The Spirit Global Design Challenge, sponsored by WSU and Spirit AeroSystems since 2008, will further expand to include four universities this year -- WSU, North Carolina State University, University of Manchester (UK) and Universiti of Sains Malaysia (Malaysia), with 21 students participating.
Three teams were formed by the 21 students, and each team consists of students from each of the four universities. This year's challenge is the design of an empennage (tail cone, and vertical and horizontal stabilizers) for future airplanes.
Five of the six WSU students and faculty adviser Charles Yang recently returned from an eight-day visit to the Universiti of Sains Malaysia. The final report is due Dec. 6, and the award ceremony will be held in February.