The Mobile Aero System Test (MAST) laboratory provides hands-on design and test experience for teams of undergraduate aeronautical engineering students. The lab consists of a nonflying, instrumented, aircraft test bed with both ground and air propulsive systems. The use of MAST lab provides the real- world educational impact of actual aircraft use with the safety of ground-based experiments. Current laboratories teach individually the parts of an aircraft with little regard to the complete system. MAST lab is an excellent venue to provide exposure to the interactions within the complete aircraft system. New undergraduate experiments emphasize the principles of concurrent engineering in the areas of composite structures, propulsion, guidance and control, and most importantly, systems integration. The laboratory is also being transported to local schools, conferences, and special community events to promote technology-related careers.
