Jobs and Careers

Aircraft Design Intern

New York City, United StatesinternshipVerifiedPosted 22 Nov 2025

About the role

Are you ready to take your engineering skills from textbook to takeoff?
We're looking for three highly motivated engineering students to join the nTop Aircraft Design Fellowship for a transformative 12-week summer immersion at our New York City headquarters. This is an accelerated, hands-on design sprint where you and your team will be responsible for the end-to-end development of a cutting-edge Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS), from mission requirements to first flight.
Forget working on someone else's project. You will design, analyze, and optimize a functional aircraft from scratch using the powerful capabilities of nTop, pushing the boundaries of what's possible in advanced aircraft design.If you are ready for an unparalleled opportunity to lead a full-stack aerospace project and leave your mark on the future of design technology, apply now!

What You'll Do

Design & Optimize: Utilize nTop to develop a novel UAS configuration, airframe, and component structure tailored to specific mission goals.
Build & Fly: Bring your digital design into the physical world, leading the construction, assembly, and flight testing of your prototype.
Be a Thought Leader: Document your entire process to create a comprehensive nTop learning course, generate compelling marketing content, and co-author a publishable research paper.
Impact the Industry: Your work will directly influence how aerospace companies approach design and manufacturing, showcasing the full potential of nTop.

Who We're Looking For

We are seeking three exceptional students to form a high-performing, cross-functional team in the following roles: Configurator/Analysis Lead, Avionics/Controls Lead, and Design/Manufacturing Lead.
Each role is critical, and requires deep expertise in specific engineering disciplines, see below:

1. Configurator / Analysis Lead

This role is for the student with a theoretical and practical understanding of aircraft performance and flight dynamics. You will define the aircraft's outer mold line (OML) and ensure it meets all performance, stability, and control requirements.

Required Experience & Skills

Currently pursuing a degree in Aerospace Engineering (or equivalent).
Familiarity with aircraft configuration design, including trade studies and sizing methodologies.
Ability to conduct aircraft performance analysis (e.g., range, speed, lift, drag) with relevant software (e.g., MATLAB/Simulink, XFLR5, or other industry tools).
Theoretical background in aerodynamics and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) principles.
Some knowledge of vehicle mass properties and balance calculation.
Experience translating mission requirements into a viable preliminary aircraft design.

2. Avionics / Controls Lead

This role is for the student who thrives at the intersection of mechanical and electrical systems. You will be responsible for specifying, integrating, and programming all electronic components and flight control systems.

Required Experience & Skills

Currently pursuing a degree in Mechanical or Electrical Engineering (or equivalent).
Experience building and integrating mechatronic systems (e.g., robotics, autonomous vehicles, or UAS).
Familiarity with component specification for UAS, including motors, servos, batteries, and flight controllers.
Hands-on experience with soldering, wiring harnesses, and electrical layout for compact systems.
Familiarity with common communication protocols (e.g., I2C, SPI, CAN).

3. Design / Manufacturing Lead

This role is for the student with exceptional hands-on design and manufacturing experience. You will translate the OML into a detailed, manufacturable airframe, focusing on structural integrity and leveraging nTop's advanced design for additive manufacturing (DfAM) capabilities.

Required Experience & Skills

Currently pursuing a degree in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering (or equivalent).
Experience in Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM), ideally including topology optimization, lattice