Aerospace SAE
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McGill University
Introduction
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The McGill Aerospace SAE is a design team that strives to provide students with opportunities to develop engineering skills that match the professional standards of the aviation industry.
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Since its founding, the team has grown to include over 100 members and four subteams: Micro, Advanced, Solar Drone, and Unmanned Aerial Systems Team.
Purpose
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As a member of the Advanced team, our mission was to design, manufacture, and build a large fixed-wing aircraft for the SAE AERO East Competition. The Advanced Class requires teams to have a systems approach to the design while integrating several engineering disciplines: aeronautical, mechanical, electrical, and computer engineers.
Constraint Requirements
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Takeoff weight may not exceed 55-pounds
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Maximum wingspan of 144 inches
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Use of 2.4 GHz radio control system
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Max takeoff distance of 400ft
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Electric powered and with a 6 cell lithium-polymer battery pack
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Functional Requirements
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Carry two small autonomous gliders that are released in a designated zone
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Carry and drop a Habitat Module consisting of a Nerf Sports Vortex Aero Howler
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Carry and drop two 500 mL water bottles
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Take-off and land safely
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Design
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To select the size and wingspan of the aircraft, a methodology by Gudmundsson was used, where desired performance criteria are specified and modeled and then expressed as a function of thrust to weight and wing loading. A graphical representation of those requirements is shown below.
After determining the power to weight and wing area, an adequate wing, body, and tail layout was obtained.
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All parts on the aircraft were designed on the Solidworks CAD Software with GD&T, DFM, and DFA considerations. I was responsible for designing the wing and its subcomponents - the ribs, spars, and flaps.
Interfaces & Attachments
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The wings attach to the fuselage using 4 bolts and nuts that are accessible from the fuselage when the top cover is removed.
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The autonomous gliders each sit on a spring-loaded launch rail during regular operation of the aircraft. A servo mounted on the glider holds a stopper, which in turn holds the spring. To release the gliders, the servo moves the stopper, and the spring fires the glider off the launch rail.
Manufacture
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Once all parts were created in Solidworks, they are converted to drawings and transferred to AutoCAD. Using the AutoCAD drawings, I operatedlaser cutters to produce the wooden and carbon fibre parts.
Assembly
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After laser cutting all parts, the plane was assembled using construction jigs, tools, and superglue. Using monokote and an iron, the wings were produced from the airframe.
Results
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In 2020, the Advanced team obtained a top 10 overall standing at the SAE AERO East competition in Florida.
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