https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOChBNAuHE4    : Video of our first flight.

Today we finalized construction of our primary prototype model of our concept aircraft. Using depron to construct the plane was a challenge; our "teardrop"-shaped fuselage is not easily constructed out of depron. To achieve this shape, we combined many geometric shapes that, once sanded down, would resemble a raindrop.

After finishing the fuselage, we added control surfaces to our aircraft. We simply cut out rectangles at the rear of the plane that would act as elevons. We mounted the battery for the plane at the front end of it in a case that gave it extra room to move. We purposefully did this so that just before flight, we could adjust it so that the Center of Gravity would be in the exact middle of the plane (not favoring one side of the plane). We were excited and nervous to test the plane, especially because of the added complexity of the elevons.

Our first test flight was great! Our plane managed to have a smooth, launched takeoff. It was able to pitch and roll effectively and had great maneuverability. When it was time to land the plane, all throttle was pulled back when the aircraft was at about 20 feet. It glided with elegance to the ground and had a smooth landing. Unfortunately, the model was damaged on a later test when it came in contact with a tree when we were testing turning radius (purely our mistake).

Future plans for the week include making a better model of the plane which we will attach the ArduPilot Mega to. We cant wait to see it fly itself and are optimistic about the design of our plane. 

Today we are beginning to work with depron foam for the construction of one of many test airplanes to come. In the previous days, we have built insulation foam models at a small and large scale. After testing both insulation foam models, we have collectively decided to keep our basic design, but to scale it smaller than 3 feet x 3 feet. The center of gravity was consistently in the center of our models if we tampered with weighing down some parts of the aircraft, which was a positive aspect of our design. Some models that we tested flew many meters on a light toss. In progressing to using depron, we are spending a lot of time working with the thinness and dimensions of the material to maximize the amount of the resource we have. Although sometimes it is tricky to strategically build the planes out of the 13 in. x 39 in sheets, we are having success.

Beginning this week, we plan to attach the ArduPilot Mega to a pre-built model airplane to experiment with its functions. Once we have a good, working depron model with control surfaces and a propeller, we will begin experimenting with our plane and the autopilot. We are excited to see how it will function!

With added weight to the front, our foam model flew very well. These pictures show our rudimentary model for our concept plane.

We are making quick progress on design, feature, and purpose ideas for our new autonomous concept aircraft. After sketching 4 possible models of planes that we could build, we have decided on one design that we are currently building out of insulation foam. After testing this much simplified version of our plane, we will propose changes that should be made to the design which should improve our final product.

The design we selected for our concept plane (picture of the sketch is attached, and more to come) can be described as a blended wing body aircraft. The plane has a wide front that narrows towards the back and looks similar to a raindrop shape. We will use one vertical stabilizer, 2 winglets (one for each wing), and one propeller for the rear of the aircraft. To add increased stability to our aircraft, we hope to include canards at the front of our fuselage; they may have to be removed if they don't seem to aid in the stabilization of the plane. 

We are designing this specific plane to fly autonomously utilizing the ArduPilot Mega. With this feature, our concept plane could have practical, everyday applications. If real, our plane would come in many variations: an autonomous multi-personed taxi for short flights, an autonomous cargo deliverer, or an autonomous sight seeing vehicle. Although our model can not have any solar panels on it due to material limitations, this option would be kept available for any companies interested in utilizing the new plane. We hope that our design incorporate fuel efficiency so the jet is more appealing and reputable to aircraft companies. 

We are a group of 5 students attending the New Jersey Governor's School of Engineering and Technology. The Governor's School is a prestigious program at Rutgers University offered to students the summer before their senior year exposing them to many different applications and varieties of engineering. Students are nominated by their schools to apply for the competitive program, which is provided at no cost to them due to funding from multiple companies, Rutgers University, and the NJ State Government. This year there are 88 students attending this program. For more information on the New Jersey Governor's School of Engineering and Technology, please refer to the following link: http://soe.rutgers.edu/gset.

Based on interests, students are broken into independent research groups which address modern engineering issues. The 5 of us were grouped based on our mutual interest in aerospace engineering. The title of our project is: "Winging it: the Plane of the Future". During the course of the 4 week program, we will design, prototype, and build a radical modern airplane that incorporates an autopilot feature. We will utilize ArduPilot Mega to aid us in our autonomous flight goals and can't wait to start!