Faculty Mentor Name
Shigeo Hayashibara
Format Preference
Poster
Abstract
ERAU’s SAE Aero Design West Competition team encourages students of all majors who have an interest in the design of heavy-lift cargo and passenger aircraft to design, build, and fly a large RC aircraft to meet a new set of regulations each competition year. Since the team, Eaglenautics, was founded in 2017 it has successfully been to competition once in April 2019 in California. The team’s aircraft flew 4 out of 5 flight rounds, passed all technical inspections, and is now on display in ERAU’s Aero-Fab in the AXFAB. The 2020 competition requirements are unique in that the cargo’s weight-to-volume ratio directly affect the team’s overall flight score. The 2020 rules also dictate a maximum wingspan of 10 feet, maximum gross takeoff weight (GTOW) of 55 lbs, and a maximum power limitation of 1000 Watts. For Eaglenautics’ competition class, fiber-reinforced plastics such as carbon fiber are prohibited. These regulations simulate similar design requirements for large passenger or cargo aircraft. The team utilizes modern engineering techniques like Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), aircraft optimization, and structural analysis to verify more traditional methods. This process gives students practical experience with aircraft design not found in coursework which can be applied at companies such as Boeing after graduation. The team’s 2020 aircraft design has a wingspan of 5.5 ft, an estimated GTOW of 31 lbs, and will be manufactured by the team over the next month to compete in Texas in April 2020.
- POSTER PRESENTATION
- EAGLE PRIZE AWARD
Included in
Aerodynamics and Fluid Mechanics Commons, Aeronautical Vehicles Commons, Multi-Vehicle Systems and Air Traffic Control Commons, Propulsion and Power Commons, Structures and Materials Commons, Systems Engineering and Multidisciplinary Design Optimization Commons
SAE Aero West Heavy Lift Competition Team - Eaglenautics
ERAU’s SAE Aero Design West Competition team encourages students of all majors who have an interest in the design of heavy-lift cargo and passenger aircraft to design, build, and fly a large RC aircraft to meet a new set of regulations each competition year. Since the team, Eaglenautics, was founded in 2017 it has successfully been to competition once in April 2019 in California. The team’s aircraft flew 4 out of 5 flight rounds, passed all technical inspections, and is now on display in ERAU’s Aero-Fab in the AXFAB. The 2020 competition requirements are unique in that the cargo’s weight-to-volume ratio directly affect the team’s overall flight score. The 2020 rules also dictate a maximum wingspan of 10 feet, maximum gross takeoff weight (GTOW) of 55 lbs, and a maximum power limitation of 1000 Watts. For Eaglenautics’ competition class, fiber-reinforced plastics such as carbon fiber are prohibited. These regulations simulate similar design requirements for large passenger or cargo aircraft. The team utilizes modern engineering techniques like Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), aircraft optimization, and structural analysis to verify more traditional methods. This process gives students practical experience with aircraft design not found in coursework which can be applied at companies such as Boeing after graduation. The team’s 2020 aircraft design has a wingspan of 5.5 ft, an estimated GTOW of 31 lbs, and will be manufactured by the team over the next month to compete in Texas in April 2020.
- POSTER PRESENTATION
- EAGLE PRIZE AWARD