Events Category: Aeronautics

Fall 2025 AIAA Hypersonics Webinar (AIAA Member Exclusive)

 On-Demand Replay
Featuring Francesco Panerai

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Join us for the Fall 2025 AIAA Hypersonics Webinar, presented by the HyTASP TC with featured speaker Francesco Panerai. This webinar will provide insights into carbon ablation mechanisms as Panerai discusses two recent experiments—high-speed X-ray imaging and plasma wind tunnel testing—that reveal how microstructure, oxygen interactions, and surface chemistry influence material erosion, mass loss, and failure mechanisms. Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of the complex processes governing high-temperature ablation in carbon-based materials.

Speaker

Francesco PaneraiFrancesco Panerai is an Assistant Professor in Aerospace Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His research covers advanced materials for extreme environments, transport in porous media, and hypersonic aerothermodynamics. Prior to Illinois, he was a research scientist at NASA Ames Research Center. He received his PhD and Research Master in Aeronautics and Aerospace from von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics (Belgium) and a M.Sc. and a B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Perugia (Italy). He is a recipient of the 2019 Air Force Young Investigator Award and is an AIAA Associate Fellow. He is one of the founding members of the Center for Hypersonics and Entry Systems Studies (CHESS) at Illinois.

AIAA SciTech Forum 2028

The AIAA SciTech Forum program covers the science, technologies, and policies that are shaping the future of aerospace. The forum is the largest event for aerospace research, development, and technology in the world.

AIAA SciTech Forum 2027

The AIAA SciTech Forum program covers the science, technologies, and policies that are shaping the future of aerospace. The forum is the largest event for aerospace research, development, and technology in the world.

ASCEND 2027

Join us 18–20 May 2027 to access inspiring sessions and premium content, develop valuable business leads, and make meaningful connections. More details on ASCEND 2027 will be available soon.

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30th Annual Design/Build/Fly Competition

The AIAA through the Applied Aerodynamics, Aircraft Design, Design Engineering and Flight Test Technical Committees and the AIAA Foundation invites all university students to participate in the Cessna/Raytheon Missile Systems Student Design Build Fly competition. The contest will provide a real-world aircraft design experience for engineering students by giving them the opportunity to validate their analytic studies;

Student teams will design, fabricate, and demonstrate the flight capabilities of an unmanned, electric powered, radio controlled aircraft which can best meet the specified mission profile. The goal is a balanced design possessing good demonstrated flight handling qualities and practical and affordable manufacturing requirements while providing a high vehicle performance.

To encourage innovation and maintain a fresh design challenge for each new years participants, the design requirements and performance objective will be updated for each new contest year. The changes will provide new design requirements and opportunities, while allowing for application of technology developed by the teams from prior years.

ASCEND 2026

Join us 19–21 May 2026 to access inspiring sessions and premium content, develop valuable business leads, and make meaningful connections. More details on 2026 ASCEND will be available soon.

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2026 International Powered Lift Conference (IPLC)

Abstract Submission Deadline: 15 December 2025

The International Powered Lift Conference (IPLC) focuses on the latest developments in vertical and/or short takeoff and landing (V/STOL) aircraft research, concepts and programs.

IPLC is a joint technical meeting, cosponsored by the American Institute of Aeronautics & Astronautics (AIAA), the Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS), SAE International and VFS. SAE is the host organization this year and will incorporate IPLC into its AeroTech aerospace technology conference, 2–4 June 2026 at West Palm Beach, Florida.

Call for Papers

Technical papers are solicited for advancements in the arts, sciences, and technologies that apply to the design and operation of V/STOL and eV/STOL aircraft systems, including lift systems, attitude control systems, airframe configurations, subsystems, handling qualities and safety, navigation and air traffic control, noise and pollution suppression, ground handling, and ground time minimization.

Topics for the 2026 IPLC include:

  • Advanced Flight Controls, Cockpit Automation, and Autonomy of Crewed and Uncrewed Systems
  • Breaking Developments in V/STOL-Enabling Sciences and Technologies
  • Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) Aircraft using Battery, Hybrid- or Hydrogen-Electric Energy Systems and/or Electric Motors for Powered Lift and Control
  • Convertiplane (Tiltrotor, Tiltwing, and Stopped Rotor) Concepts and Design
  • Fan-Lift and Jet-Lift Systems Design and Fixed-Wing Aircraft Integration
  • Heavy through Ultra-Heavy Lift V/STOL Transport Aircraft Design (>20,000 kg payload capability)
  • Rotorcraft Lift-Compounding and Thrust-Compounding Systems Design and Vehicle Integration
  • Single- and Multi-Rotor Drone Systems Design and Vehicle Integration
  • Current and Historical V/STOL Aircraft Technology Overviews and Project/Program Updates
  • Other Topics in V/STOL Aircraft Systems

Learn More and Submit Abstract