Advanced Modeling Aeronautics Team

Join us to support the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering AMAT Team Fund

The Advanced Modeling Aeronautics Team (AMAT) is a student-led club at UC Davis that competes annually in the SAE Aero Design West competition. Through this international competition, undergraduate students work together to design, build and fly large-scale RC aircraft based on a new set of mission requirements released each academic year.

Throughout the project, students apply the complete engineering design process to an aerospace challenge. Members brainstorm solutions for complex aerodynamic problems, participate in design reviews, model aircraft components, run physics simulations to predict aircraft performance, manufacture, and fly the final aircraft. By replicating a professional product development cycle, the competition provides valuable hands-on experience and prepares students for careers in engineering.

Beyond the competition, AMAT provides students with a community built to develop technical and leadership skills. We organize industry speaker events that allow members to learn from experienced engineers and build professional connections, as well as technical workshops where upper-level students introduce newer members to the engineering software and tools used throughout the design and manufacturing process.

Donations to our campaign will provide general support for AMAT, including our current priorities of covering competition registration, aircraft materials and team travel. Last year, these expenses totaled approximately $5,500, and we expect costs to increase this year due to higher registration fees, material prices and travel expenses. Additional funding would also allow more of our members to attend the competition and experience the culmination of the project we all helped build.