2024-06-05 Big Fixed Wing Architecture Sync

Pre-Meeting Notes

Questions

Engineering Decisions

  • Wingspan

  • Weight

  • Number of props

  • Prop/motor locations

  • Motor type

  • Tail type (V-tail, elevator/rudder, inverted v-tail)

  • Landing gear (wheels?)

  • Manufacturing methods

  • Simulations

In-Meeting Notes

  • “small-ish fixed wing” is main fixed wing for mech prototyping

  • Don’t mix EFS and mech testing

  • Flight characteristics analysis

  • Modular design

  • One frame for mech, one for EFS. Validate EFS plane with Pixhawk first.

  • Compare different fuselages/payloads in sim and in real life

  • Make list of sensors and mounting requirements

  • Start with a plane motor that we have

    • AT4130

  • Iterative design process needed to specify motors, props and power system?

  • Research motor placement and number of motors, assign this task (smile)

  • Use non-folding props at the beginning

  • 5kg -Daniel

  • 4 foot wingspan

  • Do more research on tail type, dependent on motor location

  • Interchangable tail types for testing

  • Wheels for takeoff/landing

  • Ribs for wings with plastic sheet cover

  • Thermoforming wings?

  • Aluminum ribs on waterjet

  • Foam fuselage for EFS version, potentially switch for future revisions

  • electronics stack

 

Action Items

  • Go through what motors we have in the bay as options for this vehicle, prop research -Smile

  • Select puller, pusher, center, or side prop options as initial configuration -Mech

  • Make a list of the components we want to run - Nathan

  • Block diagram for electronics first draft - Daniel