AIAA Design/Build/Fly Competition Team

The economic potential of small unmanned aerial vehicles (SUAVs) has been well documented and reported. According to the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI), there is an associated economic impact from the growth of the UAV industry. The goal of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Design/Build/Fly Competition Research Program (AIAA DBF CRP) is to investigate design and manufacturing methods for application to SUAVs within the scope of the AIAA DBF Competition. Students were engaged in the application of aerospace engineering knowledge for the production of a dual-aircraft system. Through the use of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), Computer Aided Drafting (CAD), Computer Numerical Control (CNC) manufacturing, and wind tunnel testing, this system was designed, manufactured, and flight tested. A Manufacturing Support Aircraft (MSA) and Production Aircraft (PA) were developed to complete three flight missions and a ground-based mission in accordance with competition requirements. This design cycle was completely documented through a proposal, periodic review process, and a final technical report