3D Printed Airplane

The 3D Printed Airplane team develops a fully 3D printed aircraft to compete in two aircraft competitions. The plane is allowed a hand launch and 8 seconds of continuous thrust, after which it must glide for as long as possible, being scored for the time it’s in the air. It must stay within a football field with an altitude limit. There are two competitions, one in Los Angeles at the end of spring, and one in Dallas, Texas, mid-summer. Last year we competed in both.

What you’ll learn: Winning the competition requires thorough aerodynamic analysis, structural optimization, and manufacturing creativity for an aircraft to succeed. You’ll learn how to use 3D design software, aircraft optimization software, and 3D printer software. You’ll also develop intuition for aircraft design, an understanding of anisotropic material properties, and structural modeling and analysis skills. Last year, we pioneered a new manufacturing technique with great success. This year we’re optimizing it further and looking into a radically different aircraft design to further optimize glide time.

History: After a three-year break, the team was brought back last year to compete in both competitions. We pioneered a technique to manufacture airfoils horizontally with multiple materials to get a stronger, lighter, and less elastic wing and fuselage. Our aircraft was 1/3 the weight of similar-sized aircraft in the competition. In Los Angeles, we scored 1st place in the competition and won the design award, and in Texas we scored 1st place in the fixed wing category and set the competition’s 9-year record for the longest flight. And we have big plans to do even better next year!