Selected Engineering Projects

Featured Aerospace Engineering Work

Boeing 777 Translating Cowl Perforated-Skin Replacement

Reverse Engineering | Structural Design | Manufacturing Drawings

A damaged acoustic perforation pattern had reduced the performance of a Boeing 777 translating cowl, placing the full assembly at risk of being scrapped. I reverse-engineered the affected perforated skin and developed a replacement design that could be manufactured in-house as a more cost-effective repair solution.

  • Completed and released the center-panel manufacturing drawing

  • Adapted the design approach for four additional panels with similar geometry

  • Developed unique solutions for complex end-panel contours

  • Supported the project from engineering request through production-ready documentation

Tools and skills: SolidWorks, reverse engineering, geometric reconstruction, aerospace repair design, technical drawings, design-for-manufacturing

Gulfstream G550 Spoiler Upgrade

Repair Development | Composite Bonding | Engineering Documentation

Supported an upgrade to the Gulfstream G550 spoiler using an improved repair configuration. I prepared the engineering request and evaluated bonding requirements where customer specifications and OEM drawing nomenclature differed.

  • Translated customer requirements into clear engineering documentation

  • Compared bonding specifications and resolved technical nomenclature differences

  • Supported structural compliance and customer review of the proposed repair approach

Tools and skills: repair engineering, composite bonding, specification review, technical communication, airworthiness documentation

Structural Adhesive Recertification Program

Materials Engineering | Test Development | Cost Reduction

Developed recertification procedures for aerospace prepregs and adhesive systems by identifying the mechanical properties most critical to long-term performance and most vulnerable to storage-related degradation.

  • Researched qualification requirements and validated applicable technical references

  • Selected meaningful mechanical tests for material recertification

  • Developed a test methodology capable of extending qualified shelf life by up to 50%, subject to successful testing

  • Completed, approved, and published recertification documentation for multiple material systems

  • Helped reduce material waste, improve inventory utilization, and lower replacement costs while maintaining quality requirements

Tools and skills: materials testing, test-method development, technical research, qualification planning, quality compliance, engineering substantiation

Alternative Aerospace Cleaner Qualification

Material Compatibility | Chemical Evaluation | Engineering Substantiation

Completed an engineering substantiation to evaluate an alternative aircraft cleaner for maintenance use. The assessment compared chemical characteristics and compatibility across metallic, composite, and bonded structures.

  • Evaluated pH and acidic/basic behavior of the proposed and existing cleaners

  • Assessed compatibility with aluminum, steel, titanium, magnesium, composites, and adhesive bond surfaces

  • Identified materials and applications requiring additional verification

  • Established a documented technical basis for controlled use while protecting material performance and maintenance compliance

Tools and skills: material compatibility, chemical-property evaluation, risk assessment, technical substantiation, maintenance requirements

Airbus A330 Translating-Cowl Acoustic Restoration

Repair Planning | Acoustic Performance | Composite Structures

A translating cowl arrived with several previous repairs and widespread disbonding of the inner perforated skin. After removal of the damaged material, the affected area measured approximately 600 square inches.

  • Prepared an engineering request for replacement of the damaged perforated panel

  • Developed a repair approach that reduced blocked acoustic area

  • Balanced structural restoration with improved acoustic performance

  • Supported the return of a heavily repaired component to a serviceable configuration

Tools and skills: composite repair, acoustic structures, damage assessment, repair documentation, engineering judgment

Boeing 757 Fixed-Duct Core-Cowl Repair

Structural Repair | Adhesive Selection | Damage Assessment

Developed the engineering request and substantiation for a fixed-duct core-cowl repair involving a damaged doubler and a localized disbond.

  • Researched the original closeout-splice materials and bonding system

  • Identified a compatible aerospace adhesive for the repair

  • Designed a replacement doubler and splice configuration

  • Addressed both the primary structural damage and adjacent disbond in one integrated repair

Tools and skills: structural repair design, adhesive selection, bonded structures, technical research, engineering substantiation

Boeing 757 High-Temperature Heat-Shield Replacement

Thermal Structures | Bonded Repair | Engineering Analysis

Developed a replacement solution for a stainless-steel heat shield with disbonding around multiple attachment locations. Because the damage exceeded standard repair limits, the full heat shield required replacement.

  • Completed the engineering request and substantiation

  • Researched and selected a high-temperature aerospace adhesive where the repair manual did not specify one

  • Designed the replacement with sufficient overlap to provide bond area and load transfer

  • Documented the technical basis for structural integrity and temperature capability

Tools and skills: thermal-material selection, bonded joints, load transfer, repair design, specification research

Trailing-Edge Wedge Skin Reverse Engineering

Geometry Reconstruction | Detail Design | Manufacturing Support

Created engineering drawings for the upper and lower skins of a trailing-edge wedge without access to the original OEM drawings.

  • Reconstructed the required geometry from the existing component

  • Applied engineering judgment to establish design details and interfaces

  • Produced manufacturing-ready drawings for replacement-part fabrication

Tools and skills: reverse engineering, dimensional analysis, CAD, detail drawings, design-for-manufacturing

Research and Experimental Testing

Nuclear-Grade HEPA Filter Materials Durability Study

Materials Research | Environmental Testing | Data Analysis

Investigated the long-term durability of glass filter media and elastomeric gaskets used in nuclear-grade HEPA filtration systems. The work combined controlled environmental exposure with mechanical and thermal characterization to understand how materials respond to simulated service conditions.

  • Evaluated tensile strength, compression recovery, thickness, water repellency, and load-deflection behavior

  • Designed test campaigns involving humidity, thermal cycling, ozone exposure, water immersion, and mechanical compression

  • Performed thermogravimetric analysis to characterize thermal stability, decomposition behavior, and moisture or volatile content

  • Applied ASTM, ISO, and TAPPI methods to support repeatable, traceable testing

  • Analyzed results to support material qualification and service-life assessments

Tools and skills: tensile and compression testing, TGA, environmental chambers, experimental design, calibration, data analysis, ASTM/ISO/TAPPI standards

Academic Engineering Projects

3D-Printed UAS Manufacturing, Flight Testing, and Validation

UAS | Flight Testing | System Identification

Manufactured, assembled, instrumented, and flight-tested a 3D-printed unmanned aircraft to compare predicted aerodynamic behavior with real-world performance.

  • Produced the airframe using lightweight PLA and PETG additive-manufacturing processes

  • Tuned printing parameters and corrected moisture, adhesion, and tall-part fabrication challenges

  • Planned static and flight tests for stability derivatives and moments of inertia

  • Processed acquired data in MATLAB and LabVIEW

  • Compared simulation outputs with flight-test measurements to evaluate model accuracy

Tools and skills: 3D printing, MATLAB, LabVIEW, flight testing, data acquisition, stability and control, experimental validation

Compressible-Flow CFD and Experimental Validation

CFD | Schlieren Imaging | Gas Dynamics

Studied oblique shocks and converging-diverging nozzle flow using analytical methods, laboratory experiments, and computational fluid dynamics.

  • Used Schlieren imaging to visualize oblique-shock behavior at multiple Mach numbers and wedge angles

  • Built ANSYS Fluent models for supersonic wedge and nozzle configurations

  • Applied isentropic-flow, normal-shock, and expansion-wave relations

  • Compared theoretical, experimental, and CFD pressure and Mach-number distributions

  • Identified subsonic, choked, shocked, underexpanded, and overexpanded operating regimes

Tools and skills: ANSYS Fluent, MATLAB, Schlieren imaging, compressible aerodynamics, CFD validation, experimental analysis

Structural Design, Fabrication, and Finite Element Analysis

FEA | Sheet-Metal Fabrication | Structural Validation

Designed and fabricated precision aluminum panels, then evaluated their structural response through finite element analysis.

  • Completed layout, cutting, bending, drilling, and riveting under dimensional constraints

  • Built FEA models to examine stress distribution, deflection, and structural integrity

  • Compared manufactured geometry with design requirements

  • Connected analytical results with hands-on manufacturing considerations

Tools and skills: Abaqus/FEA, structural mechanics, sheet-metal fabrication, riveting, dimensional inspection, engineering drawings

60-Seat Regional Jet Conceptual Design

Aircraft Design | Performance Analysis | Multidisciplinary Optimization

Collaborated on the conceptual design of a next-generation, 60-seat regional jet targeted for a 2035 entry into service. The project integrated aerodynamics, propulsion, structures, weight and balance, stability, performance, and regulatory requirements.

  • Contributed to aircraft sizing, drag buildup, weight estimation, and performance modeling

  • Evaluated wing geometry, airfoil selection, sweep, dihedral, and propulsion integration

  • Conducted stability-and-control and design trade studies

  • Developed CAD geometry and aerodynamic models

  • Assessed the design against FAR Part 25 and Part 36 requirements

Tools and skills: CATIA, OpenVSP, XFLR5, MATLAB, aircraft performance, weight and balance, stability and control, FAR compliance

Product Development - Koch Innovation Challenge

Product Design | Rapid Prototyping | Team Leadership

Led a cross-functional team through the development of a commercially viable product concept, from early ideation to a functional prototype.

  • Translated a user need into design requirements

  • Developed CAD concepts and produced 3D-printed prototypes

  • Evaluated manufacturability, scalability, and market potential

  • Coordinated team responsibilities and design decisions across the project

Tools and skills: CATIA, additive manufacturing, product development, design iteration, manufacturability, team leadership