Project Goose
The mission of Project Goose is to design, build, and fly a small Unmanned Aerial Vehicle to be used for Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance and Light Attack roles. Goose is tasked with taking off from an unconventional surface in under 50 feet, climb to 200 feet Above Ground Level, cruise for 7.5 nautical miles, deploy a release glider containing a 2.5-pound payload which is then guided to its target, while the primary aircraft cruises back to land on the same surface in under 100 feet. Additionally, the aircraft is designed to be assembled and operational in under 10 minutes. To accomplish these mission parameters, the team designed and built an aircraft boasting an eight-foot wingspan and 15-pound Maximum Gross Takeoff Weight. From this, the aircraft has a range of 15 nautical miles, a cruising speed of 40 knots, and a flight time of 25 minutes. The payload Released Vehicle (Gosling) is a wing only glider with a 2.4-foot span which can be FPV guided to its target by a flight engineer while the main aircraft is simultaneously being operated. The final design was determined based on a combination of engineering analysis, trade studies, and component performance tests. First flight test of the complete aircraft package occurs in mid April with the aircraft flying its first complete mission in late April.
Aaron Staszewski
Aaron Staszewski is a senior graduating with a BS in Aerospace Engineering and a minor in Aviation Flight Science. Aaron's professional interests are related to aircraft systems, human factors, and pilot vehicle interface design. In his free time he enjoys flying, golfing, and building model aircraft. After graduation he will begin work at Boeing as a Pilot Training Software Engineer.
Michael Blunt
Michael Blunt is a senior graduating with a BS in Aerospace Engineering. Born and raised in the St. Louis area, Michael is an avid fan of the Cardinals, Blues, and now St. Louis CITY SC. His professional interests include finite element analysis, additive manufacturing, and aircraft structures. He will be starting work as a Flight Test Engineer at Boeing after graduation.
Benjamin Young
Ben is a graduating senior from New Orleans, Louisiana majoring in aerospace engineering. His interest in aerospace was sparked from vacations spent in the Pensacola beaches watching the Blue Angels practice. His passion for aerospace led him to work with Southwest Airlines, last summer, as a powerplant engineering intern. After school, Ben will go work at Boeing as a flight test engineer for the T-7 aircraft. Outside of school, Ben enjoys cooking, music, and writing for “That Eurovision Site” where he is a reporter for all things relating to the Eurovision Song Contest.
Pasquale Brandonisio
PJ Brandonisio is a current senior at Saint Louis University studying Aerospace Engineering. PJ is the Aerodynamics Lead and also focuses on manufacturing need. In his free time, he plays club lacrosse and enjoys the outdoors.
Daniel Verdico
From Arlington Heights, Illinois, and an aerospace engineering major, Daniel Verdico is the stability and control lead for Project Goose. He also is a captain of SLU's D1 Swimming and Diving Program and the school record holder in the 200-yard breaststroke. After graduation, Daniel plans to work at Boeing as a radio frequency sensor engineer here in St. Louis.
Jordan Decker
Jordan is a fourth-year aerospace engineering student and one of the systems teammates. Jordan enjoys running biking and hiking in his free time. Jordan will be starting full-time as an engineer at Boeing in St Louis.