SAE Aero Design

This annual event is sponsored by SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) International, specifically directed toward college students interested in aeronautical engineering. The competition is integrated into the engineering curriculum as a year-long project.

Design, build, test, and fly a heavy-lift radio-controlled aircraft with a set of constraints:

• The aircraft must carry a specified payload of water bottles to achieve the highest payload-to-empty weight ratio.
• Maximum takeoff weight (MTOW): 55 lbs, including payload, batteries, and structure.
• Propulsion shall consist of either two or four electric motors powered by a single 14.8 V, 2200 mAh battery, installed and verified during technical inspection.
• Composite materials (carbon fiber, Kevlar, fiberglass, etc.) are prohibited in the primary structure.
• The aircraft must take off within 100 ft and land within 400 ft of the designated runway area.
• The payload must be unloaded in under 60 seconds and altered after each successful flight.