When Tomohiro Tatsumi was 11 years old, a 9.0 “megathrust” earthquake hit the northeastern coast of Honshu, Japan’s main island, where he grew up. This Great Sendai earthquake, in 2011, caused a massive tsunami in the Pacific Ocean side of the country, resulting in widespread and immense damage to Japan’s infrastructure, including a nuclear power plant accident.
Reflecting on it now, 13 years later, Tomohiro thinks that if only there were some kind of small emergency rescue flyer to supplement the available helicopters and other response vehicles, the death toll of more than 10,000 people may have been lessened.
Such a flyer is what Tomohiro is setting out to build as captain of Team HUAM in the global GoAERO competition.
“We often have earthquakes in Japan, so I’m always thinking about how to escape and rescue people from those disasters,” says the graduate student at Hosei University, where he is majoring in mechanical engineering and studying Advanced Air Mobility in the laboratory. “So of course, I would like my flyer to accomplish the mission requirements of the GoAERO prize.”
Tomohiro also aspires to manufacturing his aircraft in the simplest and least expensive way. He hopes that “the flyer is not too difficult to use and not too expensive to buy, so that anyone, even many non-expert people, can use it. I think these characteristics are very important for an emergency flyer. As I live in Japan and experience many earthquakes, this is what I’m focusing on.”
To achieve this goal and gain as much expertise as possible, Tomohiro is taking his studies beyond the classroom. He has an internship working at HIEN Aero Technologies, a company established by his laboratory professor Gaku Minorikawa to develop hybrid eVTOLs (electric vertical take-off and landing vehicles).
“I have been interested in the aviation world from when I was a child,” Tomohiro says. “As I entered my laboratory, I’ve been studying more of the details of aviation. I realized that I have a strong passion for this world.”
That passion has been nurtured by Prof. Minorikawa; his company already created the first hybrid eVTOL flight in Japan. Tomohiro says from that he learned a very important lesson: “to make a company and to develop technologies are not impossible. Prof. Minorikawa also gives me many chances to expand my knowledge and relationships. I really appreciate that he gives me such precious opportunities. He is my mentor on this (GoAERO) project.”
Another inspiration for Tomohiro is GoAERO Expert Lecturer, Daniel P. Raymer, the distinguished aerospace design engineer widely recognized as a luminary in the fields of aircraft conceptual design, design engineering, aircraft configuration, and layout. He was instrumental in designing such aircraft as the F-22, B-2 and X-31.
“We use his book Aircraft Design – A Conceptual Approach as a textbook,” Tomohiro explains, adding that Mr. Raymer is such an inspiration that “I would like to be like him, an engineer who works overseas and develops future aircraft.”
He says that the experts involved with GoAERO will also be of great assistance in reaching that goal, and the webinars are very useful as he works to design his aircraft.
Tomohiro says GoAERO offers him another important benefit, noting that, “I would like to improve my project management and English skills through this prize. It is my very first time managing such a big project with English. I’m sure that the experience I will get through the prize will help me grow. The webinars are great English lessons.”
Learning English is not his only obstacle in the competition, he says. “My biggest challenge is financial. Since I am a student, I don’t have any connections who will support my work financially. So, my first goal is to be in the top 10 of stage one because that result will help me to get sponsors.”
With all his academic requirements, his internship and his laboratory work, Tomohiro still has time for a little fun. “My favorite film is Porco Rosso from Studio Ghibli. I love that Porco flies freely with his red seaplane over the beautiful Mediterranean. The film is a love story for Porco; it shows us the beauty of flying and love at the same time.”
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