Make to Innovate (M:2:I)
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Boeing Experimental Flight (BEF)

PROJECT MISSION

The primary objective of Boeing Experimental flight(BEF) is to increase the efficiency of aircraft design and the challenges with experimental design. BEF will conduct research on experimental designs and compare them to industry standards to compare efficiency of design. This research and design will help teach future engineers important skills for industry work.

Figure 1: Boeing Experimental Flight with AL37 Aircraft (AL37X Configuration) (From left to right) Amreen Chhina, Christian Ghiugan, Ansh Shah, Nolan Jacobsen, Braeden Albrecht, Tilal Abdeldafi, Zachary Hollenbeck, Alejandro Sanchez, Ethan Pavlinek, Tyler Graybill, Jovanni Balley, and Ryan Rouleau

Project Deliverables

  1. Deliverable 1: BEF will perform a test flight of the stock AL-37 Aircraft that performs an autonomous loitering flight pattern. An accompanying report will be developed to cover the standard operation procedure of the Pixhawk and test flights. 
  2. Deliverable 2: Complete a Pilot Operating Handbook (POH) for the AL-37 aircraft with the BEF wing configurations to assist in test flight operations.
  3. Deliverable 3: BEF will complete the manufacturing and systems check of an airworthy truss-braced wing design. An accompanying report will be developed covering the manufacturing process.

Project Goal

Complete test flights of the Truss-Braced wing, AL-37x wing configuration and stock wings with the goals of collecting flight data. The team will also aim to implement new flight sensors that will collect more data that can be directly analyzed and compared to CFD data. After analysis of the three wings performance is complete the team will document its finding and begin improving the Truss-Braced wing design.

Next Steps

  1. Begin construction of Operation Hummingbird and potentially launch next semester.
  2. Plan to launch with our first customer and pursue more for all our rocket platforms in the immediate future.
  3. Complete NDE analysis for all rocket platforms, integrate a camera system, and develop our GPS guidance software.