
doi: 10.2514/6.2011-841
Our team consists of eight students, all majoring in Aerospace Engineering. We developed and constructed a 5 meter wingspan, fully composite blended wing body aircraft. Our UAV is equipped with a full navigation and autopilot system to allow for autonomous flight. Our goal was to revolutionize aircraft by designing and building a highly efficient and useable airplane: with zero emissions, high reliability, and the ability to travel great distances for its size. The propulsion for the aircraft is provided by two ducted fan electric motors that are partially embedded into the airframe and which will be powered by batteries of a very high energy density. The reason we are constructing a blended wing body aircraft is to prove its superior aerodynamic and structural efficiency, interior space advantages and high lift capabilities. We then want to take our aircraft and use these advantages in real world application, to show that a blended wing body is the future of aircraft. Our UAV was designed with the extensive use of 3D modeling and CFD analysis. The airfoils over the entire span of the aircraft are custom designed and tested to create very high Lift to drag ratios and allow for stable flight. As well as a proof of concept for blended wing body aircraft, the team looks to further the idea by developing a craft that is versatile, fully functional and capable, extremely efficient, and applicable and practical for everyday use. We want to incorporate these features in a practical design that can be used for many real-world applications for civilian, commercial and military use.
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