Full-Time
Aircraft Loft Engineer
Haast Autonomous
1-10 employees
Autonomous VTOL aircraft for organ transport
No salary listed
Pendleton, OR, USA
In Person
 Aerospace Engineering (1) |
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- At least two years of professional experience in aircraft lofting, airframe surface design, aerospace computer-aided design, or aircraft product definition.
- Demonstrated experience developing the outer mold line or master geometry for a complete aircraft or major airframe assembly.
- Expert proficiency in CATIA, Siemens NX, Creo, SolidWorks, or an equivalent production computer-aided design platform.
- Advanced capability in complex surfacing, multi-section lofting, guide-curve development, boundary surfaces, surface trimming, blending, and repair.
- Strong understanding of surface continuity, spline behavior, curvature control, and the relationship between aerodynamic intent and manufacturable geometry.
- Experience with aircraft coordinate systems, airfoil data, wing planforms, fuselage sections, aerodynamic intersections, and control-surface geometry.
- Experience building stable master-model or skeleton-model computer-aided design architectures that support multiple engineers and downstream parts.
- Ability to translate conceptual aircraft geometry into production-quality models, drawings, tooling, and manufacturing data.
- Understanding of geometric dimensioning and tolerancing, tolerance analysis, engineering drawings, assembly interfaces, and configuration control.
- Experience with composite, molded, machined, or fabricated aerospace structures.
- Portfolio or work samples demonstrating complex aircraft lofting and surfacing work.
- Own and maintain the authoritative master computer-aided design model and outer mold line for Haast aircraft.
- Develop complete aircraft lofts from airfoil coordinates, aerodynamic surfaces, station data, packaging envelopes, and configuration layouts.
- Create production-quality surfaces for the fuselage, wings, wing-body intersections, fairings, nacelles, booms, empennage, payload doors, access panels, and propulsion integrations.
- Establish aircraft coordinate systems, reference geometry, waterlines, buttock lines, fuselage stations, master sections, datums, and interface locations.
- Build robust parametric models using master sketches, skeleton models, guide curves, boundary surfaces, multi-section lofts, and top-down design methods.
- Maintain appropriate positional, tangent, and curvature continuity across complex aircraft surfaces.
- Evaluate surface quality using curvature analysis, zebra analysis, deviation checks, section cuts, and other computer-aided design inspection methods.
- Convert outer-mold-line surfaces into manufacturable composite structures, skins, cores, bulkheads, ribs, spars, frames, and bonded assemblies.
- Develop accurate split lines, trim definitions, offsets, tooling surfaces, molds, plugs, fixtures, and assembly references.
- Ensure that aerodynamic surfaces remain controlled as structural, payload, propulsion, avionics, and manufacturing requirements evolve.
- Manage external references, model dependencies, naming conventions, configurations, revisions, and released computer-aided design data.
- Identify and resolve surface gaps, discontinuities, intersections, minimum-radius problems, thickness conflicts, and non-manufacturable geometry.
- Produce detailed part models, assemblies, engineering drawings, interface-control drawings, geometric dimensioning and tolerancing, tolerance definitions, and bills of materials.
- Work closely with aerodynamicists, structural engineers, manufacturing partners, and the flight-test team to incorporate design changes without degrading the master geometry.
- Support fabrication and assembly by investigating computer-aided design discrepancies, tooling issues, part-fit problems, and deviations from design intent.
- Help establish Haast’s standards for computer-aided design architecture, geometric control, drawing release, and configuration management.
- Experience with fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles, electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, general-aviation, or experimental-aircraft development.
- Experience lofting composite fuselages, wings, fairings, nacelles, payload doors, and aerodynamic transitions.
- Proficiency with CATIA Generative Shape Design, Siemens NX Shape Studio, or equivalent advanced surfacing environments.
- Experience importing, cleaning, and controlling airfoil coordinates and aerodynamic reference geometry.
- Familiarity with product data management or product lifecycle management systems, model-based definition, release workflows, and aerospace configuration-control practices.
- Experience developing molds, tooling surfaces, trim fixtures, assembly jigs, and composite manufacturing data.
- Familiarity with computational fluid dynamics geometry preparation, mesh-ready surface cleanup, and exchanging geometry with aerodynamic-analysis tools.
- Hands-on experience supporting aircraft fabrication, assembly, inspection, and flight testing.
Haast Autonomous designs unmanned long-range VTOL aircraft to move organs and critical medical supplies between hospitals. The aircraft use hybrid gas-electric propulsion, can travel up to 800 miles at speeds up to 120 mph, and carry about 20 pounds, with a specialized storage bay that regulates pressure, temperature, and vibration to keep organs viable and compatible with standard preservation containers; the system is built to plug into existing hospital workflows with minimal new infrastructure. Unlike consumer drone developers, Haast focuses on medical logistics and integrates safety features like redundant avionics, multiple communication systems (including SATLINK), and a parachute-based emergency recovery system. The goal is to shorten organ transport times and improve transplant outcomes by enabling reliable autonomous transport for organs and other time-sensitive medical materials, with initial operations planned in 2026 pending FAA certification.
Company Size
1-10
Company Stage
Seed
Total Funding
$1.9M
Headquarters
Houston, Texas
Founded
2025
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Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- Rice announced $1.85 million pre-seed funding on June 8, 2026.
- Founders secured letters of intent and spoke with hundreds of potential customers.
- Prototype momentum is real: 13 aircraft iterations in 16 weeks and accelerator recognition.
What critics are saying
- FAA approval remains unresolved; Haast’s own site ties deployments to flight-worthiness clearance.
- Pilot trials slip to early 2027, delaying revenue and giving Zipline and Wing more time.
- Existential risk: one mishandled organ flight or certification failure kills hospital trust.
What makes Haast Autonomous unique
- Purpose-built for organ transport, not consumer delivery, with hospital workflow integration.
- Custom VTOL pairs dispatch software with chain-of-custody tracking and regulated cargo bay.
- Airspace Link partnership supports autonomous flight coordination across medical airspace constraints.
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Company News
Rice student startup lands $1.85M to launch medical drone network. Jun 22, 2026, 12:30 pm Haast Autonomous has developed a custom aircraft for delivering medical materials. Photo via LinkedIn Students at Rice University have developed a medical cargo drone transport system to help deliver sensitive medical supplies and improve mobile healthcare efforts. Haast Autonomous is the brainchild of graduating seniors Ege Halac, Jason Chen and Santiago Brent, who got their venture idea off the ground with help from the Liu Idea Lab for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (Lilie) Summer Venture Studio. The founders have developed the prototype at Rice's Oshman Engineering Design Kitchen (OEDK) with fellow Rice researchers Felix Hasson, Ethan Javedan, Kenna Sanders and Caden Schmidt. The startup has raised $1.85 million in pre-seed funding, according to Rice. The founders plan to focus on Haast full-time following graduation. They said they aim to launch pilot trials in 2027 and head to market later that year. "We need better alternatives for a fast, safe and on-demand system of transport for life-critical cargo," Halac said in a news release from Rice. The Haast team has developed a custom aircraft with software that manages dispatch, routes, and chain of custody to assist in how materials move between sites in centralized medical systems. Generally, the transportation of medical supplies and materials between facilities and points of care relies on ground shipping or expensive air transport. Haast Autonomous' aircraft can take off and land vertically, and is designed around a mission profile of 50 to 62 miles. It can carry a payload of at least 5 pounds, with future versions intended to scale up in size. It also includes a built-in payload bay that regulates temperature, pressure, vibration and tilt to protect sensitive contents such as patient samples, antivenom or poisoning kits and radioligands or other therapies, according to Rice. At first, the company envisioned the mission to be centered around transplants, but saw the product being best suited for a variety of operations. "What we realized is that the platform we are building is suited for medicine, but it really underlies a much larger problem of mission-critical transport across industries," Brent added in the news release. "We are building the fastest, most secure logistics chain for the world's most sensitive cargo." Haast Autonomous was recognized at the 2026 Oshman Engineering Design Showcase and Competition, where it won Best Aerospace or Transportation Technology. It also performed well in the 2026 Napier Rice Launch Challenge. In the future, Haast Autonomous plans to deploy a fleet of aircraft. The software will be designed to assist hospitals in requesting flights and tracking deliveries in real time. "The drone is only part of the solution," Chen also added in the release. "What matters is moving something from point A to point B in a way that fits into how hospitals already operate."
Haast Autonomous, a Houston-based startup founded by Rice University students, has raised $1.85 million in pre-seed funding to develop a medical drone transport system. The company pairs custom aircraft with software managing dispatch, routing and chain of custody for sensitive healthcare supplies. The vertical take-off and landing aircraft can carry at least 5lb over 50 to 62 miles, with built-in cargo compartments controlling temperature, pressure and vibration. Potential cargo includes patient samples, antivenom and radioligands. Founded by Ege Halac, Jason Chen and Santiago Brent, Haast developed 13 aircraft iterations in 16 weeks using 3D printing. The team has secured letters of intent from potential customers and partnered with Airspace Link for autonomous flight coordination. Pilot trials are planned for early 2027, with market deployment later that year.
Student startup raises US$1.85m for medical cargo drone transport system. - June 9, 2026 Why it matters. By dramatically speeding and securing transport of critical medical samples, the solution can improve patient outcomes and cut reliance on costly ground or traditional air couriers. It also creates a new market for autonomous, high-value logistics across healthcare and beyond. Key takeaways. * - $1.85M pre-seed round backs Haast's medical drone prototype development. * - VTOL drone flies 50-62 miles, carries 5 lb, maintains temperature control. * - Software tracks real-time chain of custody, integrating with hospital workflows. * - Pilot trials slated for early 2027, targeting sample and supply transport. Pulse analysis. The healthcare sector faces mounting pressure to move time-sensitive specimens and life-saving supplies faster and more reliably. As hospitals consolidate labs, blood banks, and specialty services, traditional ground couriers and chartered flights struggle to meet the demand for rapid, secure delivery. Delays can jeopardize diagnostic accuracy and treatment timelines, prompting providers to explore innovative logistics that bridge the distance between satellite clinics and central facilities. Haast Autonomous tackles this challenge with a vertical-takeoff-and-landing (VTOL) drone capable of 50-62 miles per flight while carrying a minimum 5 lb payload. Its custom cargo bay regulates temperature, pressure, vibration and tilt, preserving delicate biologics such as radioligands and antivenom. Integrated software provides real-time dispatch, routing, and immutable chain-of-custody records, allowing hospitals to request flights, monitor shipments, and comply with regulatory standards. The team's rapid prototyping - 13 iterations in 16 weeks using sub-$1,000 3D-printed components - earned multiple university accolades and a partnership with Airspace Link for autonomous flight coordination. Beyond immediate medical use, the platform signals a broader shift toward autonomous aerial logistics for mission-critical cargo. With $1.85 million earmarked for pilot trials in early 2027, Haast is positioned to demonstrate scalability, safety, and cost-effectiveness that could attract larger health systems and insurers. Successful deployment may also pave the way for similar solutions in organ transport, emergency response, and high-value industrial supply chains, reshaping how time-sensitive goods move across regulated airspace. The funding round underscores investor confidence in the convergence of drone technology, AI-driven logistics, and healthcare demand. Haast Autonomous has raised US$1.85m in pre-seed funding to develop a medical drone system for moving sensitive supplies between healthcare sites. The Houston-based startup, named after the Dutch word for "haste", pairs a custom aircraft with software that manages dispatch, routing and chain of custody. Chain of custody is the documented record of who handled a shipment and where it travelled, helping to protect sensitive medical materials. The company was founded by graduating Rice University students Ege Halac, Jason Chen and Santiago Brent. They developed the venture with support from the Liu Idea Lab for Innovation and Entrepreneurship Summer Venture Studio and developed the prototype at Rice University's Oshman Engineering Design Kitchen. All three plan to work on the business full time during their first year after graduation. Chen said: "We all knew we wanted to build something together, so in September 2025 we decided to sponsor a capstone design project." The founders brought in engineering students Felix Hasson, Ethan Javedan, Kenna Sanders and Caden Schmidt to help design, build and test the system. Haast aims to address a transport gap that has widened as hospitals have consolidated services such as laboratories, blood banks and specialist care. According to the founders, moving medical supplies between facilities and points of care still depends heavily on ground couriers or costly air transport. Halac said: "We need better alternatives for a fast, safe and on-demand system of transport for life-critical cargo." The aircraft can take off and land vertically, allowing it to use existing hospital infrastructure, before switching to horizontal flight for longer journeys. The current aircraft is designed for journeys of between 50 and 62 miles while carrying a payload of at least 5lb. Future versions are intended to carry heavier loads. Its built-in cargo compartment controls temperature, pressure, vibration and tilt to protect sensitive materials in transit. Potential cargo includes patient samples, antivenom, poisoning kits, radioligands and other therapies. Radioligands are radioactive substances used in some medical imaging and treatments. Halac said: "With our system, you can transport a lot of different biological samples from an outlying satellite hospital to the central facility for further testing, while also being able to provide critical supplies where they are needed faster, improving patient outcomes." Haast plans to eventually deploy a fleet of aircraft coordinated through its software platform. Hospitals can request flights, track shipments in real time and record each stage of the delivery process. Back-end systems account for aircraft availability, telemetry data and airspace constraints. Telemetry is information sent remotely from the aircraft, including data about its location, speed and condition. Chen said: "The drone is only part of the solution. "What matters is moving something from point A to point B in a way that fits into how hospitals already operate." The team produced 13 aircraft iterations in 16 weeks. It used 3D printing to test and refine the design while keeping the cost of each prototype below US$1,000. The project placed third for the Willy Revolution Award for Outstanding Innovation and won Best Aerospace or Transportation Technology at the 2026 Oshman Engineering Design Showcase and Competition. Haast also received the Chan-Kang Family Prize for Bold Ambition and the Healthcare Innovations Prize at the 2026 H. Albert Napier Rice Launch Challenge. The founders said they have spoken with hundreds of potential customers and secured letters of intent for their services. They have also partnered with Airspace Link to support autonomous flight coordination. Haast was selected as one of 35 teams nationwide for the Oregon UAS Accelerator before being named a top 10 finalist. Chen said: "In our mission to scale autonomous aerial logistics, we have raised US$1.85 million and aim to deploy this capital in early 2027 for pilot trials and then move to market later that year." The company initially focused on transporting transplant organs, although the founders said this remains a longer-term goal. They believe the platform could also support a wider range of applications. Brent said: "What PULSE realised is that the platform PULSE is building is suited for medicine, but it really underlies a much larger problem of mission-critical transport across industries. "We are building the fastest, most secure logistics chain for the world's most sensitive cargo." Image: Quy Tran Photography