KY EPSCoR: FY 22: NASA Space Grant Project: 2022 AIAA Design, Build, Fly Competition

2022 AIAA Design, Build, Fly Competition Abstract The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) student section at the University of Kentucky (UK) Paducah Program will be competing in the 2022 AIAA International Design, Build, Fly (DBF) competition in Wichita, Kansas. Funding from the Team Fellowship would support aerospace interest not only in the AIAA chapter but the entire student body at the UK Paducah Program. Students who attend the UK Paducah Program are either chemical or mechanical engineering major. This fellowship provides an agent in which students recognize how important engineering curriculum is in the aerospace field. DBF is considered one of the most prestigious competitions among aerospace enthusiasts. Participating in this competition consists of building a remote-controlled aircraft capable of carrying out tasks related to the year’s specific mission. Members of AIAA student organization first start by writing a proposal explaining how they plan to approach the mission. The teams with the top 100 proposals will be invited to submit a design report and enter the competition. A design report outlining the aircraft is then written alongside the production of an aircraft capable of carrying out the mission. This year’s mission will be announced in September-October of 2021. An overall score for the competition combines flight performance, design, and report score. Using the Team Fellowship, the UK Paducah team will design an aircraft capable of completing all missions with a focus on simplicity, maintainability, and durability. Rapid prototyping will be utilized to quickly test and refine the aircraft design. The team has access to a Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) 3D printer and a CO2 laser cutter to accelerate the pace.