My passion for aeronautical engineering began with an experience I had when I was 12 years old during a family trip to the United States. I was taking an introductory helicopter flying lesson and, under the guidance of a flight instructor, I was able to briefly fly the helicopter myself.
During the flight, we passed through an area of heavy moisture, and I remember watching the front windscreen quickly become covered with ice. The helicopter’s performance changed noticeably, and although the instructor handled the situation safely, I was left with countless questions. I wanted to understand why icing occurred, how it affected the aircraft’s performance, and what engineers do to ensure aircraft can operate safely in challenging weather conditions.
My curiosity continued to grow throughout school. During my A Levels, I joined the Nuffield Research Placement programme, where I investigated the aerodynamics of a Formula 1 rear wing. Through this project, I was introduced to aerodynamic theory, engineering research and the process of solving real engineering problems. I found it fascinating that the same principles of fluid mechanics could be applied to both high-performance race cars and aircraft.
These experiences confirmed that aeronautical engineering was the field I wanted to pursue. I am excited to continue developing the knowledge and skills needed to contribute to the future of aviation and space engineering.
First Year Project: Wind turbine
The first-year wind turbine project was my first opportunity to apply engineering theory to a practical design challenge. Working as part of a team, we were responsible for designing, manufacturing and testing a small-scale wind turbine.
At the beginning of the project, we researched different airfoil designs and aerodynamic principles, using references to compare their performance and select the most suitable airfoil for our turbine. Through team discussions, we evaluated different ideas and made design decisions together.After finalising our concept, we divided i nto smaller sub-teams to focus on different aspects of the project, including CAD modelling, analysis, manufacturing and testing.
This taught me the importance of communication and collaboration when working on a complex engineering problem, as each stage depended on the success of the others. The project also gave me valuable hands-on experience beyond the classroom. I developed my CAD skills and gained practical manufacturing experience in the student workshop, where we used equipment such as 3D printers and laser cutters to produce our components.
Seeing our design progress from an initial concept to a tested prototype showed me the importance of the engineering design cycle and gave me confidence for future projects.
Second Year Project: Duocopter
Our second-year duocopter project was a much more complex systems engineering challenge. We worked as a team to design, build and test a two-rotor aircraft capable of controlled flight, requiring us to integrate aerodynamics, structures, electronics, control systems and programming into a single functioning vehicle.
One of the most rewarding aspects was seeing how each engineering discipline depended on the others. Even small design changes could affect stability, weight or control performance, so communication and collaboration were essential throughout the project.We continually tested, analysed results and refined our design to improve reliability and flight performance.
The project strengthened both my technical and teamwork skills while giving me a greater appreciation for the complexity of aerospace system design. It closely reflected the type of multidisciplinary collaboration that takes place in industry and was one of the highlights of my second year.
Imperial College Rocketry
I am a member of Imperial College Rocketry, where I work as part of the Propulsion Team. This has allowed me to apply concepts from my coursework to real engineering projects while learning from experienced students across different year groups. My work has included contributing to the design and development of liquid rocket propulsion systems, supporting testing activities and helping improve ground filling equipment.
Being involved in a student-led project has given me valuable experience of engineering in a realistic environment, where design decisions must consider safety, manufacturability, testing and system integration. The team environment has also helped me develop project management, communication and problem-solving skills. Working towards shared goals with students from different disciplines has been incredibly rewarding, and seeing our designs progress from initial concepts to hardware has reinforced my ambition to pursue a career in the aerospace industry.