Projects
Not only does the team want to design and construct a R/C airplane, but the team would also like to compete in the SAE Regular Aero Competition help in Fort Worth, Texas. This year's competition requires teams to plan for lifting an optimum number of passengers (represented by tennis balls) along with luggage for each passenger (represented by half pound weights). The team has decided that in order to be competitive, the goal is to design an airplane that would lift 24 passengers. We are estimating a total weight of 35 pounds which includes the weight of the plane, passengers, luggage, motor, and battery. It is crucial for the team to maximize the forces of thrust and lift while minimizing drag.
Our Goal
History
Every year a team of students from the University of Hawaii at Manoa participates in the SAE Regular Aero Competition. Teams from all universities are welcome to participate. This competition is not limited to American Universities. There are teams from all over the world coming to compete! Last year's team placed 15th overall. Our team would like to place higher. This would help strengthen UH Manoa's reputation at SAE competitions and leave a tough challenge for next year's team to uphold that reputation.
Application To The Real World
Designing the most efficient commercial aircraft can prove difficult when having to take into consideration aerodynamic design, flying regulations, and the passengers’ experience. Airplane companies are constantly researching new and innovative ways to create more efficient airplanes. One major design interest is to create the most aerodynamic plane. This is desirable by many companies because when drag is reduced, the cost of flying goes down significantly. Fuel consumption accounts for up to 33 percent of operating costs which is considered to be the single most expensive cost in the airline industry. There has been much engineering effort put into reducing this figure. For example, the implementation of a “winglet” at the tip of the wing has proven to reduce fuel consumption by up to five percent. Increased fuel efficiency across an entire fleet of airplanes could potentially save a large airline company millions of dollars a year.
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In the interest of designing an aerodynamically optimal aircraft, every component of the aircraft needs to cohere with the overall design strategy. Through research and comparison of modern day aircraft, designs will be be chosen for each component. The design for each component that shows the most overall benefit will be integrated together for the final design of the aircraft.
