For the work period March 9 - March 23, the team assembled the 1:3 scale prototypes. All the hangers were bolted together with the corresponding components. In addition, they were also glued down to a ½” pipe. Tasks still in progress include the movement validation, for which the team plans on using an imaging software (Image J) where measurements can be taken from an image. An image at the raised position will be taken, then at the lowered position. A grid background will be utilized as reference for the imaging processing. From there, vertical and horizontal displacements can be calculated. A plan to simulate drag and lift for the 1:3 scale validation has been created; it consists of a pulley system that will be directly attached to each hangar. Materials for the pulley system have been partially purchased as well.
For the 1:10 scale, most of the aircraft parts had finished printing and an attempt was made to assemble the aircraft. After the first attempt at assembly, there were several issues discovered and addressed. Several parts had failed due to tight tolerances on dimensions, which has been adjusted in the models for reprint. The center body piece was also modified to allow more room for electronic components. The figures below show the failed parts and updated body piece.
An oversight with the change in hanger mount dimensions to accommodate the machinist’s request resulted in the new hanger mounts not fitting in the previously printed wings, which will require the wings to be modified and reprinted. The motor had also been upgraded to allow for stronger, heavier parts since the current density of the parts is too fragile to house the electronics and test equipment. As shown to the left, the main body and tail of the aircraft have been completed with electronics incorporated.
For the work period March 24 - April 6, the team plans on assembling all the metal parts for the 1:3 prototype if they’re machined on time. The pulley system to simulate drag will be constructed and tested with the 1:3 scale prototype if the parts for the prototype are machined in time.
Expected upcoming progress for the 1:10 scale includes printing the remaining wing pieces and final assembly of the aircraft in preparation for validation. Calibration of electronic components after assembly is also required to ensure that the aircraft is functional. The machinist has also started preparing the CAD files for machining the 1:10 scale parts, and the return time provided is roughly a week.
One obstacle for the 1:3 prototype is that the hangers don’t retract to the raised position. We believe the reason for that is that we are only utilizing 3D printed parts, and they don’t provide much structural integrity. As a result, the team plans on mixing and matching 3d-printed parts with metal parts to ensure the system is stable. For the pulley system the only obstacle the team foresees is finding a suitable attachment point for the pulley to the hangars, which should be solved by drilling a small hole in the metal hangars to attach the pulley system.
Foreseen obstacles with the 1:10 scale include assembly and functionality of electronic components. So far, they have only been tested for dimensional fit, but functional capacity and calibration is expected to present challenges as these components must not only propel but also safely stop the aircraft. To mitigate as much future problems as possible, isolated electronic systems with their corresponding printed parts (motor, propeller, stopping mechanism) are being tested as the parts print to determine if they will function as expected.
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