Drew Darrah

Aerospace Engineer

Mr. Drew Darrah is an aerospace engineer with wide-ranging experiences in Advanced Aircraft Analysis (AAA), Aircraft Performance Program (APP), Siemens NX, Ansys Fluent, Patran/Nastran and various panel codes. He is an expert in propeller and ducted fan design using blade element momentum methods. As a graduate student, Mr. Darrah placed first in the 2017 AIAA Graduate team aircraft design competition. He also participated in research for the FAA A4 project into small UAS collisions testing and assessment of propeller strike damage. Mr. Darrah has developed state space models to model aircraft dynamics for the use in controller architecture and also has experience in propeller design. He is currently pursuing his M.S. degree as well.

Professional Preparation

  • University of Kansas, Aerospace Engineering: B.S., 2016

Publications

  • W.A. Anemaat, K.A. Brewer, D.T. Darrah, J.F. Ink, W. Liu, B. Moorthamers, “Design, Build and Testing of the MAVRIK with Distributed Electric Propulsion”, AIAA 6.2022-3201, presented at 2022 AIAA Aviation Forum, Chicago, Illinois, June 27-July 1, 2022.
  • W.A. Anemaat, D. Darrah, B. Moorthamers, W. Liu, “Modeling and Optimization of Propulsion Systems for eVTOL Aircraft”, VFS Paper 1181 presented at VFS Forum 78 May 10-12, 2022.
  • D. Darrah, J. Eppler, W. Liu, W.A. Anemaat, “Electric Ducted Fan Design and Testing for High Performance UAV Integration”, presented at 2020 AIAA SciTech Forum, Orlando, Florida, January 6-10, 2020.

  • M. Yang, D.M. van Dommelen, W. Liu, J. Eppler, D. Darrah, W.A. Anemaat, “UAV Rotor Acoustic Analysis and Optimization”, ID#3083922, AIAA 2019-2547, presented at 25th AIAA/CEAS Aeroacoustics Conference (Aeroacoustics 2019), Delft, The Netherlands, May 20-24, 2019.

  • M. Yang, D. Darrah, J. Eppler, W. Liu, W.A. Anemaat, “Small UAV Acoustic Design, Analysis and Testing”, AIAA-2019-1073, presented at 2019 AIAA Science and Technology Forum and Exposition, San Diego, California, January 9, 2019.

  • D. Darrah, M. Dessouki, I. Costa, M. Mendoza, R. Sprunger, M. Moschetti, T. George, K. Herda, M. Burns, Yizi Zhou. “Desprüngdarcost Aerospace Presents: The Tachion Business Jet Series”, presented at the 2018, AIAA Science and Technology Forum and Exposition, Kissimmee, Florida, January 8th, 2018.