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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 unmanned aerial vehicles (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. This included a 3D printed vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) drone to map urban fires, as well as a heavy-lift quadcopter designed to autonomously extinguish fires using a water gun. While in parallel, the AIAA technical team developed a fully carbon fiber fixed wing aircraft optimized for long range cargo flights and banner towing.

Alongside the technical teams, the QADT research branch 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 the conversion of a tilt rotor aircraft to a hybrid electric engine to prove the feasibility of electrifying the aerospace industry!

QADT offers a unique prospect for development and growth for students in any discipline, including gaining technical experience in aero-mechanics, 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 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

On the Propulsion and Testing sub-team, we develop mission-capable electrical systems for the SAE Aero East Advanced competition while completing comprehensive testing to ensure design validity and reliable flight performance. Specifically, the sub-team’s technical responsibilities include developing a reliable propulsion system. This includes power generation, distribution, and storage.

In addition, we will validate the airframe and subsystems prior to competition, collaborating with various sub-teams where applicable. This will include airframe and structure, power systems, communication, software, and sensor components.

As a member of the Propulsion and Testing team, you will contribute to a wide variety of tasks while both building and testing UAVs.



On the technical side, members can expect to be involved in the hands-on selection and integration of propulsion system components to power the competition drone. On the testing side, members will work with several other sub-teams to find innovative ways to validate designs, component choices, and the final airframe before competition.

There will be a wide variety of tasks and projects to work on based on your interests, including selecting propulsion components (motors, ESCs, batteries, propellers, etc.), integrating propulsion components, working alongside Aerodynamics, Avionics and Autonomy sub-teams to implement electrical and software systems, designing the Power Distribution Board (PDB), and designing and deploying testing systems.

A member of Propulsion and Testing can expect to gain skills in the areas of:

- Power distribution PDB design
- Flight operations & safety protocols
- Soldering
- Read and interpret data sheets during part selection
- Power system integration & battery management
- Verification & validation
- Data monitoring and analysis with QGroundControl
- Interdisciplinary collaboration

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: September 19th, 2026 (11:59 PM EST)

Interviews will occur in person 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!

📌 Queen's Aerospace Design Team (QADT) - Testing and Propulsion Team Member (Canada)
🏢 EngSoc
📍 Canada