{"685137":{"#nid":"685137","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Georgia Tech Opens New Aircraft Prototyping Laboratory ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech celebrates the opening of its new Aircraft Prototyping Laboratory, a facility dedicated to advancing research in electric and autonomous flight in collaboration with academic, government, and industry partners. The ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place on Sept. 25, marking an important step forward for the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ae.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003EDaniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering\u003C\/a\u003E and highlighting Georgia Tech\u2019s role in strengthening the state\u2019s aerospace sector through technical research, engineering expertise, and student training.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis facility demonstrates Georgia Tech\u2019s long-term commitment to pioneering the technologies that will shape the future of aviation,\u201d said \u00c1ngel Cabrera, president of Georgia Tech. \u201cAerospace products are Georgia\u2019s No. 1 export, and the Institute\u2019s top-ranked Guggenheim School produces some of the nation\u2019s top aerospace engineering talent. With this advanced laboratory, we\u2019re making strategic investments that will grow our state\u2019s and our Institute\u2019s national leadership in aerospace innovation and advanced manufacturing.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe 10,000-square-foot facility, located in Georgia Tech\u2019s North Avenue Research Area, has been purpose-built to accelerate innovation in electric and hybrid-electric aircraft propulsion as well as autonomous flight systems. Designed as a hands-on research and teaching environment, the Aircraft Prototyping Laboratory includes a suite of specialized laboratories: an electric powertrain lab, a propulsion system test cell, an avionics lab, a composites fabrication area, and a high-bay integration space capable of housing prototype aircraft with wingspans up to 20 feet.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOne of the facility\u2019s first major projects is RAVEN (Research Aircraft for eVTOL Enabling techNologies), a collaboration with NASA to design, build, and fly an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) research aircraft in the 1,000-pound weight class. The aircraft will serve as a research platform for electric propulsion reliability, flight controls, noise reduction, and autonomy. Systems integration and test activities for RAVEN will take place within the new lab, underscoring the facility\u2019s central role in shaping the national agenda for advanced air mobility.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe Aircraft Prototyping Laboratory is the centerpiece of an ecosystem of flight research that we are building at Georgia Tech, focused on eVTOLs, drones, and other advanced air vehicles,\u201d said Brian German, professor of aerospace engineering at Georgia Tech. \u201cWe greatly appreciate the long-term partnership we\u2019ve had with NASA in the development of RAVEN, and we\u2019ve designed the facility specifically to support RAVEN and aircraft of a similar scale.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOther projects underway in the Aircraft Prototyping Laboratory include a solar-electric aircraft demonstrator and SETTER, a subscale eVTOL testbed focused on developing software for safety-critical applications. These projects support Georgia Tech\u2019s expanding ecosystem for flight testing and research, including collaborations with regional test facilities in the metro Atlanta area.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThese projects exemplify our commitment to advancing the technologies that will define the future of flight. Powered by the ingenuity of our faculty and students, the Aircraft Prototyping Laboratory ensures that Georgia Tech and the state of Georgia remain leaders in aerospace innovation and economic development,\u201d said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/coe.gatech.edu\/directory\/person\/mitchell-l-r-walker-ii-phd\u0022\u003EMitchell Walker\u003C\/a\u003E, William R.T. Oakes Professor and chair of the Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThrough the Aircraft Prototyping Laboratory, Georgia Tech continues to develop research in electric and autonomous aircraft, supporting both the Institute\u2019s and Georgia\u2019s role in the aerospace industry. The school educates more than 2,000 aerospace students and is ranked No. 1 among public universities for aerospace engineering.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech celebrates the opening of its new Aircraft Prototyping Laboratory, a facility dedicated to advancing research in electric and autonomous flight in collaboration with academic, government, and industry partners.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Georgia Tech celebrates the opening of its new Aircraft Prototyping Laboratory, a facility dedicated to advancing research in electric and autonomous flight in collaboration with academic, government, and industry partners."}],"uid":"35797","created_gmt":"2025-09-22 12:10:36","changed_gmt":"2025-09-24 18:09:05","author":"Siobhan Rodriguez","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-09-23T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-09-23T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"678088":{"id":"678088","type":"image","title":"01_Joby-Aviation_Aircraft.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EJoby is one of more than a dozen companies worldwide that are developing the next generation of aircraft\u0026nbsp;that could be whisking you around the city bypassing any traffic. (Courtesy of Joby)\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1758543047","gmt_created":"2025-09-22 12:10:47","changed":"1758740323","gmt_changed":"2025-09-24 18:58:43","alt":"Joby Aviation Aircraft","file":{"fid":"262071","name":"01_Joby-Aviation_Aircraft.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/09\/22\/01_Joby-Aviation_Aircraft.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/09\/22\/01_Joby-Aviation_Aircraft.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":5795333,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/09\/22\/01_Joby-Aviation_Aircraft.jpg?itok=sqV30tGu"}}},"media_ids":["678088"],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"136","name":"Aerospace"},{"id":"145","name":"Engineering"},{"id":"194612","name":"Workforce Development"}],"keywords":[{"id":"194773","name":"eVTOL"},{"id":"194774","name":"air taxis"},{"id":"194775","name":"Archer Aviation"},{"id":"194776","name":"Joby Aviation"},{"id":"194777","name":"autonomous flight"},{"id":"194778","name":"electric aircraft"},{"id":"194779","name":"aerospace innovation"},{"id":"109","name":"Georgia Tech"},{"id":"194780","name":"Aircraft Prototyping Laboratory"},{"id":"194781","name":"RAVEN project"},{"id":"194782","name":"NASA collaboration"},{"id":"179801","name":"urban air mobility"},{"id":"194783","name":"electric propulsion"},{"id":"194784","name":"hybrid-electric aircraft"},{"id":"194785","name":"flight research"},{"id":"2082","name":"aerospace engineering"},{"id":"38351","name":"Advanced Manufacturing"},{"id":"194786","name":"drone technology"},{"id":"72211","name":"avionics"},{"id":"194787","name":"composites fabrication"},{"id":"194788","name":"propulsion systems"},{"id":"194789","name":"aerospace ecosystem"},{"id":"194790","name":"future of flight"},{"id":"194791","name":"aviation research"},{"id":"194792","name":"aerospace education"},{"id":"194793","name":"Daniel Guggenheim School"},{"id":"194794","name":"aircraft integration"},{"id":"194795","name":"solar-electric aircraft"},{"id":"194796","name":"SETTER testbed"},{"id":"194797","name":"flight controls"},{"id":"194798","name":"noise reduction"},{"id":"170673","name":"autonomy"},{"id":"194799","name":"aerospace exports"},{"id":"11426","name":"Georgia Economy"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAngela Barajas Prendiville\u0026nbsp;\u003Cbr\u003EDirector, Media Relations\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["media@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}