On May 20, one of Cal Poly’s senior projects, in conjunction with the newly formed 3D Printed Aircraft Club, had the opportunity to compete against seven other teams in the first 3D Printed Aircraft Competition at CSULA.
This competition considers aircraft design and flight time as two separate ranked categories. With the requirements of 8 seconds of power, a 35-foot flight ceiling and the obligation to 3D print the entire aircraft structure, the Cal Poly team placed third with a flight time of 7.15 seconds. The team placed second in the design challenge after exploring the iterative design process throughout the year, flying about six different configurations and versions of aircraft over 12 flights. This competition will be a recurring event and featured as a mechanical engineering senior project next year. It will be continually supported by the 3D Printed Aircraft Club, which is currently looking for members next year.
Please contact mlnagy@calpoly.edu for more information, and how to get involved with the club. The team would like to give a special thanks to our club sponsor and senior project adviser Dr. Elghandour for his continued support throughout the year.
