THE BRONZE PROPELLER COMPETITION

THE 2013 COMPETITION IS OVER - WE HAVE A WINNING TEAM! (Updated 11:30am, 5/13/2013) 

Congratulations to Team Kevin! They are the 2013 Bronze Propeller champions!

The last day of competition flying was held on Sunday May 12th. The following outlines results and other bits of information on the 2013 event:

• There were five days of flying
• Fourteen (14) different planes flew
• Nine (9) teams scored points

The 2013 competition results are as follows:

1. Team Kevin (86 pts. - 1 ball, 141 sec, & 128 mAh)
2. Team AE - High & Tight (63 pts. - 1 ball, 157 sec, & 180 mAh)
3. Team Shock Flock (53 pts. - 1 ball, 89 sec, & 248 mAh)
4. Team X (45 pts. - 1 ball, 240 sec, & 248 mAh)
5. Team Cold Plane (40 pts. - 1 ball, 133 sec, & 314 mAh)
6. Team ElixiR (32 pts. - 1 ball, 214 sec, & 380 mAh)
7. Team Major Lazer (28 pts. - 1 ball, 123 sec, & 536 mAh)
8. Team Spruce Balsa (16 pts. - 2 balls, 184 sec, & 1162 mAh)
9. Team Olathe NW High School Ravens (11 pts. - 1 ball, 250 sec., & 1588 mAh)

Congratulations to all the teams who flew:

• Team Shock Flock
• Team AE - High & Tight
• Team ElixiR
• Team X
• Team Cold Plane
• Team F.A.B.
• Team Olathe NW High School Ravens
• Team Gundam Wing
• Team Scorpion
• Team Heights High School Falcons
• Team Jiggly Puff III
• Team Kevin
• Team Major Lazer
• Team Spruce Balsa

Special thanks to the competition pilot - Jonathan Mowrey. He flew everything and he flew well! Lots of amazing saves on windy days and with tricky planes!

Jonathan Mowrey - The Pilot

Background
The Aerospace Engineering department annually sponsors an aircraft design competition for university and high school students. The goal is to encourage involvement in a fun and educational activity.

Competing teams design and build an electric powered remote controlled aircraft to fly a challenging mission. Winners get their names on the Bronze Propeller Trophy. The fourth annual competition will be held in April 2013.

Any student can compete. Don't be shy. Form a team, build a plane, and fly!  Mentors for high school and underclassmen student teams are recommended. Contact Dr. Miller for help finding a mentor.

Participating high school and graduate student teams compete in separate categories. The graduate students are required to utilize "very unique design configurations."
 

Start watching this page in August for information on the 2013-2014 competition!

Just for your reference, the material below reviews the 2012-2013 competition.

2012-2013 Mission, Rules, & Guidelines
This year's mission is a "High-Efficiency Cargo Hauler."

In short, you are to design a plane that can efficiently takeoff, fly to a designated location, collect a big payload, and fly back as fast as possible. Interestingly, all aircraft will utilize the same power system this year (i.e., batteries).

A successful mission profile includes the following:

0) Install the WSU supplied data and power system
1) Takeoff empty (i.e., no payload)
2) Fly two complete laps
3) Land and quickly load the payload (softballs)
4) Takeoff and fly at least two more complete laps
5) Land successfully

Additionally, planes must meet the following minimum requirements and constraints: 

• The aircraft must be wing borne, not a rotorcraft, airship, etc.
• Use only electric power (no gas, jet, rocket, nuclear, etc.)
• The aircraft must fly with a WSU supplied data and power system (full details will be released shortly)
• WSU supplied components must be securely held in the plane at all times
• The WSU supplied power system fuse must be safely and quickly accessible
• The payload is either 11-inch or 12-inch regulation softballs, supplied by WSU
• The plane must fly with at least one (1) softball
• The plane must be passively stable and human controlled
• The aircraft should be made using commonly available model aircraft materials (e.g., balsa wood, coverite, foam, etc.)
• Use of more than 12 (12”x24”) sheets of wood, 1 (12”x24”) sheet of plywood, and 1 panel (4’x8’x2”) of foam supplied by WSU is prohibited
• Use of composite materials (e.g., graphite tubes, fiberglass) for critical parts of the vehicle is prohibited
• Graduate teams must utilize "unique design configurations" (see Dr. Miller for approval) 
• Deadlines for submitting department support, part, system, laser/foam cutting, and other requests will be established in the spring semester and must be satisfied
• Competing aircraft must be both designed and built by participating student team members
• A designated WSU pilot will fly the plane at the competition

The flying area dimensions are approximately 400x100-ft. Planes are expected to fly within this area at all times (under about 100-ft altitude). The runway will be in the center and turns will be approximately 300-ft apart (perhaps around light poles).


Scoring
The mission score (SCR) is calculated using the following equation,      
               
            SCR=NB + (1,000/MT) + (10,000/MAH)

Where NB is the number of softballs carried during the last two laps, MT is the total mission time (seconds), and MAH is the total energy consumed (mAh).

Mission timing begins the moment the WSU supplied data and power system is issued to the team. The timer is stopped when the plane touches down after completing the entire mission.

Payload (i.e., softball) installation is performed by just two team members and only in a designated 10x10-ft area. The mission timer will not be stopped during loading.


Required Power and Data System
The WSU supplied power system operates the motor, receiver, and servos. The operating voltage is approximately 10.5V (loaded) and the current output will be electronically limited to 30A. (Click here for additional battery test data.)

Maximum available battery capacity is approximately 2,000 mAh. The dimensions and weight are, respectively, approximately 1.25”x2.5”x5.5” and 12oz.

The data system also records the energy used (in units of milliamp hours, mAh) during mission execution. It weighs approximately 10oz and is roughly 1.5”x3”x8” in size.

The WSU supplied data system can also be used to collect critical flight data for later analysis (e.g., airspeed, altitude, attitude, rates, heading, throttle setting, etc.). A telemetry and SD-card recording system are planned.

Additional space within the aircraft should be planned to include a protective foam wrap for both the power and data systems (this will increase dimensions). This provision is needed to minimize system damage in the case of a very undesirable incident (i.e., crash).

The battery must be located within approximately 2-inches of the data system. More specific details on the WSU supplied data and power system will be released shortly.


Important Comments
All rules, requirements, and constraints are subject to interpretation and change by Dr. Miller. Additional rules, requirements, and constraints can be added anytime. Team members assume all risk with respect to disqualification (i.e., SCR=0).

A successful design is well understood and properly developed from the beginning.  Don’t let someone create a better overall design than you.

Use engineering principles and methods to win!


Mini-Grants & Mentors
The planes will be inexpensive to build. However, some teams may be eligible for limited AE department assistance to help build their plane (e.g., radio gear, motor, assorted supplies, laser cutting, foam cutting, etc.).

Additionally, the department will do what it can to provide mentors to help less experienced teams.

Deadlines for submitting department support, laser/foam cutting, and other requests will be established in the spring semester. Teams must meet these deadlines.

Contact Dr. Miller for further information on mini-grant and mentor opportunities.

Engineer of 2020
Eligible WSU students, especially seniors, can gain “Engineer of 2020” service-learning credit by serving as a mentor for less experienced teams. These opportunities must be prearranged.  Contact Dr. Miller for further information.

Bronze Propeller Competition Flyer

Click here to download a Bronze Propeller flyer that you can post or share with friends. Spread the word, form a team, and compete.

Additional Information 

Contact Dr. Miller, by email, with questions - scott.miller@wichita.edu

"What I cannot build, I cannot understand" - Feynman

Visit this page often, don't miss important Q&A's and competition news!