Completed Design Review

Team Airblade
Timothy Davenport
Brian Guerrero
Mark Kastantin
Oscar Kataura
William Peters
Robert Taylor
Overview

 Structural Changes since PDR

 Description of Finalized Design
 Design analysis: Stability and control
 Calculations: mass, payload, course
completion time, etc.
 Timeline
Structural Changes since PDR

 Trapezoidal cross-section >> triangular cross-

section
 Sides of craft: balsa boards >> triangular truss
 Pitch propeller moved further forward
 Side View

78.74 inches
3.19 in 3.75 in

3.94 in
Stabilizer

Small motor

Large motors with servos

 Top View

78.74 inches
3.75 in payload battery / control payload

• note: balloons removed from view

Front View

72º
Structural Specifics

 Propulsion: 1 large propeller at front end, 1

large propeller at back end
 Pitch: 1 small motor at front end
 Triangular truss for slanted sides, ladder
design for top side
 2 meters long, 8.5 meters wide.
 Balloons attached at front end, midpoint and
back end.
Materials
 Balsa wood (3/8 inch  1 battery pack
squares)  1 radio control
 2 large motors module
 2 large propellers  3 balloons with
 1 small motor attachments (string)
 1 small propeller  wire
 2 servos

1. Balloons and string are not included in mass calculations

2. Wire is included in the mass of the other equipment
Balsa Wood Length
 Each side piece  Length Calculation
requires 40 pieces    =3.75(40(2)+20)+(3)78.74
(3.75 inches each)
   =611.22 inches
 Top piece requires 20
pieces (3.75 inches
each)
 3 pieces run the
length of the structure
(2 m each, or 78.74
inches)
 Mass Calculation
Material Unit Mass (g)* Units Total (g)
balsa wood 0.369 g/in 611.22 in 225.5
large motor 249.9 2 499.8
large propeller 7.9 2 15.8
small motor 96.3 1 96.3
small propeller 4.9 1 4.9
servo 38.3 2 76.6
battery pack 110.2 1 110.2
radio control module 50.4 1 50.4
*unless otherwise specified Vehicle Mass (g) 1079.5
Payload (g) 670.5
Roll Stability Balloon lift

 Balloons are tied to

bottom beam and top
crossbars minimizing
Battery, radio control mass
horizontal pull

 All weight is centered

on bottom beam
Motor, propeller mass
Pitch Stability
 Lift distributed evenly
 Small motor provides pitch needed to maintain
flight

Variable
 Propulsion
Drag

Motor thrust
 Two large motors running at 9.6V provides
2(0.79) = 1.58 N
 Drag = 1.58 N (at steady state)
Drag and Velocity
C drag = 0.5 Drag coefficient for a sphere

2D 2(1.58)
v max = = = 2.59 m
ρ SC drag 2
1.2π (0.5 )(0.5) s

This means the blimp should be moving at a

fast walking speed.
 Turning
78.74 inches
3.75 in payload payload battery / control
battery / control payload
payload

Center of mass

 The large motors work in tandem

 Torque = (2)(39in)(0.0254 m/in)(0.79 N) =
1.57 N/m
Battery Life
 One battery pack providing
30amps ⋅min
τ battery = = 20 min
1.5amps
of lifetime
 Time of completion of race track
87.8m
tcoursemax = = 39.9 s
2.2m / s
Ample lifetime for completion
Timeline
 Up to this point we have the truss structure
complete and have attached the servos
 For the rest of the time

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

Week 1 Attach motors to structure
Week 2 Complete Wiring Attach Balloons Test Fly and
Week 3 Optimize Trials
Conclusion
 So far the project has proceeded smoothly
 Anticipate weight problems that will be
fixed by sanding the structure
 We feel we have a strong structure with
great turning potential
 Ready to finish building and get flying