Our Path to a Successful Flight

From concept to competition — here's how we design, build, and fly our plane each year.

Design

Brainstorm ideas based on the competition rules

Whiteboard sketch of the aircraft top and side views with labeled compartments

Create the CAD model of the plane and its subcomponents

SolidWorks main assembly of the carbon fiber aircraft

Conduct flight analytics

CFD velocity contour comparison of landing gear fairing shapesHard-landing FEA equivalent-stress (von-Mises) result on the airframe

Manufacturing

Laser-cut and 3D-print parts for rapid design iteration

Laser-cut plywood ribs and fuselage formers3D-printed mounts and aerodynamic fairings

Shape the wing, tail, and fuselage with XPS foam

XPS foam wing and tail sections cut to shapeTeam member holding a shaped foam tailFoam mold for the fuselage

Apply carbon fiber layup to the foam and vacuum bag

Team applying carbon fiber layup over the foam coreCarbon fiber parts curing under a vacuum bag

Implement plane electronics

Wiring and soldering the receiver, ESC, and transmitter connectionsSoldering electronic connections for the aircraft

Test manufactured parts

Wing loading test with weight suspended from the center sectionVertical stabilizer loading test on a carbon fiber panel

Assemble the plane

Team assembling the aircraft componentsTeam with the finished carbon fiber airframeThe completed aircraft at the competition

Competition

Fly-Off!

The aircraft in flight towing its competition banner