14 / 1 / 2025
Task 1: History of Aviation
Objective
To explore the history of aviation, understand the evolution of aircraft, and recognize key technical components and advancements in aviation.
Key Learnings
1. Historical Context of Aviation
- The journey of aviation began with early ideas of flight sketched by Leonardo da Vinci in the 15th century.
- In the 19th century, George Cayley laid the foundation of modern aerodynamics by identifying lift, drag, and thrust as the essential forces for flight.
- The Wright Brothers achieved the first powered, controlled flight in 1903, marking a turning point in aviation history.
- Subsequent innovations included the development of jet engines, supersonic flight, and commercial aviation, leading to the modern era of air travel.
2. Understanding Aircraft Components
- Fuselage: The main body of the aircraft, housing passengers, cargo, and crew.
- Wings: Generate lift, enabling the aircraft to rise and stay airborne.
- Tail Assembly (Empennage): Provides stability and control during flight.
- Engines: Generate the thrust required for forward motion and overcoming drag.
- Cockpit: Serves as the control center for the pilot to manage the aircraft.
3. The Philosophy of Innovation in Aviation
- The evolution of aviation is rooted in creative problem-solving and the application of physics and engineering principles.
- Each advancement addressed specific challenges, from achieving stable flight to increasing speed, efficiency, and safety.
Timeline of Aviation History
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1485: | Leonardo da Vinci sketches flying machines. |
| 1799: | George Cayley designs a fixed-wing aircraft. |
| 1903: | Wright Brothers achieve powered flight. |
| 1914: | First commercial flight begins operations. |
| 1939: | First jet-powered aircraft takes flight. |
| 1947: | Supersonic flight is achieved by Chuck Yeager. |
| 1970: | Boeing 747 revolutionizes passenger travel. |
| 2005: | Airbus A380 becomes the largest passenger plane. |
"Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward." — Leonardo da Vinci
Task 2: Simulation Flying
Overview
This task focuses on developing practical skills in drone operation using the Real Drone Simulator. Participants gain hands-on experience with fundamental UAV maneuvers and learn to maintain the line of sight during operation. Additionally, the task emphasizes understanding the influence of environmental conditions and drone configurations on flight performance.
Key Features of Real Drone Simulator
-Customizable Drone Setup:
The simulator allows users to customize their virtual drones by selecting different components, including:
- Motors: Adjust power and efficiency for specific applications.
- Batteries: Choose between capacities and voltages to balance flight time and weight.
- Propellers: Experiment with varying sizes and pitches for optimal thrust and maneuverability.
- Frames: Select frames of different sizes and designs to affect stability and payload capacity.
-Realistic Flight Scenarios:
Simulations mimic real-world conditions, including wind speed, turbulence, and obstacles, providing an authentic training experience.
-Control Practice:
Learn the basics of controlling UAV movements using a transmitter, focusing on the key flight axes.
Understanding Pitch, Roll, and Yaw
In drone flight, understanding the three primary axes of movement is essential:
- Pitch (Forward/Backward Tilt):
The pitch controls the drone’s movement along the longitudinal axis (front to back).- Achieved by adjusting the thrust of the front and rear propellers.
- Example: Tilting the drone forward moves it in the forward direction.
2.Roll (Side-to-Side Tilt):
The roll controls the drone’s movement along the lateral axis (left to right).
- Achieved by adjusting the thrust of the left and right propellers.
- Example: Rolling right causes the drone to move sideways to the right.
3.Yaw (Rotation Around the Vertical Axis):
The yaw controls the drone’s rotation to face a different direction.
- Achieved by varying the speed of diagonal pairs of propellers.
- Example: Yawing clockwise rotates the drone to the right.
"Flying might not be all smooth sailing, but the fun of it is worth the price"
— Amelia Earhart
Task: Design an Airfoil in Fusion 360
Objective
Design an airfoil with NACA 4412 coordinates in Fusion 360 using the DAT to spline converter or canvas tool to sketch the airfoil. Understand terms such as angle of attack, camber line, chord line, and leading edge. Design two versions: one using aluminum material and another using composites. The wing should generate at least 5 newtons of lift at a wind speed of 25 m/s.
Prerequisite: Autodesk Student License
Airfoil Selection: NACA 4412
The design began with the selection of the NACA 4412 airfoil based on its aerodynamic properties. The airfoil shape was defined using the NACA 4412 coordinates, which describe the geometry of the airfoil, including:
- Camber Line: The curve that defines the distribution of the airfoil's thickness.
- Leading Edge: The front edge of the airfoil where the airflow first contacts.
- Chord Line: A straight line from the leading edge to the trailing edge, representing the length of the airfoil.
Designing an Airfoil in Fusion 360
When designing an airfoil in Fusion 360, I used the following features and steps to create an accurate airfoil model, followed by simulation in CFD to understand its aerodynamic behavior:
Key Features Used in Fusion 360
Canvas Tool (For Sketching the Airfoil)
- The Canvas Tool allows you to upload a reference image (like a NACA 4412 airfoil profile) into the workspace and use it as a guide to draw the airfoil.
- You can adjust the opacity of the image and scale it according to the required dimensions, then trace the airfoil outline over the image using the spline tool to create a smooth, accurate curve.
DAT to Spline Converter
- The DAT to Spline Converter tool in Fusion 360 allows you to directly input NACA 4412 airfoil coordinates from a DAT file into the design environment.
- This tool automatically converts the coordinates into a spline, which can then be used to create the precise shape of the airfoil.
Spline Tool
- The Spline Tool is used to create a smooth, continuous curve that follows the shape of the airfoil, especially the camber line and upper and lower surfaces.
- The spline tool is critical for ensuring that the airfoil shape is aerodynamic, offering the desired lift and drag characteristics.
Extrude Tool
- After sketching the airfoil shape, I used the Extrude Tool to give the airfoil thickness along the chord length, making it a 3D object.
- This step is crucial for simulating the airflow around the wing in CFD.
Material Environment Setup
- I used Wood and Composites as environments to simulate the airfoil’s material properties.
- For the wooden version, I applied the wood material properties (density, strength) to the design.
- For the composite version, I applied composite material properties for a lighter, more durable airfoil.
CFD Simulation
For this task I first designed NACA 4412 aerofoil in fusion 360. And then simulated in wind tunnel using CFD. The inlet air flow was set. to 28 m/s and the outlet was kept unknown to get the exact value of the air flow after passing through the aerofoil. I choose aluminium material for the aerofoil due to its lightweight and sustainable nature. Obtained around 25 iterations for generating the graph and then visualised the result using traces feature. The summary was generated. And the data obtained can be used to calculate the lift and the drag forces.
- Lift is calculated using the formula : L = C(L) * A *V^2 * ρ * 0.5
Where:L = Lift force (in newtons)
C(L)= Lift coefficient (from the CFD simulation) ρ = Air density (in kg/m³)
V = Velocity of airflow (in m/s) S = Wing area (in m²)- The lift can also be found without doing these calculations. View the summary of the simulation and under the * Sum of Fluid Forces on Walls * column we obtain 6 values. ShearX, PressX ; ShearY, PressY ; ShearZ, PressZ. These denote shear forces and the pressure in X, Y and Z directions respectively. The PressZ value is the value of lift as it denotes pressure in the upward direction. And the PressX value is the drag value.
- Lift for this simulation is 1.66N and drag is 61264N
“You’ve never been lost until you’ve been lost at Mach 3.”
– Paul F. Crickmore