Aerospace engineering across flight, structures, and manufacturing.

Who Kang | Aerospace Engineering, UW '27

FAA Airframe & Powerplant certified and studying Aeronautics & Astronautics at the University of Washington. My work centers on hands-on aerospace systems: building UAV testbeds, documenting composite manufacturing processes, and analyzing flight and robotics applications through research and project-based engineering.

See My Work Contact Me

About Me

Most A&A students learn aircraft from the top down, starting with simulation and working toward hardware. I started from the other direction. Before studying Aeronautics & Astronautics at UW, I earned an FAA Airframe & Powerplant certificate, which meant inspecting and maintaining real aircraft systems before ever designing one. That perspective shapes how I approach everything now: a multimodal UAV testbed built around actual avionics integration, ML-assisted inspection workflows for composite manufacturing at UW's G3MS Lab, and projects structured around what can be tested and flown, not just modeled.

SOFTWARE & ANALYSIS

  • Python / MATLAB / Simulink
  • pandas / Excel
  • C / C++ (project-level)
  • OpenRocket / Betaflight

DESIGN & HARDWARE

  • SolidWorks / Fusion 360 / Onshape
  • Raspberry Pi / ESP32 / Arduino
  • UAV Avionics Integration

FABRICATION & MAINTENANCE

  • FAA A&P Certified Mechanic
  • Composite Layup / Sheet Metal
  • Avionics Wiring & Inspection

Experience & Leadership


G3MS Lab, University of Washington

Undergraduate Research Assistant | March 2026 – Present

Conducting research under Prof. Avin Vijay focusing on automated fiber placement and additive manufacturing. Contributing to the development of a machine learning-based method to identify pre-cure automated fiber placement defects (overlaps, twisting, tow misalignment) and assisting in processing recycled polymer feedstocks into conductive filament for additive manufacturing workflows.

K - Capstone, Consulate of General of the Republic of Korea

Industry Collaboration Researcher | Dec 2025 – Mar 2026

Contributed to a 2nd-place K-Capstone team project evaluating autonomous patrol robot deployment for DOGU Robotics' U.S. market entry. Helped develop a Robot Feasibility Index informed by UTAUT and SERVQUAL frameworks, drafted the initial Python/pandas analysis workflow using 100+ student survey responses and stakeholder interview inputs, and contributed to a final presentation comparing indoor campus, outdoor campus, and hospital deployment scenarios.

STEM Club

Public Relations Officer

Supported campus engagement and event promotion, coordinating collaborative technical events to grow club membership and community involvement.

STEM Aircraft Design, Build, and Fly Team

Team Lead & Founder | Aug 2024 – May 2025

Managed the complete project lifecycle. Established design review cadences, enforced documentation standards, and managed the budget, materials procurement, and machine shop access.

KOJOBS (Korean Job Research)

Event Planning Team Officer

Structured workshop agendas, produced presentation decks, and organized session content to facilitate professional development events.

Selected Engineering Projects

Selected projects highlighting my experience in aerospace design, autonomous systems, experimental testing, and engineering analysis.

Built an FPV drone testbed for hands-free UAV control, integrating ESP32 communication, Betaflight flight-controller input mapping, and bench-level latency testing.

Role: Embedded / UAV integration

Status: Prototype + validation

Tools:
Python Raspberry Pi ESP32 Betaflight

Developed a data-backed evaluation model for autonomous security robot deployment, combining stakeholder criteria, survey processing, and weighted scoring.

Role: Systems analysis / data modeling

Status: Completed research study

Tools:
Python (Pandas) MATLAB Systems Engineering Trade Studies

IREC Rocket Design & Fabrication

May 2024 – June 2024

Modeled stability and supported fabrication for a sounding rocket design cycle using OpenRocket/MATLAB analysis and hands-on hardware manufacturing.

Role: Stability analysis / fabrication

Status: Completed build support

Tools:
OpenRocket MATLAB Machining Airframe Fabrication

Designed and integrated an RC aircraft through aerodynamic sizing, SolidWorks modeling, avionics integration, propulsion setup, and weight-and-balance checks.

Role: Team lead / aircraft integration

Status: Flight-ready build preparation

Tools:
SolidWorks Aircraft Design Avionics Weight & Balance

Designed, built, launched, and recovered a high-power rocket for NAR Level 1 certification, with focus on stability, recovery, and launch readiness.

Role: Rocket design / fabrication / launch prep

Status: Certification completed

Tools:
High-Power Rocketry Aerodynamic Stability Recovery Systems Fabrication