We invite you to join us in commemorating the achievements of our 2023 final-year students in the Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) in Aeronautical and Airworthiness Engineering programme. These students have literally "soared to new heights" with their original design/build/test, fixed-wing aircraft accomplishments! From mission capable criteria provided by instructors Mr. Lumumba Obika and Dr. Kelvin Loutan Jr, as a "Final Year" project they brought together all the theoretical concepts and workshop developed skills from previous years and were able to achieve "Flight" success. Test Flights were conducted at the Mike De Freitas RC Airfield in Caroni under the external oversight by the Savannah Aero Concepts Trinidad and Tobago (SACTT) and their expert RC Pilots.

From the initial stages of design to the intricate process of construction, these diligent students wholeheartedly embraced the challenges that lay before them. While the construction of DIY RC models may be common in the realm of hobbyists, our students' journey went far beyond that. It encompassed rigorous calculations in propulsion and aerodynamics, meticulous evaluations of critical components' structural integrity, and unwavering adherence to airworthiness regulations and crashworthiness principles. This resulted in "Original/Prototype" airframe engine combinations that achieved controlled flight in one instance and a Rejected Take Off in another. The knowledge and experience gleaned by all will form the basis for future research and improvements. One unique idea emanating from the project that materialised during the build element was the cross functional use of secondary flight controls both as a high lift device and lateral and speed brake functionality in different flight phases. We look forward to further research and exploration in this area from future projects.

UTT’s Aviation Programmes presents the Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) in Aeronautical and Airworthiness Engineering Class of 2023 teams behind these achievements. We congratulate the 'IOTA Patriots' - Ricky Saddnagim, Marvin Baptise, Solange Phillip, and Zahayre Lewis) as well as the 'ZETA Group' - Zachary Telesford, Shiva Seemungal, Frederic Edwards, and Jeshua King, for their unwavering dedication, ingenious approaches, unique insights and literal flight altitude they have achieved.

With these successes, we can now turn our gaze towards future projects that will enable us to contribute to the expanding body of knowledge within the realm of aeronautics.