J. EckartContact

John Eckart

Aeronautical Engineering · Arizona State University

Most of my free time goes into engineering projects. I design and build airplanes, rockets, drones, go-carts, and any other fun ideas that come to mind. Before I started engineering school, I would build an idea, test it, and make adjustments and improvements along the way. This trial and error method instilled confidence to try new things, and not be afraid of failure. It also helped me see cause and effect in my designs. Today, I'm able to start applying the logic, math, and science of engineering to my designs. This has helped me get to better designs quickly, and have led me into new inventive areas like: composites, variable pitch propellers, clustered rocket motors, and long-range drones.

John Eckart
01

About

I've been into airplanes and rockets since I was a kid in Seattle. It started with model rockets, which turned into a years-long project of chasing higher altitudes and building recovery systems to better survive the landing. Getting there meant a lot of trial and error, designing parts in CAD, printing them, watching them fail, and reprinting until the geometry held up. For recovery systems, I went from simple streamers and parachute triggers to wiring up Arduino and ESP32 circuit boards to activate deployment of parachutes and later, RC controllable wings to precision land the rocket.

In high school I started flight training toward my private pilot license, and I always had multiple design projects in work: RC airplanes and drones, building electric guitars, 3D printing parts, and Arduino circuitry projects. Most of it started as a way to fix or build something I couldn't buy, and the more I did it the more I picked up the full process, sketching an idea in Fusion 360, prototyping it, testing it, and reworking it until it actually did what I needed. Somewhere in there I stopped just assembling things and started engineering them, thinking about tolerances, loads, and why a part failed instead of just that it did.

That prototype-to-final-product loop is the part I like most, and it's what pulled me toward aeronautical engineering.

02

Selected Work

Projects I've designed, built, tested, iterated, and operated. Each one started on paper and ended with something that worked!

Lightweight Carbon-Fiber Short Takeoff and Landing (STOL) Airplane
01 · Personal project

Lightweight Carbon-Fiber Short Takeoff and Landing (STOL) Airplane

A composite short-takeoff-and-landing RC aircraft with a custom-built variable-pitch propeller

Fusion 360SolidWorksBambu SlicerInkscape
Model Rocketry
02 · Personal project

Model Rocketry

Three airframes over six years, chasing altitude using motors that cost a fraction of composite engines

OpenRocketFusion 360Cura3D printing
Radio-Controlled (RC) Aircraft
03 · Personal projects

Radio-Controlled (RC) Aircraft

A 1960s balsa aerobat, a modular cargo airframe, a weather-balloon launched glider, and a slatted STOL scale model

Fusion 360Balsa constructionCarbon fiber3D printing
Long-Range First-Person Video (FPV) Drone: A 10-Mile 7-Inch Build
04 · Personal project & ASU Drone Club

Long-Range First-Person Video (FPV) Drone: A 10-Mile 7-Inch Build

A GPS-equipped long-range drone for mountain surfing, search-and-rescue, and flight instruction at the ASU Drone Club

BetaflightSolderingGPS / return-to-homeFPV systems
Allis-Chalmers Model C Farm Tractor Restoration
05 · Personal project

Allis-Chalmers Model C Farm Tractor Restoration

Freeing a seized engine, rebuilding the heads, and machining new bronze and steel parts to take the play out of the steering

LatheMachiningEngine rebuildHand tools
Shopping-Cart Go-Kart
06 · Personal project with friends

Shopping-Cart Go-Kart

A four-person build turning an abandoned shopping cart into a 35 mph go-kart for under $600

Fusion 360MIG weldingFabricationSmall engine drivetrain
Private Pilot Flight Training
07 · Personal

Private Pilot Flight Training

Working toward earning my private pilot license (PPL); self-funded, since high school

33 flight hoursSolo cross-countries & written exam passed; experience from FAA Part 107
3D Design & Printing Business
08 · Self-employed

3D Design & Printing Business

A custom design and manufacturing operation — 100+ customers, 1,400+ print hours, over $10,000 profit in year one

Fusion 360SolidWorks3D printingDesign for manufacturing
03

Skills & Tools

CAD & Design

  • SolidWorks
  • Fusion 360
  • Onshape
  • Inkscape / DXF

Programming

  • MATLAB
  • Python
  • C++
  • Excel / VBA

Fabrication

  • 3D printing (Bambu, Prusa, Creality)
  • Carbon fiber & composite layup
  • CNC machining (mill / lathe)
  • MIG welding
  • Laser cutting
  • Electronic circuits & silver soldering

Coursework

  • Aerodynamics
  • Fluid Mechanics
  • Thermodynamics
  • Structures
  • Propulsion
  • Dynamics & Controls
  • Materials
04

Experience & Involvement

Resume ↓

Work

  1. Tool Rental Associate

    Mar – Sep 2026

    The Home Depot

    • Diagnosed and repaired rental power tools and equipment
    • Handled customer service, rental fitting, and equipment recommendations

  2. Founder & Operator

    Dec 2022 – present

    3D Design & Printing Services · Self-employed

    • Design and fabricate custom parts using CAD, FDM printers, and laser cutters
    • Over $10,000 in profit in the first year; 100+ customers
    • Work spans airplane parts, hardware, plumbing components, acting props, and novelties

  3. Designer & Builder

    Dec 2022 – present

    Custom Model Aircraft Design · Self-employed

    • Design, build, and sell RC airplanes, drones, rockets, and components
    • Developed a custom variable-pitch propeller driven by a reworked helicopter tail-rotor mechanism
    • Built an FPV RC aileron-piloted recovery system for model rockets
    • Optimized parachute material, geometry, and deployment for high-altitude and high-wind recovery
    • Developed a multi-engine cluster launch system for model rocketry

  4. Part 107 Drone Pilot

    Apr 2023 – present

    Upward Creative Media · Self-employed

    • Licensed aerial HD video and photography for business marketing
    • Operate in full compliance with FAA regulations

  5. Deckhand & Customer Service Representative

    Summer 2025

    SMS Intl Shore Operations Inc · Seattle, WA

    • Embarked and disembarked over 10,000 Alaska cruise passengers per shift for Princess and Holland America
    • Passport control, check-in, accessibility assistance, ticketing, and baggage handling

  6. Facilities Maintenance

    Summer 2022

    Bishop Blanchet High School · Seattle, WA

    • Summer maintenance at a 1,200-student campus: painting, pressure-washing, demolition, construction, and repair

Teams & Clubs

  1. Vice President & Flight Lead

    2024 – present

    ASU Drone Club · Arizona State University

    • Coordinate all club fly days and lead field operations
    • Teach new members to fly and handle in-field repairs when aircraft go down
    • 2nd place, recent drone racing competition

  2. Design & Flight

    2024 – present

    ASU Sun Devils RC Airplane Club · Arizona State University

    • Contributed design work toward a strong, lightweight competition aircraft
    • Advocated for and led the club's first use of a carbon fiber wing spar

  3. Driver & Captain

    2019 – 2023

    FIRST Robotics Team 4682 · Seattle, WA

    • Varsity letter all four years; team driver for three
    • Competed at the 2023 FIRST World Championship

  4. Volunteer

    2022 – present

    STEM Education Outreach

05

Contact