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Wings

Purpose / Design Goals

The wings are the main source of lift in horizontal flight, and are the primary stucture that all other components of the aircraft attach to. They will be split up into 4 identical sections of 25" length and 12" chord to meet the design for transport goals. This also decreases the effort required to manufacture, as only a single mold is needed (as opposed to having separate left and right molds).

Design Considerations

  • Stiffness - the wings need to be as stiff in an effort to push the natural frequency of the structure as high as possible to make filtering gyro data easier for the best VTOL flight performance.
  • Joining Mechanism - the wings need to be able to be taken on and off quickly, while also being very stiff in their attachment. Electronics also need to be conveniently connected/disconnected.
  • Surface Finish - the surface of the wings should be as smooth as possible with minimal seams or inturruptions. This decreases drag, extending endurance of the aircraft. This is achieved through high quality molds and precise joining of skin sections. Paint or clearcoat to protect the epoxy from UV.
  • Molds - we will be 3D printing molds to do the composite layups on. In the past, we have used 2 piece mold - a top and bottom skin. Possibly consider a 3 piece mold so that the leading edge can be made continuous for extra durability and a more precise shape? Molds and skins can also be made oversize and then trimmed back, to limit the effects introduced by being near the edges of the molds.
  • Control Surfaces - each wing piece will have a control surface at the trailing edge. This needs to be made with minimal "slop" in the linkage.