Georgia Tech has announced the opening of its new Aircraft Prototyping Laboratory, a facility designed to advance research in electric and autonomous flight. The laboratory will be officially inaugurated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on September 25. This initiative aims to strengthen Georgia Tech’s contributions to the state’s aerospace sector through technical research, engineering expertise, and student training.
“This facility demonstrates Georgia Tech’s long-term commitment to pioneering the technologies that will shape the future of aviation,” said Ángel Cabrera, president of Georgia Tech. “Aerospace products are Georgia’s No. 1 export, and the Institute’s top-ranked Guggenheim School produces some of the nation’s top aerospace engineering talent. With this advanced laboratory, we’re making strategic investments that will grow our state’s and our Institute’s national leadership in aerospace innovation and advanced manufacturing.”
The 10,000-square-foot laboratory is located in Georgia Tech’s North Avenue Research Area. It is equipped for work on electric and hybrid-electric aircraft propulsion as well as autonomous flight systems. The facility includes an electric powertrain lab, a propulsion system test cell, an avionics lab, a composites fabrication area, and a high-bay integration space for prototype aircraft with wingspans up to 20 feet.
One of the first major projects at the new lab is RAVEN (Research Aircraft for eVTOL Enabling techNologies), which involves collaboration with NASA to develop an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) research aircraft weighing around 1,000 pounds. The project focuses on areas such as electric propulsion reliability, flight controls, noise reduction, and autonomy. Systems integration and testing for RAVEN will be conducted within this new facility.
“The 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,” said Brian German, professor of aerospace engineering at Georgia Tech. “We greatly appreciate the long-term partnership we’ve had with NASA in the development of RAVEN, and we’ve designed the facility specifically to support RAVEN and aircraft of a similar scale.”
Other ongoing projects include developing a solar-electric aircraft demonstrator and SETTER—a subscale eVTOL testbed aimed at creating software for safety-critical applications. These efforts are part of broader collaborations with regional test facilities in metro Atlanta.
“These 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,” said Mitchell Walker, William R.T. Oakes Professor and chair of the Daniel Guggenheim School of Aerospace Engineering.
Georgia Tech educates more than 2,000 aerospace students each year through its Daniel Guggenheim School—ranked first among public universities nationwide for aerospace engineering—and continues its focus on research related to electric and autonomous aircraft.
