unique opportunity for development and growth for students in any discipline, including gaining technical experience in Aeromechanics, Electrical, and Software, and the opportunity to conduct research in a variety of unique fields, as well as the chance to gain experience in business and management. QADT is looking to continue its rapid growth and expansion by taking on like-minded and motivated individuals to not just continue the development of advanced drone technology, but push the boundaries of what student teams are capable of.

We eagerly await your application.

‘Aviation is proof that given the will, we have the capacity to achieve the impossible.'

— Eddie Rickenbacker, WWI flying ace

Erin Payne Mechatronics & Robotics Engineering ‘28

Purujit Kantiya Mechatronics & Robotics Engineering ‘28

Welcome to Aerodynamics at QADT! The Aerodynamics team is responsible for designing the aircraft for the 2026 – 2027 SAE Aero competition. The team focuses on maximizing aircraft performance through aerodynamic design and analysis, including wing and airfoil design, drag reduction, CFD simulations, stability analysis, and overall aircraft performance modelling. Aerodynamics at QADT is about turning engineering theory into a high-performing aircraft capable of meeting the demands of competition requirements.

The SAE Aerodynamics team managers will work together as a single sub-team. Applicants will apply through this position and be asked to specify which position they prefer during the interview. The definitions of each role are listed below:

Aerodynamics Manager - Design & Research

• Leads initial aircraft design based on requirements derived from the competition con-ops. Utilize software such as OpenVSP and QAPOT for component sizing and optimization.

Aerodynamics Manager - Optimization & Analysis

• Lead the analysis and optimization of the aircraft designed by the other manager through the use of simulation tools like Flow5 and OpenFOAM.

This year, the team will be focused on designing and optimizing QADT's entry for the 2026 – 2027 SAE Aero competition. As members of the executive team, the Aerodynamics Managers will oversee all Aerodynamics sub-team operations and co-lead the aerodynamic design process from concept development through to flight testing. They can expect to work closely with the Structures team and Testing Manager to deliver a competitive, flight-ready aircraft.

The Aero-Mechanics Manager can expect to gain skills in these areas:

• Aerodynamic Analysis & Airfoil Design
• Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) Simulation
• Stability & Control Analysis
• CAD Surface Modelling
• Technical Leadership
• Project Management

Application & Interview Details

We do not look at your resume as a deciding factor. We weigh it the least compared to your written application and interview.

DEADLINE TO APPLY: June 27th, 2026 (11:59 PM EST)

Interviews will occur online after the deadline. We are happy to provide accommodation for these interviews, so please reach out to us and let us know how we can make the process more accessible for you!

Contact Information

Please email any questions or concerns to aero @engsoc.queensu.ca or text @queensaero on Instagram!