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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 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. Including a 3D printed airframe VTOL to map for urban fires, as well as a heavy-lift quadcopter designed to autonomously extinguish fires indoor and outdoor using a water gun. The AIAA technical team developed a fully carbon fiber fixed wing aircraft optimized for long range cargo flights and banner towing. While in parallel, the QADT research team 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 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 Aeromechanics, 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 and motivated 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
 Erin Payne Mechatronics & Robotics Engineering ‘28 |  Purujit Kantiya Mechatronics & Robotics Engineering ‘28 |
Welcome to research at QADT! Here, we turn the most ambitious ideas into reality and provide you with the best research experience at the undergraduate level. Enhancement on QADT is all about taking existing technology to the next level. We challenge what is here and bring them to the best states they can be, optimizing impact and innovation!
In 2025, the Enhancement sub team researched the aerodynamic benefits of compliant mechanisms in aerofoil control surfaces. This project focuses on using computational fluid dynamics simulation software, analysis of previous research, and consultation with industry experts to write a research paper. This paper was submitted to the 2026 IMAV conference where they are waiting to hear about their acceptance. Their success was built of the groundwork layed by the 2024 Enhancement team, who researched the use of plasma actuators in reattaching separated airflow. Their work earned them a spot at the 2025 IMAV conference where they presented their work to researchers from around the world in Mexico!
As part of the executive team, the Enhancement Manager leads and oversees all Enhancement sub-team operations. The Enhancement Manager can expect to work closely with the Research Director and VTOL Prototyping Manager.
The Enhancement Manager can expect to gain skills in the areas of:
- Project Management & Professional Communication
- CFD Simulation software such as OpenFoam and SimScale
- Research Paper Publication
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: June 27th, 2026 (11:59 PM EST)
Interviews will occur online 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!