Date of Award

2019

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering (MSME)

Department

Mechanical Engineering

First Advisor

Dr. John Kizito

Abstract

The goal of the present research is to optimize the radio-controlled airplane design for the Society of Automotive Engineers International (SAE) Aero Design Advanced Class competition. The SAE Aero Design Advanced Class seeks to further research and development of an aeronautic system that can deliver cargo and passengers to form a colony on Mars. Mission success is achieved by attending to the rules, constraints, and requirements of the competition. System-level engineering is applied to meet these diverse requirements and create a robust final product. The radio-controlled airplane submitted for competition can theoretically be scaled to carry colonists, habitats, and supplies to Mars. The purpose of this presentation is to outline an aircraft designed to optimize the SAE Aero Design Advanced Class Design competition flight score. The Aggie Aero Support plane met the criteria for the SAE Aero Design competition. We placed 6th place at the 2019 SAE International Aero Design Competition. Competition Results shows that subsequent A&T teams need to improve overall CDA release mechanism and CDA autonomous flight. This development is important because future teams now have a well-performing baseline design for the main plane from which to build and improve upon for future competitions.

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