Western Aero Design Plane

[Beavertail]

Hello Folks!
Haven't posted in a while but just thought id share the plane I'm building here at University for our competition in Texas coming up in march. This plane was design from scratch using solidworks CAD modeling as well as XFLR5 for wing and tail data analysis. Wing is just short of 3.2m and root cord of 0.4m with a 0.8 aspect ratio with the fuse and powered by 0.45cu in nitro engine i believe (not sure exactly about the motor as im only on the aerodynamics team). I included the report for the plane for all the little details, CAD drawings for anyone interested Ive also built and flew a Guinea Pig test plane for payload drop telemetry and autopilot setup for the controls team! (pic attatched) ill keep updating with pics as the build comes along but for now we just completed the ribs and spars for the wing!

Gary

[Beavertail]

Official CAD drawings

[retiredVTT]

Great post Gary, thanks for doing this..!

Good to hear from you; sounds like your into something that you are truly suited for...and that's a great thing!

All the best and we look forward to your posts. (love the Sherwood hockey stick wingspar..!)

Bill

[Beavertail]

Thanks Bill!

Yea its a great team! lots to learn for designing an airfoil and fuse! aha the hockey stick was actually the cheapest way to get a CF for the wing spar! and also its amazingly stiff so we CAD the wing based on that stick and had the ribs laser cut with the holes for the hockey stick!

Gary

[JohnOSullivan]

I'm happy that you have had the opportunity to be part of such a prestigious group of model developers.
Looks like you have a very potent design which will perform very well. The mathematics are well beyond my comprehension, but as a long time "seat of the pants" designer of models, your design is well developed and even with all the "magic theoretical formulation" should be a very successful and practical design.
Thanks for the detailed description of the development. I have just skimmed through it and will delve more deeply into it when I get the chance.
I come from the "old school" of over 60 years ago, when most of our designing was "cut and try" and rebuild again.
The advancement of aerodynamic knowledge and computerization of data has made the model design process a more predictable tool in optimizing model flight.
Keep us up on your progress.

[steve]

Very awesome Gary ! Please do keep us posted.

PS: When you win the competetion and get to name an airfoil, call it the "k2 donair" for your flying buddies here back home.

Steve

[Beavertail]

Hello John! I am very lucky to have this opportunity to be able to really learn about aerodynamics and airfoils! This development is extremely interesting and I am learning so much from fellow team members! Ill be honest i still have no idea as to whats happening in most of that report but have been slowly but surely learning about the airfoil and how it affects the stability of an airfoil for different applications! We shall see how the planes performs when shes all completed! Which could very well be in about two weeks hopefully!

Hi Steve! haha i will do my best to post up pictures as i take them! and will do! lol

Gary

[RocketManRC]

Hey Gary, very interesting project and nice to hear from you!

Rick

[Beavertail]

Hi Rick! Yeah it's pretty exciting to start something from CAD and actually see it come together! There was more work done on the plane yesterday but I had to study for midterm and didn't make it. I'll post it up when I get more pictures!

[Beavertail]

A few Pics from yesterdays work... I wasn't able to attend sadly due to midterms We are wrapping the frame of the wing with a paper thin balsa... which is something I have never used this before! pretty cool stuff.