Conclusion The aircraft is nearly complete at this point: The primary construction tasks which remain are structural interfaces between the empennage, and the wing and the fuselage. The various studies and experiments performed have enabled the team to keep the factor of safety to a minimum, eliminating unnecessary structure and weight. The complexity, weight, and drag of the landing gear system was greatly reduced once it was determined wire-strut outriggers could be used in place of wheels. The current design for the fuselage will serve for initial flight testing, but it is expected that there will be another iteration before the overall design is finalized. Once the construction is complete, test flights will begin in which it will be possible to determine the exact loading the aircraft can sustain. This and other information must be obtained for the technical report due to the SAE Series in order to participate in the competition. The information gathered for the technical report and the standing that this aircraft obtains during the competition will aid future teams in entering a plane with even better performance. References [1] SAE Aero Design Competition East and West Rules, S. International, 2017. [2] E. V. Laitone, "Fixed-Pitch Propeller Selection for Light Airplanes," Journal of Aircraft, vol. 37, pp. 390-395, 2000/05/01 2000.
Conclusion The aircraft is nearly complete at this point: The primary construction tasks which remain are structural interfaces between the empennage, and the wing and the fuselage. The various studies and experiments performed have enabled the team to keep the factor of safety to a minimum, eliminating unnecessary structure and weight. The complexity, weight, and drag of the landing gear system was greatly reduced once it was determined wire-strut outriggers could be used in place of wheels. The current design for the fuselage will serve for initial flight testing, but it is expected that there will be another iteration before the overall design is finalized. Once the construction is complete, test flights will begin in which it will be possible to determine the exact loading the aircraft can sustain. This and other information must be obtained for the technical report due to the SAE Series in order to participate in the competition. The information gathered for the technical report and the standing that this aircraft obtains during the competition will aid future teams in entering a plane with even better performance. References [1] SAE Aero Design Competition East and West Rules, S. International, 2017. [2] E. V. Laitone, "Fixed-Pitch Propeller Selection for Light Airplanes," Journal of Aircraft, vol. 37, pp. 390-395, 2000/05/01 2000.
Midterm%20Report[3847].docx