The air is thick with anticipation. As we enter the room, we see groups huddled together over their prototypes taking advantage of their final minutes of preparation – waiting for the opportunity to shine. While discussions about weight balance, static margin, wing span, drag reduction and climb time buzz like bees at a honeycomb, the call is made and everyone quickly finds their seat. As the small coterie assembles and the first group takes their place (seemingly before judge and jury), the computer comes on, the projector lights up and the silence exudes ‘let the games begin’.

So where am I you might ask – a conference room at Boeing; a presentation theatre at Lockheed, maybe?  Well, we definitely were not in a boardroom or a presentation theatre. Instead we were in a classroom at the College of Engineering at San Jose State University. Gone were baseball caps, ripped jeans, t-shirts and flip-flops, only to be replaced by suits, ties, laptops, and…of course, planes.  These were the final projects and presentations of the graduating seniors from the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department and as representatives of Dassault Systemes and sponsors of one of the projects, we were invited to come and hear what the future has to say.  Well if this is any indication of voice of the future, then take note – they’ve got volumes and it’s solid. Moreover, as one of seven sponsors and the only sponsor to attend, 3DS is clearly stating to our future engineers – say it and we’ll turn up the volume.

3DS sponsored the SJSU Flight Crew, a Design/Build/Fly Team, which set out to design and build an aircraft to achieve 3 distinct missions.  According to Eric Chynoweth, graduating senior and member of the SJSU Flight Crew, “Our DBF team, SJSU Flight Crew, knew extensive effort was needed for sponsorships due to high cost of building materials. Dassault Systemes graciously responded to the letter and supported the team generously. With its support, many accomplishments were achieved by the team.” Without the support of companies like 3DS, the teams will pay for these materials out-of-pocket, which can be a major hardship for struggling college students.

Using a combination of CAD, FEA Analysis, collaboration and a lot of elbow grease these soon-to-be engineers presented their aircrafts of plywood, balsa, and various other materials. Each team’s aircraft design process includes sizing, weight, aerodynamics, and control theory. After collecting and assessing analytical data, the information is then rendered into a physical prototype. 3-D models are then created; many students using Solidworks for visual analysis. The final presentation included the conclusion of the analysis, as well as the results of the missions. The SJSU Team achieved glowing success and completed the missions with “extremely competitive performance,” according to their professor, Gonzalo Mendoza.   After the team completed each meticulous and highly professional presentation, Eric reiterated his appreciation for our support.  “With the help of Dassault Systèmes, four prototypes have been built and flown successfully. We thank you for your support of San Jose State University and the Aerospace Engineering program.”

According to Professor Mendoza, the aircraft design course is the “capstone senior design experience” for any student interested in aerospace engineering. “The Class of 2011/2012 was very active, with two teams choosing to participate in the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Design/Build/Fly (DBF) competition and another team tackling the difficult task of improving the performance and handling qualities of an existing single seat experimental airplane…The SJSU Team went on to win the DBF competition in Wichita, Kansas against a field of 68 universities from over 10 different countries…[This class] has many reasons to be proud and is very appreciative of Dassault Systemes for its sponsorship, as well as for the access to excellent tools such as the SolidWorks Computer Aided Design package.”

With our support and access to our products, up-and-coming engineers have the opportunity to not only learn but explore, create and even produce what they can imagine. As a representative of Dassault Systèmes, a company at the nucleus of innovation, it was a privilege to watch and witness the future unfold.