Design / Build / FlyStudent Project

10 February 2006

About the Design/Build/Fly

• What is the DBF?• Students:

• design an RC airplane to accomplish a prescribed set of missions

• manufacture their design• fly the finished aircraft at the competition

• Annual competition sponsored by the AIAA Foundation, Cessna, and the Office of Naval Research

About Last Year’s DBF

• What was the mission?• To design an airplane:

• To carry two, three-pound payloads, both internally and externally on the wingtips

• Capable of deploying wingtip payloads remotely

• What were our results?• Placed 18th out of 44 universities• Earned 10th best report score

DBF 2005: UCLA Team Kamikaze

DBF 2005: She Flies!

• 48 universities from 5 different countries participating

• Prizes for the top three teams:• 1st place: $2500• 2nd place: $1500• 3rd place: $1000• Invitation to present their designs at a

conference later this year

About This Year’s DBF

About This Year’s DBF• This year’s design requirements:

• Capable of carrying each of the following internally:

• 48 tennis balls (minimum)• Two 2-liter bottles of water (minimum)• 4”x 4”x 24” block of wood (maximum)

• Limited to electric motor systems• Constraint of 40 amps per motor• Must fit disassembled in a 4’ x 2’ x

1.25’ box

Recent Project News

• Preliminary design phase completed during winter break

• About 13 active members

• Manufacturing labs started two weeks ago

• Started ordering materials and parts

• Design report underway

Project Developments

• Electric motor system selected and ordered• Thrust output last year: 5 lbs• Expected thrust this year: 7 lbs• Uses maximum allowed battery

weight (3 lbs)

• Hotwiring of foam for wings started

Fuselage Design

Cutting wing templates

Hotwiring foam

Ready to hotwire wing section

Looking Ahead

• DBF Plans• Continue sponsorship/donation

campaign• Finalize design by end of February• Complete final airplane by end of

winter quarter• Flight testing in early April

• Important Dates• Written report due March 7th• Competition April 21st through 23rd

Projected BudgetExpenses Planned Spent

Materials (Structures) $700 -Materials (Electronics) $1000 $800Materials (Large Shipping Boxes) $100 -Transportation (Oversized Shipping) $200 -Transportation (Airfare) $1200 -Transportation (Car Rental) $400 -Transportation (Hotel) $180 x 4 nights $720 -Total: $4320

Income

AIAA Los Angeles Section $750MAE Department $350Engineering Alumni $1200Total: $2500

Remaining Need $1820

• Provides a real-world engineering design experience:• Opportunity to apply classroom

knowledge• Learn to create and optimize a

design for certain missions• Students not only create a design,

but also test its actual performance

• It’s just fun

Why DBF?