Aerospace SAE
McGill University
Introduction
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.
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
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
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
Design
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.
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
The wings attach to the fuselage using 4 bolts and nuts that are accessible from the fuselage when the top cover is removed.
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
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
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
In 2020, the Advanced team obtained a top 10 overall standing at the SAE AERO East competition in Florida.