Queen's Aerospace Design Team (QADT) -… at Engineering… · Canada

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Please read through the entire description!

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 opportunity 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

The Structures team is responsible for designing, manufacturing, and integrating the structural and mechanical systems that make QADT’s aircraft reliable, functional, and competition ready for SAE Aero East Advanced Class. Last year, QADT developed multiple UAVs for competition, including a 3D-printed fixed wing VTOL, heavy-lift quadcopter, and carbon-fiber fixed-wing. These projects gave the team experience in aircraft manufacturing, structural design, payload integration, and testing-driven iteration.

For the 2026–2027 SAE Aero East Advanced competition, the Structures team will build on this experience by supporting the development of a reliable and manufacturable fixed-wing aircraft designed for autonomous payload delivery and retrieval. The team will work closely with Aerodynamics, Avionics, Software, and Testing & Propulsion to ensure mechanical systems are effectively integrated into the final aircraft.

As a member of the Mechanical Structures team, you will have the opportunity to contribute to the design, manufacturing, assembly, and testing of structural and mechanical systems. Projects may include airframe structures, payload systems, landing gear, control surface mechanisms, fixtures, and other assemblies required for the aircraft.

A member of mechanical structures can expect to gain skills in the areas of:

• Onshape and mechanical CAD
• Design for additive manufacturing Prototyping, assembly, and testing
• Design reviews and collaborative assembly design
• Integration of other sub-team systems
• 3D-printed hardware integration and fastening methods

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!

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