As a team, we aimed to design, build, and fly (DBF) an RC airplane for the 2023 AIAA DBF competition. This year's competition challenge demanded that our plane fit in a standard checked bag when packed yet be capable of going from packed to flight-ready in just five minutes, making modularity and ease of assembly the name of the game.
As structures team lead, I fostered a collaborative environment, overseeing the design of structural airframe components and actively involving newer team members with hands-on opportunities. I also initiated coordination with other disciplines to ensure seamless integration between the various systems, such as the aerodynamics and electrical sub-teams.
In designing structural components, I followed a multi-step validation workflow. First, with the parts modeled in CAD, I performed finite element analysis (FEA) to trim mass where possible, targeting an adjusted factor of safety (FOS) to account for the anisotropy of additively manufactured components. This was followed by incremental design revisions and validation of part fit and function through an iterative rapid prototyping process. Finally, I headed destructive testing on critical components to verify part strength.
I also pitched innovative "quick connect" mechanisms for the wings and landing gear, using pins and captive nuts for rapid assembly.
Through this iterative and systematic process, we cut the empty weight of our plane in half while maintaining structural integrity and modularity. In fact, the wing quick connect survived multiple crashes!
As a team, we competed at the national competition for the first time in five years, passing technical inspection on our first try and performing well on the static load test ("ground mission"). Pretty good for a team of first-timers! And, more importantly, we learned a ton.
