Micro-Aerial Vehicles (MAVs) are a unique type of aircraft with small size, low weight, and high versatility. The goal of this project was to design, build, and test an MAV that carried a payload of 55 grams in order to compete in the 2021 WPI MAV Competition. The competition scoring equation rewards small MAV size, long flight times, and the ability to make on-board inertial measurements. The design process involved four subgroups focused on aerodynamics, propulsion, stability, and structures. The final aircraft was constructed using foam, with a maximum length of 55cm and a mass of 400 grams excluding the 55 gram payload. This MAV was able to fly for the maximum allowed time of four minutes while taking nine inertial measurements for a score of S = 4.97 points at the MAV competition.

• This report represents the work of one or more WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer review.

Creator

• Kahn, James S.
• Kresovic, Dalibor
• Abayo, Ellen
• Escobar, Nicole M.
• Sackos, Nicholas T.
• Sullivan, Jake S.

Publisher

• Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Identifier

• E-project-040421-222854
• 16951

Advisor

• Olinger, David J.
• Yuan, Zhangxian
• Jayachandran, Jagannath

Year

• 2021

Date created

• 2021-04-04

Resource type

• Major Qualifying Project

Major

• Aerospace Engineering

Rights statement

• In Copyright