District X
Rich Hanson, District X Vice President; [email protected]
Event
The 2007 Cessna Aircraft Company / Raytheon Missile Systems Student Design/Build/Fly competition was held at the Tucson International Modelplex Park (TIMPA) April 20–22. Fifty teams entered the event; 36 teams came to Tucson and 18 made at least one scoring flight attempt.
Competition rules and criteria
- Teams had to create an airplane and all support equipment that would fit into a 2 x 4 x 1.5-foot shipping container.
- Aircraft were scored for ground and flight tasks.
- Engineering papers were graded for each aircraft, producing a Rated Aircraft Cost that formed a major part of the scoring.
- All entries were required to have a photo or video of their airplane in flight before coming to Tucson (AMA rule).
- The competition was private and strict rules were enforced; teams were allowed on site only at specified times.
- An airplane could be rebuilt as long as major parts signed off by one of the technical inspectors were used in the rebuild.
On-site impressions
As TIMPA’s field manager and assistant CD, I had a chance to see and mingle with the students throughout the event. The finest thing I noticed was the camaraderie and friendship between teams. Teams watched from the fence line cheering and applauding their own teams and the others. Only the flight crew was out flying; the rest of the team watched. A crash would get cheered as much as a completed flight.
When a crash occurred, the entire team would retreat to the very large tent set up by Raytheon to house team workstations. The students I spoke with were pleasant and eager to talk about their airplanes and designs. I talked to teams from Scotland, Israel, and Turkey.
Highlights and incidents
I thought the best-looking airplane was the Israeli entry, but it had troubles. It was scheduled as the first flight of the event but, after a successful takeoff, it crashed badly.
Results
- B-Bug Technion — Israel Institute of Technology (most pleasing design)
- OSU Orange — Oklahoma State University
- The Spirit of Amelia — Purdue University (based on the full-scale Facitmobile)
Support and logistics
Raytheon provided:
- A large tent for the teams to work in
- Sunscreen, water, and meal tickets for the teams and officials
- Most of the inspection and flightline officials
TIMPA provided:
- The field, security, and indoor plumbing
- Several officials and a crash response team with a golf cart to retrieve downed aircraft
Food was provided by The BBQ Crew Catering Co., Glendale, Arizona.
Acknowledgments
Thanks to Bob Reynolds, District X associate vice president for Southern Arizona, for this exceptional contest report.
Closing
These students put their whole heart and soul into these airplanes. No crying, just "we'll be back next year and watch our dust."
Till next time... Keep 'em safe and keep 'em flyin'.
Transcribed from original scans by AI. Minor OCR errors may remain.
