Mason Liu

My name is Mason Liu, and I'm a junior at Cal Poly Pomona studying aerospace engineering. I'm looking for an internship position where I can utilize my CAD, and problem-solving skills to challenge myself and apply them to the aerospace field.

Type: Lab · Team of 7
Role: Group lead
Tools: Wind tunnel, water tunnel, Excel

F-22 Wind & Water Tunnel Testing

Led a seven-person group collecting aerodynamic data on a scale F-22 model. Ran the wind tunnel test and used Excel to calculate the lift, drag, and moment coefficients from the results.

α20°
β0° → −8°, 0° → 12°
V0 and 59 ft/s

Black F-22 model mounted in the wind tunnel with orange yarn tufts taped to its surface — Wind tunnel · tufts show airflow

White F-22 model in the water tunnel with orange, blue, and green dye streams flowing over the wing — Water tunnel · dye shows how air flows around the model

Type: Lab
Role: Builder, analyst
Tools: Beta plate, inclinometer, altimeter

Model Rocket

Built a model rocket from a kit and estimated apogee by triangulating with a beta plate and inclinometers. Compared three sources against each other: the onboard altimeter, hand calculation, and the manufacturer's published figure. Also ran a static fire test of the rocket's motor to find its specific impulse (I_sp).

MethodOptical triangulation
CheckAltimeter vs. hand calc vs. spec

Model rocket climbing off the launch pad on a grass field, trailing a column of smoke — Model rocket launch

Model rocket motor firing in a metal test stand during a static fire test — Motor static fire test

Type: Build & flight test
Role: Wing construction, data
Tools: Anemometer, stopwatch

RC Airplane

Helped construct the wings, then flew a timed out-and-back course between two points while recording wind speed. Used the results to compute absolute velocity and compare it against the theoretical value.

MeasuredWind speed, flight time
DerivedAbsolute velocity

Finished white foam RC airplane with a front propeller, resting on grass — Finished plane

RC airplane on a lab floor, tethered by a cord to a weight for a static thrust test — Thrust test

Type: Design review
Role: Group member
Tools: PowerPoint

Atlas V CoDR/PDR

Created and presented conceptual and preliminary design reviews of the Atlas V launch vehicle with a small team. My main slides covered derived requirements, a test strategy for the payload fairing structure, a risk mitigation waterfall, a competitor analysis, the launch environment, and environmental impact.

Created & presentedCoDR and PDR slides

Type: Machining
Role: Designer, machinist
Tools: SolidWorks, Fusion 360, HAAS CNC mill

CNC-Machined Heat Sinks

Designed heat sinks in SolidWorks, generated the G-code in Fusion 360, and machined them on a HAAS CNC mill in high school. Worked solo, with teachers as mentors on designing for the mill and the raw material available.

CAM setup for the heat sink model on screen, with a HAAS TM-1 selected as the machine — Design machining path in Fusion 360

Finished machined heat sinks with rows of parallel fins, resting on a paper towel — Finished product

Oct 2021 — May 2022

Manufacturing Intern

Betts Spring Company

Worked on the manufacturing floor and learned the full production process for both cold- and hot-rolled springs.

Aug 2025 — Present

B.S. Aerospace Engineering

Cal Poly Pomona

Aug 2022 — May 2025

A.S. Aerospace Engineering

Clovis Community College

Aug 2019 — May 2025

A.S. Industrial Technology Emphasis in Manufacturing

Fresno City College

Sep 2026 — Present

Robotics Club

Member · Cal Poly Pomona

Aug 2024 — May 2025

Engineering Club

Member · Clovis Community College

Design

SolidWorks
Onshape
Adobe Illustrator

Testing

Wind & water tunnel
Flight data collection
Apogee estimation

Programming

C++ (fundamentals)
MATLAB (fundamentals)
TI-Basic

Manufacturing

SMAW welding
GMAW welding
Laser cutting
3D printing

Certification: Certified SolidWorks Associate (CSWA)
Membership: Student Member, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA)