After building satellites for 12 years, Weber State University students now are manufacturing airplanes.
Five manufacturing engineering technology students are designing a prototype for 8-foot airplanes. The 10-pound airplanes will carry more than twice their weight.Weber State is the only Utah institution competing in an international aeronautics contest May 20-22 at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio.
The university is the only school among some 100 to display more than one airplane. Seniors Dave Johnson, Kevin Dowdle, Ted Smith, Darren Roylance and Ken Mayhew will build five planes.
Judges will award points for display, presentation and weight carried by a single airplane.
"We're designing our planes for mass production, said Dave Erb, assistant professor of manufacturing and mechanical engineering technology. "We want the planes to conform to manufacturing standards."
Erb said participation in the contest provides Weber State students with a "global focus" and gives students exposure to national aeronautics companies. He believes Weber State manufacturing students will compete favorably with students from aeronautics engineering programs throughout the world.
Many graduates of Weber State's manufacturing engineering technology program work at Boeing manufacturing plants, Erb said.