16 February 2006

After a long fall semester plauged with administrative issues and other space issues, the project is back in full operation again. The website should once again be updated on a much more frequent basis than it has over the past semester. Due to weight issues found on the first iteration of the aircraft skin, the team has decided to refabricate the skin using a carbon fiber/fiberglass weave arrangement. Additionally, by using vacuum bagging techniques, we hope to achieve our initial weight goals. Current results have been great during the fabrication of the canards and the first wing. Please check the photos section for more details on this.

With the decision to refabricate the skin, several other system component designs were reevaluated. The result is a new tail that is properly sized for the final iteration of the aircraft, a new rear landing gear design, and a new camera pod in the nose cone. A few modifications have also been deemed useful on the thrust vectoring and engine mount assemblies.

The first recuiting meeting of the semester has also occured and we have a large contingent of new personel on the project. Additionally, we have once again successfully secured funding from the Engineering Physics, Mechanical Engineering, and Electrical and Computer Engineering departments. A proposal to the Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium is in process.

 

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