Design, Build, Fly Aircraft Design Competition

Project Goal: Design and manufacture an uncrewed, electric-powered aircraft with a towed sensor – to represent the University of Arizona at the 2021 Design, Build, Fly Competition.

In this competition, engineering students construct an aircraft with specific design constraints. The aircraft entry emphasizes speed, cargo-carrying capabilities and the ability during flight to fully deploy and retract a sensor with lights.

The design includes a high wing spanning 58 inches, conventional tail, and tricycle landing gear. The fuselage carries four cargo shipping containers and an additional container for the sensor. Mechanisms allow for fully deploying and retracting the sensor during flight. A single-engine propulsion system executes different mission types, enables aircraft maneuverability with the full payload, and overcomes the drag from the towed sensor.

Preliminary prototyping and flight testing verify that the design is aerodynamically feasible and stable. With the results of the flight tests, initial design parameters have been adjusted and refined for in-flight stability and control.