Khalifa varsity students visit Boeing facilities in Seattle

The students, who learnt about the history of aviation, presented the outcomes of their senior design project and received feedback from senior Boeing engineers.

“This collaboration with Khalifa University is one of a number of educational and training initiatives that Boeing supports in the UAE and the region. It is part of our efforts to contribute towards the development of the local workforce, particularly those interested in aerospace,” said Boeing Middle East president Jeffrey Johnson.

The students’ senior project focused on initial design concepts for an electric aircraft that could be used for pilot training with quick mission turnaround. The fundamental concept was to attach the battery packs under the wings of the aircraft, allowing for a quick battery pack replacement so the time between training missions could be minimised.

As part of the project, students considered aerodynamic, structural and mission designs in order to develop the design concept. The aircraft is expected to be certified by the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) and put into service by 2016. The trip to the Boeing facilities showed the students the day-to-day responsibilities of working engineers and how large international companies function.

“It was a wonderful experience. I had the opportunity to see how innovative aerospace engineers can be, and learn about how they think, and how to solve problems in a real world scenario. It was interesting to see how a change to any part of an airplane will result in a change in its aerodynamics and performance. Most importantly, I learned that teamwork is vital for innovation and success as an engineer,” said student Khalifa Ibrahim Al Tamimi.— news@khaleejtimes.com