Khush Sarvaiya, a senior aerospace engineering student at UC San Diego, engaged in a summer internship as a Mechanical Engineering Intern at Alef Aeronautics. The company is aiming to develop the world's first flying car to receive the FAA's special airworthiness certificate.
Sarvaiya's journey to UC San Diego began in childhood when his father, a space enthusiast, showed him the International Space Station passing over Mumbai from their building's patio. The fascination sparked during those moments never waned. Sarvaiya and his father bonded over space documentaries, nurturing his interest and ultimately propelling him to study aerospace engineering at UC San Diego.
After sending out several internship applications and collaborating closely with the UC San Diego Career Center for a resume refresh, Sarvaiya secured a coveted internship position with Alef Aeronautics. Once onsite, he undertook a wide range of responsibilities, including contributing to the suspension of the functioning prototype of the car that can also take off vertically to fly, and designing a display model to showcase its features.
In his work on the prototype, Sarvaiya played a significant role in designing and testing a half-scale model of the car's suspension rig. This entailed subjecting it to various loads mimicking the conditions the actual car would experience during driving and landing. Additionally, Sarvaiya engineered the scissor door system, reminiscent of older Lamborghinis, utilizing a rail-slot mechanism.
He seized the opportunity to experiment with different weather-stripping solutions, aiming to create the best seal for concave car doors, which will shield against rain, air, and snow. These projects required extensive employment of CNC machining, 3D printing, and carbon fiber layups. Additionally, in the display model, Sarvaiya crafted 264 unique brackets to firmly attach the propeller-protecting mesh to the car's body.
The pinnacle of Sarvaiya’s experience was representing the company at the North American Auto Show in Detroit. Interacting with industry experts, explaining the project to curious onlookers, and witnessing their faces light up with understanding was a unique and remarkable experience.
With graduation approaching, Sarvaiya is still debating between diving into the industry or pursuing further studies. When asked to provide advice for fellow internship hunters, Sarvaiya said, “Perseverance pays off. Embrace rejections as learning opportunities, leverage university resources, and connect with professionals on platforms like LinkedIn. Keep that fire burning, and trust me, good things are bound to come your way.”