Where are they now?- Jak Bower, Leonardo Helicopters
Today, we’re talking to Jak Bower, a Flight Control Systems Engineer at Leonardo Helicopters. As a student at Loughborough University between 2019-2023, he participated in the IMechE UAS Challenge.
Why did you choose to get involved the competition?
I fly model aircraft as a hobby and wanted to use this to further expand my knowledge of more complex and larger aircraft.
What was your role on the team?
I was the Aircraft Systems Lead, responsible for all electronics on the aircraft, including both hardware and software. My role involved ensuring that all sensors and computers communicated effectively for autonomous flight
How did you use MATLAB/ Simulink in the competition and/or academic work?
After learning the basics, I used MATLAB/Simulink as a tool not only for assigned work but also for personal study. It helped in plotting complex graphs for aircraft stability and creating 3D graphs. Additionally, I used it as a calculation tool. For my final year project, I used a third-party script with MATLAB to convert flight test data for easier plotting and data manipulation. The extensive forums and user-created scripts were fantastic resources!
How Did the Competition Help You Find a Job?
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“Working as a team for the competition was the closest thing to an actual work environment that I experienced during university.”
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Do you think the skills you gained using these tools have helped you in your professional career? If so, how?
Absolutely! Working as a team for the competition was the closest thing to an actual work environment that I experienced during university. The skills I learned in project management, teamwork, risk management, and the technical aspects of engineering greatly assisted my development as an engineer.
Did your hands-on experience in the competition help to prepare you for your first role in the industry?
The overlap between a full-scale helicopter and the setup and configuration of the Ardupilot and the flight control system of a small UAV is surprisingly close. Many of the same techniques, sensors, and flight mode programming are used, though with a lot more safety aspects and considerations for the real thing.
What Are You Working On Today?
In your current role at Leonardo Helicopters, do you use MATLAB/Simulink?
Yes. I use it similarly to how I did in my final year project, to manipulate flight data for calculation and plotting.
What big project you are working on right now?
I’m working on a range of helicopter platforms in the Leonardo Helicopters global fleet.
Key Takeaways
What advice would you give young engineers seeking employment post-grad?
Be keen. Show your interest in engineering and be curious about things around you. If you see an opportunity to explore something, ask questions, or be as proactive as possible. It makes your job more interesting and makes you more employable—a win-win!
Is there anything else that you would like to add?
This competition was simultaneously the most stressful and fun task I’ve ever done, but that’s because I was passionate about the final product. I still say that the Loughborough 2023 aircraft is the proudest I’ve ever felt about a single object. If I could do it all again, I absolutely would.
- Category:
- Where-Are-They-Now
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