The Chiefs are the best in the nation. The General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) announced that the team from McIntosh High is the winner of the 2023 GAMA Aviation Design Challenge.
Members of the first-place team are Marc van Zyl, Emily White, Matthew Villiger, Aaron Maeder, and Jada Reeves. They were seniors last year and part of the school’s STEM program.
Over 80 high school teams, representing 38 states, entered the 2023 GAMA Aviation Design Challenge. During the first portion of the challenge, teams used complimentary “Fly to Learn” curriculum to learn the principles of flight and airplane design, consistent with national STEM standards. During the second portion of the competition, teams applied their knowledge to virtually modify an airplane design and compete in a fly-off using X-Plane software.
This year’s mission was to modify a CubCrafters NX Cub to fly from Packwood, Washington, to Seattle, Washington, as quickly and efficiently as possible. The teams needed to design their aircraft to maximize speed and efficiency and successfully takeoff from an airport surrounded by high terrain. Judges scored the teams based on performance parameters, a checklist of steps involved in the demonstration flight and a video submission in which the team summarized what they learned.
The McIntosh entry demonstrated an elaborate design process which included altering wing length and chord ratio; adding winglets, retractable landing gear and fairings; and reducing horsepower.
“GAMA continues to be inspired by the effort and creativity we see put forth by all the teams competing in the Aviation Design Challenge. We congratulate McIntosh High School and Gonzaga College High School for the insightful work they put into the challenge, especially as both teams were first time entrants. With the completion of our eleventh year, we have now had teams from all 50 states participate in the challenge, which is a great milestone for the program. We look forward to continuing to improve and grow the program so that we can inspire younger generations to consider fulfilling careers in general aviation,” said Pete Bunce, GAMA President and CEO.
The team’s first-place prize includes a CubCrafters Manufacturing Experience, a tour of The Museum of Flight, demonstration flight opportunities and much more.
