DBF Competition 2012/2013

We decided to participate in the annual competition put on by Cessna and Raytheon this year after learning that it will take place in Tuscon as opposed to Wichita.  The purpose of the competition is as the name says, to design, build and fly an aircraft with a specific purpose.  Each year the parameters change, giving no real advantage to a veteran school over a first-year school.  The link below is the full set of rules and below that is a summary. 

http://www.aiaadbf.org/2013_files/2013_rules.htm

This year the requirements/constraints are as follows:

CONTEST

• Flying portion of contest is 19-21 April 2013 in Tuscon, AZ
• All design/fabrication/testing must be documented and submitted via a report. 
• Report must be emailed by 5PM EST on 25 Feb 2013
• Final Score = Written Score  * Flight Score / Rated Aircraft Cost (RAC)
• Written Score is out of 100 points
• Flight Score = M1 + M2 + M3
• M1 = 2 * (Laps Flown / Max Laps Flown)
• M2 = 4 * (Stores Flown / Max Stores Flown)
• M3 = 6 * (Fastest Time Flown / Team Time Flown)
• RAC = Sqrt (EW * SF) / 10
• Empty Weight (EW) = Max (EW1, EW2, EW3)
• Size Factor (SF) = Max Length + 2 * (Wingspan)
• Point to point measurements will curve around aircraft as needed
• Shortest path, either over or under will be used.
• Scoring measurements are in feet, lbs and seconds.
• Assembly/flight crew is limited to pilot, observer and 1 ground crew.
• Teams will be allowed 4 flight attempts or 3 successful scoring flights.
• A mission may not be repeated to improve score.
• Missions must be flown in order and a new mission can not be flown until a successful score has been obtained for the previous mission.
• The aircraft will enter the assembly area with the payload for mission #2 and #3 uninstalled.
• The team will have a total of 5 minutes to load the payload and check out the systems.
• There is no work allowed during this time.
• The R/C receiver should be able to be turned on externally or must be left on. You will not be allowed to re-open any compartment after loading/checkout time to turn on the Rx
• The initial upwind turn of the first lap of each mission will occur after passing the turn judge.
• Signaled by raising a flag.
• Aircraft must remain straight and level until this time.
• Aircraft will use ground rolling take-off and landing.
• Aircraft must remain within a 30' x 30' square marked on the runway.
• Aircraft must be airborn before crossing any edge of that square.
• Aircraft must complete a successful landing without damage to the plane.
• Significant damage is at the discretion of the Flight Line Judge.
• Aircraft may "roll-off" the runway during rollout but may not "bounce" off the runway.
• Flight altitude must be sufficient for safe terrain clearance and low enough to maintain good visual contact.
• Flight order will be generated the Wednesday prior to the competetion and will be based upon report scores (Highest flys first).
• If you are not ready to enter the staging box when your rotation number comes up, you miss your opportunity for that rotation.
• If you enter the staging box, it will constitute a flight attempt.  Choosing to leave the staging box for any reason will forfeit that flight attempt.
• If you go to the flight line and are unable to begin flight when instructed you will forfeit that flight attempt.

MISSIONS

• Mission 1
• Take-off within prescribed area.
• Max number of laps in 4 minute flight time
• Time starts when the throttle is advanced for the first take-off attempt
• Lap is complete when the aircraft passes over the start/finish line in the air.
• Mission performance will be normalized over all teams successully completing this mission.
• Must complete a successful landing to get a score.
• Mission 2
• Take-off within prescribed area.
• 3 laps with max internal stores.
• Internal store determined by team and may not be zero.
• Weight of internal fixtures used to secure stores WILL be included in the empty weight measurement.
• Mission performance will be normalized over all teams successully completing this mission.
• Must complete a successful landing to get a score.
• Mission 3
• Take-off within prescribed area.
• 3 laps with mixed stores based on dice roll.
• Roll will occur when team enters assembly area.
• Mission performance will be normalized over all teams successully completing this mission.
• Must complete a successful landing to get a score.

Payload Configuration		1	2	3	4	5	6
Internal	Mini-Max	4	-	2	-	-	-
Left Wing	Mini Honest John	-	-	-	2	-	-
	High Flyer	-	1	-	-	1	1
	Der Red Max	1	1	1	-	1	1
Right Wing	Mini Honest John	-	-	2	2	2	1
	High Flyer	-	1	-	-	-	1
	Der Red Max	1	1	-	-	-	-

TEAMS

• Team members must be AIAA members and full-time students
• 1/3 of members must be Freshmen, Sophmores or Juniors.
• Pilot must be an AMA member
• Teams may accept sponsorship in the form of funds or materials and components.

DESIGN

• Aircraft
• Aircraft may be any configuration except rotary wing and lighter-than-air.
• No structure/component may be dropped during flight.
• Aircraft must be AMA legal meaning TOGW (take-off gross weight w/ payload) must be less than 55 lbs.
• Must remain substaintially the same as documented in the report.
• Ok to change control surface size.
• Not Ok to change from flying wing to conventional tail design.
• Payloads
• All payloads must be secured as to assure safe flight without possible variation of aircraft cg during flight.
• Internal stores must be completely inside the main fuselage or wing.
• Access to stores must be through bottom of aircraft to simulate bay doors (need not be mechanized)
• Stores must be aligned to the direction of flight (tails aft).
• Stores must be secured to a mounting rack/structure that is permanent to the aircraft.
• Must be positioned so that they could be released down one at a time.
• Must not contact each other or any part of the aircraft except for the specified mount/rack.
• Mounting points must be on the store body.
• No external fairings or blisters may be added, all external surfaces must remain the same for all 3 missions.
• External stores must be wing pylon mounted and fully external to the wing profile.
• Fins must be below the wing lower surface trailing edge.
• Mounting points must be on the store body.
• May not block the access/deployment of internal stores.
• Must have minimum store-to-store separation of 3" on centerline.
• Most inboard store must be at least 3" from aircraft centerline.
• Each team will provide a case containing the stores inventory required, including removable pylon assemblies.
• Case must have a latching lid and be able to be opened on one side only (on collapsing cases).
• Store mounts are not part of store weight.
• External pylons will be removed for empty weight measurements.
• Store minimum weights will be verified after each successful flight (not during tech inspection).
• Store may have no additional features beyond what is defined in the kit.
• Required inventory:
• Minimum 4 x Estes Mini-Max (p/n 002445) 0.25 lbs each (minimum). (Internal)
• 4 x Estes Mini Honest John (p/n 002446) 0.50 lbs each (minimum). (External)
• 2 x Estes Hi-Flyer (p/n 002178) 0.75 lbs each (minimum). (External)
• 2 x Estes Der Red Max (p/n 000651) 1.00 lbs each (minimum). (External)
• Each store must have it's model (name) and the required minimum weight printed on the body exterior.
• Motors
• No form of external assisted take-off is allowed.
• Must be electric powered with unmodified over-the-counter motor.
• May use multiple motors/multiple propellers.
• May be direct drive or with gear or belt reduction.
• May be brush or brushless.
• May be commerical ducted fan.
• Must use commerically available propeller hub/pitch mechanisms.
• May modify the diameter by clipping the tip or painting to balance but no other modifications are allowed.
• Allowed to change the propeller diameter/pitch for each mission.
• Power
• Motors and batteries limited to 20 Amp via in-line fuse from positive battery terminal to motor controller. (Only ATO or blade style plastic fuses may be used)
• Must use over the counter NiCad or NiMH batteries. (Must be shrink-wrapped over electrical contcat points.
• Individual cells must be commercially available and labels readable or documented.
• All battery disconnects must be "fully insulated" style connectors.
• Maximum propulsion battery weight is 1.5 lbs
• Propulsion battery pack must power propulsion system only. 
• Radio Rx and servos MUST be on a seperate battery. 
• Batteries MAY NOT be changed or charged between sorties during a flight period.
• Safety
• Must undergo a safety inspection before flight.
• Verify structural integrity.
• Visual inspection of electrical
• Radio range check
• Verify controls
• Check CG (must be marked before-hand)
• Must provide proof of successful test flight.
• Radio fail-safe. If loss of transmit signal, radio must select the following:
• Throttle closed
• Full up elevator
• Full right rudder
• Full right aileron
• Full flaps down (if so equipped)
• Aircraft must have a mechanical motor arming system seperate from onboard radio Rx switch. Will be "blade" style fuse mounted on the outside of the aircraft.
• Must be safed for payload changes, maunal movements and in the hanger area.
• Aircraft must demonstrate load configuration #1 (mission #3) and present photographs showing configurations #2 - #6.
• Must demonstrate wing tip test with either 4 internal stores or the maximum number to be attempted plus one "Der Red Max" on each inboard wing pylon.
• The number of internal stores can not be altered after tech inspection.

 DESIGN REPORTS

• Reports must have the University name on the cover page (reports missing this identification will not be judged).
• Maximum page count is 60 pages (the PDF reader "pages" wil be the official page count).
• Report PDF must be formatted as 8.5" x 11" pages.
• May use 11" x 17" pages for the drawing package.
• Electronic copy must arrive at designbuildfly@gmail.com by 5PM EST on 25 Feb 2013.
• Electronic files must be named: "2013DBF_{University}.PDF
• Electronic files must be a single file with all figures/drawings included.
• Electronic file should be less than 20 MB in size (including encoding for e-mail transmission).
• Reports will be scored out of 100 points.
• Sections must be in sequence, including the drawing package.  Out of sequence items will be treated as missing.
• ALL items should be present and easy to locate and identify.
• Report
• 1. Executive Summary: (10 points):
  · Provide a summary description of your selected design and why it is the best solution to the specified mission requirements.
  · Describe your key mission requirements and design features keyed to those requirements.
  · Document the performance/capabilities of your system solution.
  2. Management Summary (5 points):
  · Describe the organization of the design team.
  · Provide a chart of design personnel and assignment areas.
  · Provide a milestone chart showing planned and actual timing of the design / fabrication / testing processes.
  3. Conceptual Design (15 points):
  · Describe mission requirements (problem statement).
  · Translate mission requirements into design requirements.
  · Review solution concepts/configurations considered.
  · Describe selection process and results.
  4. Preliminary Design (20 points):
  · Describe design/analysis methodology
  · Document design/sizing trades
  · Describe/document mission model (capabilities and uncertainties)
  · Provide estimates of the aircraft lift, drag and stability characteristics.
  · Provide estimates of the aircraft mission performance.
  5. Detail Design (30 points total. 15 points for discussion items, 15 points for drawing package):
  · Document dimensional parameters of final design.
  · Document structural characteristics/capabilities of final design.
  · Document systems and sub-systems design/component selection/integration/architecture.
  · Document Weight and Balance for final design. Must include a Weight & Balance table for the empty aircraft and with each of the possible payloads
  · Document flight performance parameters for final design.
  · Document mission performance for final design.
  Drawing Package
  · 3-View drawing with dimensions.
  · Structural arrangement drawing.
  · Systems layout/location drawing.
  · Payload(s) accommodation drawing(s).
  6. Manufacturing Plan and processes (5 points):
  · Document the process selected for manufacture of major components and assemblies of the final design.
  · Detail the manufacturing processes investigated and the selection process/results.
  · Include a manufacturing milestone chart showing scheduled and actual event timings.
  7. Testing Plan (5 points):
  · Detail testing objectives, schedules, and check-lists.
  8. Performance Results (10 points):
  · Describe the demonstrated performance of key subsystems and compare it to predictions from Section 5. Explain any differences and improvements made.
  · Describe the demonstrated performance of your complete aircraft solution and compare it to predictions from Section5. Explain any differences and improvements made.