2023-2024

The objective for this year was to design, build, and test an airplane to demonstrate Urban Air Mobility (UAM) missions. Flight missions included the delivery of the airplane, medical transport, and urban taxi services. 

Ground Mission 

The Ground Mission simulated the need to rapidly reconfigure an aircraft between missions. Teams began with the aircraft in parking configuration and had to complete three distinct stages. In the first, they transformed the plane into the Medical Transport configuration by installing the gurney, EMTs, patient, medical cabinet, and securing all hatches. Once completed, the pilot verified control surface movement. In the second stage, the team replaced the medical setup with the Urban Taxi configuration, swapping in the passengers and any required floor inserts. In the third and final stage, the aircraft was returned to its original parking configuration and placed in the designated parking spot. Only the ground crew member was allowed to handle the plane during the mission, and timing was paused between stages. The score for this mission was calculated based on the fastest total time, normalized across all teams. The mission emphasized modularity, smart design, and crew coordination.

Mission 1 

For Mission 1, the airplane carries only the crew as its payload. It begins with the parking setup, with the battery removed. During a five-minute setup time, the ground crew prepares the airplane for flight by putting it into flight configuration and installing the battery and crew. After that, the team has 5 minutes to fly and complete three laps. The flight time starts when the throttle is first pushed for takeoff. A lap counts when the airplane flies over the start/finish line. While landing isn’t timed, the plane must land successfully to earn a score.

Mission 2 

For Mission 2, the payload consists of the Crew, EMTs, a Patient on a gurney, and a Medical Supply Cabinet. The airplane begins in the parking configuration with its propulsion battery or batteries removed and enters the staging box, where the judge will weigh the Medical Supply Cabinet and record the value for scoring. During the 5-minute staging window, the ground crew must configure the aircraft for flight and install all required payload components: the battery(ies), crew, EMTs, gurney with patient, and medical cabinet.

The team is then given a five-minute flight window to complete the mission. They must fly three laps, with the time recorded for scoring purposes. The mission score is calculated as a function of the Medical Supply Cabinet weight divided by the time it takes to complete the three laps. The timer begins when the aircraft throttle is first advanced for takeoff or an attempted takeoff. Each lap is counted when the airplane passes over the start/finish line in the air. Although landing is not included in the flight time, a successful landing is required for the team to receive a score.

Mission 3

For Mission 3, the payload consists of the Crew and Passengers. The aircraft starts in the parking configuration, with the propulsion battery or batteries removed, and enters the staging box, where a judge records the battery capacity and the number of passengers to be flown. During the five-minute staging window, the ground crew must fully configure the airplane for flight and install the battery(ies), crew, and all passengers (along with a floor insert, if used).

The team then has a 5-minute flight window during which they aim to complete as many laps as possible. The number of completed laps within this window is recorded. The mission score is calculated using the formula: (number of laps × number of passengers) ÷ rated battery capacity (in Watt-hours). Timing starts when the airplane’s throttle is first advanced for takeoff or an attempted takeoff. A lap is counted when the aircraft crosses the start/finish line in the air. Although the landing is not part of the timed portion, a successful landing is required to earn a score.

Aircraft Requirements

There were a few additional limitations placed on teams that remained unchanged throughout the missions: the aircraft had to take off within twenty feet of the start line, the arming fuse had to be installed last, and only three people were allowed in the ground mission area. These people included the pilot, the assembling crew member, and the observer. Only the assembling crew member was allowed to touch the plane while inside the staging box.

Scores:

Our report score was 80.23, giving us number 48 in the flight line. We received a score of 0.34 on the ground mission, a score of 1.00 on Mission 1, a score of 1.11 on Mission 2, and a score of 2.21 on Mission 3. Our total mission score was a 4.66. 

Our overall score was a 376.95, giving us 20th place!