OSU Micro Aero Design West Competition Team

The aerospace industry is constantly evolving to meet the demands of today’s society. With an increase in global temperatures, population, and shipments worldwide, cleaner and more efficient flight are some of the major goals for aerospace development. The SAE Micro Aero Design West competition was created to challenge student groups with designing original aircraft having these goals and motives in mind. The purpose of the Micro Aero Design West project team is to design, analyze, build, and fly the aircraft at the SAE international competition. Success in this competition is based on speed, carrying capacity, and the ability to fly the entire course without crashing. The innovation and performance of this aircraft will demonstrate new concepts and methods to achieve the goals mentioned earlier. To perform the best, the team determined that speed was the most important aspect of the competition. Taking off from a short runway also meant the design of our aircraft needed to generate significant lift. By analyzing existing aircraft, different wing shapes, and the performance of electric propulsion, the team was able to design an aircraft that accomplished the mission and placed 6th globally and 2nd in the US. The team found that creating a wing-shaped symmetrical fuselage paired with high-lift asymmetrical wings was a competitive design for the competition. The unique shape generated more lift, minimized drag, maximized cargo space, and increased speed overall. These qualities contribute towards the future of aircraft design and the aerospace industry as a whole.