MANY UNIVERSITY aeronautical engineering programs
in the country tend to focus on the theoretical knowledge
more than the application of theoretical knowledge to the
immediacy of solving real-world problems.
That has not been the case in the recent past with
Oklahoma State University’s School of Mechanical and
Aerospace Engineering. Under the leadership of Dr. Andy
Arena, the Maciula Professor of Engineering at OSU,
students have benefitted by acquiring real-world knowledge
and success through participation in a national
aeromodeling design and performance competition,
sponsored by the 35,000-member American Institute of
Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), the professional
society for the field of aerospace engineering.
In the past decade, OSU Aeronautical Engineering
students have compiled an impressive record in the annual
AIAA competition—seven first-place wins, six secondplace
awards, two third-place awards, and one fourth-place
finish—with multiple teams entered in each competition,
collectively outdistancing all other universities in the
United States by a wide margin.
In the aftermath of this unparalleled success, Dr.
Arena and his staff turned in a new direction this past
year by forging a new partnership with the NASA
Oklahoma Space Grant and the Academy of Model
Aeronautics, through the local AMA club, the Stillwater
R/C Flyers.
This new alliance was used not only to organize a new
competition, but also to establish a new, joint-use flying
field to benefit all of the participating partners.
As a first step, the new OSU Unmanned Aircraft
Flight Station was constructed 12 miles east of Stillwater
with a 600- x 60-foot Petromat runway, pilot stations, a
shaded pavilion, and a storage and maintenance building.
MA columnist, Gene Smith, representing the Stillwater
R/C Flyers Club, had this to say about the joint effort:
“Developing what would become a symbiotic
relationship, Dr. Arena enlisted the Stillwater R/C
Flyers’ help in planning the layout of the new site,
laying the runway fabric, and developing the inaugural
event program.
More than 750 spectators gathered for Oklahoma State
University’s Speedfest 2011 at the new joint-use flying field.
Stillwater R/C Flyers Club members and other area modelers
staged a static display.
December 2011 53
A three-way partnership
for graduate success
As one of the more unusual full-scale aircraft to make an
appearance, this Burt Rutan-designed Long EZ canard
configuration with a pusher engine made several runway
passes. Dick Weast photo.
Area RC flier Jim Ellis brought his Okie Kid P-51 Mustang and
flew demo flights as the students set up for the next launch.
Jim’s 8-year-old model is built from an American Eagle kit. The
41-pound P-51 is powered by a Brison 5.8 engine.
Photos by the author unless otherwise noted
Left: One of the Black Team’s models sports a tail of fire from
its rocket engine boost as it prepares to leave the launching
ramp. The Orange Team delved into aviation history to build its
catapult launch system and the Black Team went high-tech with
limited-burn rocket engines. Bevers photo.
Below: MA columnist Gene
Smith provided the commentary
about the full-scale and model
demonstration flights and the
variety of airplanes present,
between rounds of the Speedfest
competition.
“The club’s affiliation with the AMA
was instrumental in obtaining insurance
coverage to protect the university as well
as the club and its members.”
At the same time as the construction
of the new field, at the beginning of the
2010 fall semester, approximately 40
senior aeronautical engineering students
were divided into two teams to fulfill the
requirements of their capstone course: to
design, build, and fly a model aircraft
specifically tailored for speed
competition—the first Speedfest 2011—
slated to be held in the late spring of the
new calendar year.
Organized into two teams, the Orange
Team and the Black Team (named for the
university’s school colors), the students
were further divided into three
subgroups, each responsible for either the
aeronautical design, the structure of the
aircraft, or the power components. Close
teamwork and cooperation became
mainstays for all of the students involved
as the semester progressed.
The Black Team entry’s electric power
system kicks in as it leaves its rocketboost
engine behind on the launch
ramp. The catapult system and the
rocket-boost-launch systems, employed
by the two teams, worked well and
neither seemed to have an advantage,
although the rocket boost was more
spectacular. Mike Bevers photo.
Although they didn’t win the competition, you couldn’t tell it by the expressions on the faces of the
Orange Team. Each had an assigned task in the design, the construction, or the power components of
the entries and worked closely together to see that all 11 of the models constructed could perform in
the 170-mph range. Weast photo.
Below: The victorious Black Team poses proudly with the six models it constructed and the Zumwalt
Cup. All members of the team were contributors to its success, as well as the important lesson of
real-world aeronautical design in this year’s model competition. Bevers photo.
Expert RC flier Dan Bierly (L) is honored by Dr. Andy
Arena for his contributions to Speedfest 2011 and his years
of service to the OSU aeronautical engineering program.
Bierly served as the pilot for both the Orange and Black
Teams this year, and provided entertaining 3-D flights with
his own RC aircraft during flight demonstrations.
To give both teams specific focus, the aircraft
requirements were set forth as the general framework
for the project at the outset of the semester. The
requirements included:
• Electric propulsion only, using 11.1-volt
battery packs of any capacity.
• A 40-amp McMaster-Carr safety fuse,
which must be externally accessible as the
arm/disarm link.
• The aircraft must take off without a
human touch after the propulsion system is
armed.
• Propellers and batteries may be changed
between missions, but no other part of the
aircraft configuration may be changed.
• Multiple models may be used as long as they
are identical in geometry and weight, excluding
the batteries and the propeller.
One of the Orange Team’s models is captured
just after leaving the catapult. Note the
external receiver antenna necessitated by the
composite carbon-fiber fuselage in order to
receive a strong signal from the transmitter. All
of the airplanes used name-brand radio
equipment for control. Bevers photo.
This beautiful composite commemorative trophy,
dedicated to the Wounded Warrior Project, was laid
up in the actual molding form of one of the
competition models. It was made into a unique display
piece, which was auctioned off to raise money for the
worthwhile cause.
The Glen W. Zumwalt
Aerospace Design Challenge
Champion trophy went to
members of the Black
Team this year, but its
significance is shared by all
aeronautical engineering
students at OSU. Dr.
Zumwalt championed the
establishment of a separate
aeronautical engineering
department in the
College of Engineering
at OSU, and is regarded
as its founder. Weast
photo.
56 MODEL AVIATION
The Ponca City Aviation Boosters Club from Ponca City OK, brought a number of antique and unusual fullscale
aircraft. This venerable Piper Super Cub’s low fly-bys pleased the spectators. Weast photo.
Left: Each team had an indoor display area that detailed the development
and evolution of its final design. Two members of the Orange Team share a
good luck hug before the next round of flights.
Below left: The judging panel of graduate students timed the flights
and kept things moving. L to R are Joe Conner, Cody Pinkerton,
Seong-Jin Lee, and David Walker.
Below right: Jacob Stockton and the Black Team make some repairs
and adjustments to one of the models before deciding to sideline it in
favor of another model. Both teams constructed multiple models to allow
for contingencies.
For the most part, these requirements
allowed the teams to use off-the-shelf
battery and propulsion systems, as well as
brand-name 2.4 GHz radios to keep the
airplanes on course. These requirements
tended to dictate the aircraft size and weight
and, as a consequence, both design teams
ended up with aircraft that were similar in
geometry, although the Orange Team came
up with a blended wing/body with a spanwise
battery pack which the team members
custom-soldered.
The Black Team opted for all-molded
composite construction designed to stand
the force of the calculated 15Gs in the
required high-speed turns. That need to
turn at a high G-load was a function of the
two missions the models had to perform.
Mission One was a pylon course with
pylons set at 600 feet apart. The models had
to fly 10 laps in a Figure Eight pattern with
all turns away from the pit and launch area.
Mission Two was a flat-out speed dash with
timing set for the length of the 600-foot
course. Timing occurred during two fullspeed
passes—one in each direction.
To eliminate speed from a diving start,
the models had to be level as they entered
the measured course and maintain that
attitude throughout the run. Two complete
runs were averaged to determine the
models’ top speeds.
To assure compliance with the rules, a
judging panel, comprised of graduate
students, was assembled. Because of the
precise requirements of both speed runs,
Dan Bierly, an experienced RC pilot from
the Stillwater R/C Flyers Club, served as the
pilot for both teams for safety and
consistency reasons.
One of the interesting ancillary features
of the competition was the third design
requirement: that of no human touch after
the propulsion system was armed. This
proved to be a separate engineering
challenge in itself.
Because the aircraft had no landing gear,
the student design teams had to come up
with a way of getting their respective
airplanes into the air at a workable altitude
before the electric-powered propeller took
over. Both teams came up with a ramp
solution to the problem; however, the
solution to getting to the top of the ramp
with adequate flight speed was handled in
two different manners.
The Orange Team took its cue from the
Wright brothers and other early aviation
pioneers by using a catapult to get the
orange-winged aircraft up to flight speed
before the motor kicked in.
The Black Team, on the other hand,
opted for a more modern method of getting
its airplane into the air by employing a
short-burning rocket-boost motor placed at
the rear of the airplane to push it up the
ramp to flying speed.
Although neither solution appeared to be
more advantageous than the other, both
systems worked reliably to get the airplanes
into the air and to the mission requirements.
They were indicative of the creative aspects
of the project.
The upshot of the day-long competition
was that, after several lead changes
throughout the day and back-and-forth
bantering between the students, the Black
Team won with an impressive 171 mph in
the speed dash, and an average of 149 mph
in the pylon course. The competition was so
close that it took the full seven rounds to
determine the winning team.
Winners or not, the students were
enthusiastic about the day and the whole
experience. Orange Team leader, Isaac
Reese, felt that the contest was very
competitive, but “... we’re all friends, too.
It’s kind of like a sibling rivalry.”
Wes Combs, the Black Team leader, was
equally as pleased with the day as more than
750 parents, grandparents, fellow students,
and aviation enthusiasts showed up for the
event. “The air show aspect is nice,” he said,
“because it brings it home so friends and
family can come.”
Billed as an invitational air show as well
as speed competition between two OSU
teams, Speedfest 2011 put aviation’s best
foot forward by using the set-up times
between speed runs for demonstration flights
by the Stillwater R/C Flyers Club and
members of neighboring AMA clubs, fullscale
flybys with antique and unusual
aircraft, and a static rocket display by an
area rocket club.
In wrapping up the entire experience, Dr.
Arena said that the event was as much about
relationships as anything else.
“Much of the work done on the new field
was by students who were supported by the
NASA Oklahoma Space Grant Consortium.
Another very important relationship is that
between aeronautical engineering and the
University Multispectral Lab. Ken Viera,
who is with UML, was instrumental in
working with us on a joint proposal to make
Oklahoma a center for UAS testing and
economic development.”
Likewise, speaking for the Stillwater R/C
Flyers Club, Gene Smith agreed.
“Thanks to the hard work of Dr. Arena,
Dr. J.P. Conner, the OSU Aerospace
students, the relationship with NASA, and
our local club’s affiliation with AMA, the
event was a major success … and we now
have a new flying field, of which both OSU
and our club can be proud.”
Next year’s capstone challenge for
Oklahoma State University’s Aeronautical
Engineering students, Speedfest II, is now
being developed, but it will be difficult to
surpass this year’s accomplishments for
everyone concerned. Speedfest 2011 was a
winner by any measure. MA
Larry Kruse
[email protected]
Sources:
Dr. Andy Arena
[email protected]
Oklahoma State University
School of Mechanical and Aerospace
Engineering
www.mae.okstate.edu
UAV Invitational Airshow and Speedfest
http://speedfest.okstate.edu
American Institute of Aeronautics and
Astronautics
www.aiaa.org
Stillwater R/C Flyers Club
http://members.provalue.net/stillwaterrc
Edition: Model Aviation - 2011/12
Page Numbers: 52,53,54,55,56,57
Edition: Model Aviation - 2011/12
Page Numbers: 52,53,54,55,56,57
MANY UNIVERSITY aeronautical engineering programs
in the country tend to focus on the theoretical knowledge
more than the application of theoretical knowledge to the
immediacy of solving real-world problems.
That has not been the case in the recent past with
Oklahoma State University’s School of Mechanical and
Aerospace Engineering. Under the leadership of Dr. Andy
Arena, the Maciula Professor of Engineering at OSU,
students have benefitted by acquiring real-world knowledge
and success through participation in a national
aeromodeling design and performance competition,
sponsored by the 35,000-member American Institute of
Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), the professional
society for the field of aerospace engineering.
In the past decade, OSU Aeronautical Engineering
students have compiled an impressive record in the annual
AIAA competition—seven first-place wins, six secondplace
awards, two third-place awards, and one fourth-place
finish—with multiple teams entered in each competition,
collectively outdistancing all other universities in the
United States by a wide margin.
In the aftermath of this unparalleled success, Dr.
Arena and his staff turned in a new direction this past
year by forging a new partnership with the NASA
Oklahoma Space Grant and the Academy of Model
Aeronautics, through the local AMA club, the Stillwater
R/C Flyers.
This new alliance was used not only to organize a new
competition, but also to establish a new, joint-use flying
field to benefit all of the participating partners.
As a first step, the new OSU Unmanned Aircraft
Flight Station was constructed 12 miles east of Stillwater
with a 600- x 60-foot Petromat runway, pilot stations, a
shaded pavilion, and a storage and maintenance building.
MA columnist, Gene Smith, representing the Stillwater
R/C Flyers Club, had this to say about the joint effort:
“Developing what would become a symbiotic
relationship, Dr. Arena enlisted the Stillwater R/C
Flyers’ help in planning the layout of the new site,
laying the runway fabric, and developing the inaugural
event program.
More than 750 spectators gathered for Oklahoma State
University’s Speedfest 2011 at the new joint-use flying field.
Stillwater R/C Flyers Club members and other area modelers
staged a static display.
December 2011 53
A three-way partnership
for graduate success
As one of the more unusual full-scale aircraft to make an
appearance, this Burt Rutan-designed Long EZ canard
configuration with a pusher engine made several runway
passes. Dick Weast photo.
Area RC flier Jim Ellis brought his Okie Kid P-51 Mustang and
flew demo flights as the students set up for the next launch.
Jim’s 8-year-old model is built from an American Eagle kit. The
41-pound P-51 is powered by a Brison 5.8 engine.
Photos by the author unless otherwise noted
Left: One of the Black Team’s models sports a tail of fire from
its rocket engine boost as it prepares to leave the launching
ramp. The Orange Team delved into aviation history to build its
catapult launch system and the Black Team went high-tech with
limited-burn rocket engines. Bevers photo.
Below: MA columnist Gene
Smith provided the commentary
about the full-scale and model
demonstration flights and the
variety of airplanes present,
between rounds of the Speedfest
competition.
“The club’s affiliation with the AMA
was instrumental in obtaining insurance
coverage to protect the university as well
as the club and its members.”
At the same time as the construction
of the new field, at the beginning of the
2010 fall semester, approximately 40
senior aeronautical engineering students
were divided into two teams to fulfill the
requirements of their capstone course: to
design, build, and fly a model aircraft
specifically tailored for speed
competition—the first Speedfest 2011—
slated to be held in the late spring of the
new calendar year.
Organized into two teams, the Orange
Team and the Black Team (named for the
university’s school colors), the students
were further divided into three
subgroups, each responsible for either the
aeronautical design, the structure of the
aircraft, or the power components. Close
teamwork and cooperation became
mainstays for all of the students involved
as the semester progressed.
The Black Team entry’s electric power
system kicks in as it leaves its rocketboost
engine behind on the launch
ramp. The catapult system and the
rocket-boost-launch systems, employed
by the two teams, worked well and
neither seemed to have an advantage,
although the rocket boost was more
spectacular. Mike Bevers photo.
Although they didn’t win the competition, you couldn’t tell it by the expressions on the faces of the
Orange Team. Each had an assigned task in the design, the construction, or the power components of
the entries and worked closely together to see that all 11 of the models constructed could perform in
the 170-mph range. Weast photo.
Below: The victorious Black Team poses proudly with the six models it constructed and the Zumwalt
Cup. All members of the team were contributors to its success, as well as the important lesson of
real-world aeronautical design in this year’s model competition. Bevers photo.
Expert RC flier Dan Bierly (L) is honored by Dr. Andy
Arena for his contributions to Speedfest 2011 and his years
of service to the OSU aeronautical engineering program.
Bierly served as the pilot for both the Orange and Black
Teams this year, and provided entertaining 3-D flights with
his own RC aircraft during flight demonstrations.
To give both teams specific focus, the aircraft
requirements were set forth as the general framework
for the project at the outset of the semester. The
requirements included:
• Electric propulsion only, using 11.1-volt
battery packs of any capacity.
• A 40-amp McMaster-Carr safety fuse,
which must be externally accessible as the
arm/disarm link.
• The aircraft must take off without a
human touch after the propulsion system is
armed.
• Propellers and batteries may be changed
between missions, but no other part of the
aircraft configuration may be changed.
• Multiple models may be used as long as they
are identical in geometry and weight, excluding
the batteries and the propeller.
One of the Orange Team’s models is captured
just after leaving the catapult. Note the
external receiver antenna necessitated by the
composite carbon-fiber fuselage in order to
receive a strong signal from the transmitter. All
of the airplanes used name-brand radio
equipment for control. Bevers photo.
This beautiful composite commemorative trophy,
dedicated to the Wounded Warrior Project, was laid
up in the actual molding form of one of the
competition models. It was made into a unique display
piece, which was auctioned off to raise money for the
worthwhile cause.
The Glen W. Zumwalt
Aerospace Design Challenge
Champion trophy went to
members of the Black
Team this year, but its
significance is shared by all
aeronautical engineering
students at OSU. Dr.
Zumwalt championed the
establishment of a separate
aeronautical engineering
department in the
College of Engineering
at OSU, and is regarded
as its founder. Weast
photo.
56 MODEL AVIATION
The Ponca City Aviation Boosters Club from Ponca City OK, brought a number of antique and unusual fullscale
aircraft. This venerable Piper Super Cub’s low fly-bys pleased the spectators. Weast photo.
Left: Each team had an indoor display area that detailed the development
and evolution of its final design. Two members of the Orange Team share a
good luck hug before the next round of flights.
Below left: The judging panel of graduate students timed the flights
and kept things moving. L to R are Joe Conner, Cody Pinkerton,
Seong-Jin Lee, and David Walker.
Below right: Jacob Stockton and the Black Team make some repairs
and adjustments to one of the models before deciding to sideline it in
favor of another model. Both teams constructed multiple models to allow
for contingencies.
For the most part, these requirements
allowed the teams to use off-the-shelf
battery and propulsion systems, as well as
brand-name 2.4 GHz radios to keep the
airplanes on course. These requirements
tended to dictate the aircraft size and weight
and, as a consequence, both design teams
ended up with aircraft that were similar in
geometry, although the Orange Team came
up with a blended wing/body with a spanwise
battery pack which the team members
custom-soldered.
The Black Team opted for all-molded
composite construction designed to stand
the force of the calculated 15Gs in the
required high-speed turns. That need to
turn at a high G-load was a function of the
two missions the models had to perform.
Mission One was a pylon course with
pylons set at 600 feet apart. The models had
to fly 10 laps in a Figure Eight pattern with
all turns away from the pit and launch area.
Mission Two was a flat-out speed dash with
timing set for the length of the 600-foot
course. Timing occurred during two fullspeed
passes—one in each direction.
To eliminate speed from a diving start,
the models had to be level as they entered
the measured course and maintain that
attitude throughout the run. Two complete
runs were averaged to determine the
models’ top speeds.
To assure compliance with the rules, a
judging panel, comprised of graduate
students, was assembled. Because of the
precise requirements of both speed runs,
Dan Bierly, an experienced RC pilot from
the Stillwater R/C Flyers Club, served as the
pilot for both teams for safety and
consistency reasons.
One of the interesting ancillary features
of the competition was the third design
requirement: that of no human touch after
the propulsion system was armed. This
proved to be a separate engineering
challenge in itself.
Because the aircraft had no landing gear,
the student design teams had to come up
with a way of getting their respective
airplanes into the air at a workable altitude
before the electric-powered propeller took
over. Both teams came up with a ramp
solution to the problem; however, the
solution to getting to the top of the ramp
with adequate flight speed was handled in
two different manners.
The Orange Team took its cue from the
Wright brothers and other early aviation
pioneers by using a catapult to get the
orange-winged aircraft up to flight speed
before the motor kicked in.
The Black Team, on the other hand,
opted for a more modern method of getting
its airplane into the air by employing a
short-burning rocket-boost motor placed at
the rear of the airplane to push it up the
ramp to flying speed.
Although neither solution appeared to be
more advantageous than the other, both
systems worked reliably to get the airplanes
into the air and to the mission requirements.
They were indicative of the creative aspects
of the project.
The upshot of the day-long competition
was that, after several lead changes
throughout the day and back-and-forth
bantering between the students, the Black
Team won with an impressive 171 mph in
the speed dash, and an average of 149 mph
in the pylon course. The competition was so
close that it took the full seven rounds to
determine the winning team.
Winners or not, the students were
enthusiastic about the day and the whole
experience. Orange Team leader, Isaac
Reese, felt that the contest was very
competitive, but “... we’re all friends, too.
It’s kind of like a sibling rivalry.”
Wes Combs, the Black Team leader, was
equally as pleased with the day as more than
750 parents, grandparents, fellow students,
and aviation enthusiasts showed up for the
event. “The air show aspect is nice,” he said,
“because it brings it home so friends and
family can come.”
Billed as an invitational air show as well
as speed competition between two OSU
teams, Speedfest 2011 put aviation’s best
foot forward by using the set-up times
between speed runs for demonstration flights
by the Stillwater R/C Flyers Club and
members of neighboring AMA clubs, fullscale
flybys with antique and unusual
aircraft, and a static rocket display by an
area rocket club.
In wrapping up the entire experience, Dr.
Arena said that the event was as much about
relationships as anything else.
“Much of the work done on the new field
was by students who were supported by the
NASA Oklahoma Space Grant Consortium.
Another very important relationship is that
between aeronautical engineering and the
University Multispectral Lab. Ken Viera,
who is with UML, was instrumental in
working with us on a joint proposal to make
Oklahoma a center for UAS testing and
economic development.”
Likewise, speaking for the Stillwater R/C
Flyers Club, Gene Smith agreed.
“Thanks to the hard work of Dr. Arena,
Dr. J.P. Conner, the OSU Aerospace
students, the relationship with NASA, and
our local club’s affiliation with AMA, the
event was a major success … and we now
have a new flying field, of which both OSU
and our club can be proud.”
Next year’s capstone challenge for
Oklahoma State University’s Aeronautical
Engineering students, Speedfest II, is now
being developed, but it will be difficult to
surpass this year’s accomplishments for
everyone concerned. Speedfest 2011 was a
winner by any measure. MA
Larry Kruse
[email protected]
Sources:
Dr. Andy Arena
[email protected]
Oklahoma State University
School of Mechanical and Aerospace
Engineering
www.mae.okstate.edu
UAV Invitational Airshow and Speedfest
http://speedfest.okstate.edu
American Institute of Aeronautics and
Astronautics
www.aiaa.org
Stillwater R/C Flyers Club
http://members.provalue.net/stillwaterrc
Edition: Model Aviation - 2011/12
Page Numbers: 52,53,54,55,56,57
MANY UNIVERSITY aeronautical engineering programs
in the country tend to focus on the theoretical knowledge
more than the application of theoretical knowledge to the
immediacy of solving real-world problems.
That has not been the case in the recent past with
Oklahoma State University’s School of Mechanical and
Aerospace Engineering. Under the leadership of Dr. Andy
Arena, the Maciula Professor of Engineering at OSU,
students have benefitted by acquiring real-world knowledge
and success through participation in a national
aeromodeling design and performance competition,
sponsored by the 35,000-member American Institute of
Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), the professional
society for the field of aerospace engineering.
In the past decade, OSU Aeronautical Engineering
students have compiled an impressive record in the annual
AIAA competition—seven first-place wins, six secondplace
awards, two third-place awards, and one fourth-place
finish—with multiple teams entered in each competition,
collectively outdistancing all other universities in the
United States by a wide margin.
In the aftermath of this unparalleled success, Dr.
Arena and his staff turned in a new direction this past
year by forging a new partnership with the NASA
Oklahoma Space Grant and the Academy of Model
Aeronautics, through the local AMA club, the Stillwater
R/C Flyers.
This new alliance was used not only to organize a new
competition, but also to establish a new, joint-use flying
field to benefit all of the participating partners.
As a first step, the new OSU Unmanned Aircraft
Flight Station was constructed 12 miles east of Stillwater
with a 600- x 60-foot Petromat runway, pilot stations, a
shaded pavilion, and a storage and maintenance building.
MA columnist, Gene Smith, representing the Stillwater
R/C Flyers Club, had this to say about the joint effort:
“Developing what would become a symbiotic
relationship, Dr. Arena enlisted the Stillwater R/C
Flyers’ help in planning the layout of the new site,
laying the runway fabric, and developing the inaugural
event program.
More than 750 spectators gathered for Oklahoma State
University’s Speedfest 2011 at the new joint-use flying field.
Stillwater R/C Flyers Club members and other area modelers
staged a static display.
December 2011 53
A three-way partnership
for graduate success
As one of the more unusual full-scale aircraft to make an
appearance, this Burt Rutan-designed Long EZ canard
configuration with a pusher engine made several runway
passes. Dick Weast photo.
Area RC flier Jim Ellis brought his Okie Kid P-51 Mustang and
flew demo flights as the students set up for the next launch.
Jim’s 8-year-old model is built from an American Eagle kit. The
41-pound P-51 is powered by a Brison 5.8 engine.
Photos by the author unless otherwise noted
Left: One of the Black Team’s models sports a tail of fire from
its rocket engine boost as it prepares to leave the launching
ramp. The Orange Team delved into aviation history to build its
catapult launch system and the Black Team went high-tech with
limited-burn rocket engines. Bevers photo.
Below: MA columnist Gene
Smith provided the commentary
about the full-scale and model
demonstration flights and the
variety of airplanes present,
between rounds of the Speedfest
competition.
“The club’s affiliation with the AMA
was instrumental in obtaining insurance
coverage to protect the university as well
as the club and its members.”
At the same time as the construction
of the new field, at the beginning of the
2010 fall semester, approximately 40
senior aeronautical engineering students
were divided into two teams to fulfill the
requirements of their capstone course: to
design, build, and fly a model aircraft
specifically tailored for speed
competition—the first Speedfest 2011—
slated to be held in the late spring of the
new calendar year.
Organized into two teams, the Orange
Team and the Black Team (named for the
university’s school colors), the students
were further divided into three
subgroups, each responsible for either the
aeronautical design, the structure of the
aircraft, or the power components. Close
teamwork and cooperation became
mainstays for all of the students involved
as the semester progressed.
The Black Team entry’s electric power
system kicks in as it leaves its rocketboost
engine behind on the launch
ramp. The catapult system and the
rocket-boost-launch systems, employed
by the two teams, worked well and
neither seemed to have an advantage,
although the rocket boost was more
spectacular. Mike Bevers photo.
Although they didn’t win the competition, you couldn’t tell it by the expressions on the faces of the
Orange Team. Each had an assigned task in the design, the construction, or the power components of
the entries and worked closely together to see that all 11 of the models constructed could perform in
the 170-mph range. Weast photo.
Below: The victorious Black Team poses proudly with the six models it constructed and the Zumwalt
Cup. All members of the team were contributors to its success, as well as the important lesson of
real-world aeronautical design in this year’s model competition. Bevers photo.
Expert RC flier Dan Bierly (L) is honored by Dr. Andy
Arena for his contributions to Speedfest 2011 and his years
of service to the OSU aeronautical engineering program.
Bierly served as the pilot for both the Orange and Black
Teams this year, and provided entertaining 3-D flights with
his own RC aircraft during flight demonstrations.
To give both teams specific focus, the aircraft
requirements were set forth as the general framework
for the project at the outset of the semester. The
requirements included:
• Electric propulsion only, using 11.1-volt
battery packs of any capacity.
• A 40-amp McMaster-Carr safety fuse,
which must be externally accessible as the
arm/disarm link.
• The aircraft must take off without a
human touch after the propulsion system is
armed.
• Propellers and batteries may be changed
between missions, but no other part of the
aircraft configuration may be changed.
• Multiple models may be used as long as they
are identical in geometry and weight, excluding
the batteries and the propeller.
One of the Orange Team’s models is captured
just after leaving the catapult. Note the
external receiver antenna necessitated by the
composite carbon-fiber fuselage in order to
receive a strong signal from the transmitter. All
of the airplanes used name-brand radio
equipment for control. Bevers photo.
This beautiful composite commemorative trophy,
dedicated to the Wounded Warrior Project, was laid
up in the actual molding form of one of the
competition models. It was made into a unique display
piece, which was auctioned off to raise money for the
worthwhile cause.
The Glen W. Zumwalt
Aerospace Design Challenge
Champion trophy went to
members of the Black
Team this year, but its
significance is shared by all
aeronautical engineering
students at OSU. Dr.
Zumwalt championed the
establishment of a separate
aeronautical engineering
department in the
College of Engineering
at OSU, and is regarded
as its founder. Weast
photo.
56 MODEL AVIATION
The Ponca City Aviation Boosters Club from Ponca City OK, brought a number of antique and unusual fullscale
aircraft. This venerable Piper Super Cub’s low fly-bys pleased the spectators. Weast photo.
Left: Each team had an indoor display area that detailed the development
and evolution of its final design. Two members of the Orange Team share a
good luck hug before the next round of flights.
Below left: The judging panel of graduate students timed the flights
and kept things moving. L to R are Joe Conner, Cody Pinkerton,
Seong-Jin Lee, and David Walker.
Below right: Jacob Stockton and the Black Team make some repairs
and adjustments to one of the models before deciding to sideline it in
favor of another model. Both teams constructed multiple models to allow
for contingencies.
For the most part, these requirements
allowed the teams to use off-the-shelf
battery and propulsion systems, as well as
brand-name 2.4 GHz radios to keep the
airplanes on course. These requirements
tended to dictate the aircraft size and weight
and, as a consequence, both design teams
ended up with aircraft that were similar in
geometry, although the Orange Team came
up with a blended wing/body with a spanwise
battery pack which the team members
custom-soldered.
The Black Team opted for all-molded
composite construction designed to stand
the force of the calculated 15Gs in the
required high-speed turns. That need to
turn at a high G-load was a function of the
two missions the models had to perform.
Mission One was a pylon course with
pylons set at 600 feet apart. The models had
to fly 10 laps in a Figure Eight pattern with
all turns away from the pit and launch area.
Mission Two was a flat-out speed dash with
timing set for the length of the 600-foot
course. Timing occurred during two fullspeed
passes—one in each direction.
To eliminate speed from a diving start,
the models had to be level as they entered
the measured course and maintain that
attitude throughout the run. Two complete
runs were averaged to determine the
models’ top speeds.
To assure compliance with the rules, a
judging panel, comprised of graduate
students, was assembled. Because of the
precise requirements of both speed runs,
Dan Bierly, an experienced RC pilot from
the Stillwater R/C Flyers Club, served as the
pilot for both teams for safety and
consistency reasons.
One of the interesting ancillary features
of the competition was the third design
requirement: that of no human touch after
the propulsion system was armed. This
proved to be a separate engineering
challenge in itself.
Because the aircraft had no landing gear,
the student design teams had to come up
with a way of getting their respective
airplanes into the air at a workable altitude
before the electric-powered propeller took
over. Both teams came up with a ramp
solution to the problem; however, the
solution to getting to the top of the ramp
with adequate flight speed was handled in
two different manners.
The Orange Team took its cue from the
Wright brothers and other early aviation
pioneers by using a catapult to get the
orange-winged aircraft up to flight speed
before the motor kicked in.
The Black Team, on the other hand,
opted for a more modern method of getting
its airplane into the air by employing a
short-burning rocket-boost motor placed at
the rear of the airplane to push it up the
ramp to flying speed.
Although neither solution appeared to be
more advantageous than the other, both
systems worked reliably to get the airplanes
into the air and to the mission requirements.
They were indicative of the creative aspects
of the project.
The upshot of the day-long competition
was that, after several lead changes
throughout the day and back-and-forth
bantering between the students, the Black
Team won with an impressive 171 mph in
the speed dash, and an average of 149 mph
in the pylon course. The competition was so
close that it took the full seven rounds to
determine the winning team.
Winners or not, the students were
enthusiastic about the day and the whole
experience. Orange Team leader, Isaac
Reese, felt that the contest was very
competitive, but “... we’re all friends, too.
It’s kind of like a sibling rivalry.”
Wes Combs, the Black Team leader, was
equally as pleased with the day as more than
750 parents, grandparents, fellow students,
and aviation enthusiasts showed up for the
event. “The air show aspect is nice,” he said,
“because it brings it home so friends and
family can come.”
Billed as an invitational air show as well
as speed competition between two OSU
teams, Speedfest 2011 put aviation’s best
foot forward by using the set-up times
between speed runs for demonstration flights
by the Stillwater R/C Flyers Club and
members of neighboring AMA clubs, fullscale
flybys with antique and unusual
aircraft, and a static rocket display by an
area rocket club.
In wrapping up the entire experience, Dr.
Arena said that the event was as much about
relationships as anything else.
“Much of the work done on the new field
was by students who were supported by the
NASA Oklahoma Space Grant Consortium.
Another very important relationship is that
between aeronautical engineering and the
University Multispectral Lab. Ken Viera,
who is with UML, was instrumental in
working with us on a joint proposal to make
Oklahoma a center for UAS testing and
economic development.”
Likewise, speaking for the Stillwater R/C
Flyers Club, Gene Smith agreed.
“Thanks to the hard work of Dr. Arena,
Dr. J.P. Conner, the OSU Aerospace
students, the relationship with NASA, and
our local club’s affiliation with AMA, the
event was a major success … and we now
have a new flying field, of which both OSU
and our club can be proud.”
Next year’s capstone challenge for
Oklahoma State University’s Aeronautical
Engineering students, Speedfest II, is now
being developed, but it will be difficult to
surpass this year’s accomplishments for
everyone concerned. Speedfest 2011 was a
winner by any measure. MA
Larry Kruse
[email protected]
Sources:
Dr. Andy Arena
[email protected]
Oklahoma State University
School of Mechanical and Aerospace
Engineering
www.mae.okstate.edu
UAV Invitational Airshow and Speedfest
http://speedfest.okstate.edu
American Institute of Aeronautics and
Astronautics
www.aiaa.org
Stillwater R/C Flyers Club
http://members.provalue.net/stillwaterrc
Edition: Model Aviation - 2011/12
Page Numbers: 52,53,54,55,56,57
MANY UNIVERSITY aeronautical engineering programs
in the country tend to focus on the theoretical knowledge
more than the application of theoretical knowledge to the
immediacy of solving real-world problems.
That has not been the case in the recent past with
Oklahoma State University’s School of Mechanical and
Aerospace Engineering. Under the leadership of Dr. Andy
Arena, the Maciula Professor of Engineering at OSU,
students have benefitted by acquiring real-world knowledge
and success through participation in a national
aeromodeling design and performance competition,
sponsored by the 35,000-member American Institute of
Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), the professional
society for the field of aerospace engineering.
In the past decade, OSU Aeronautical Engineering
students have compiled an impressive record in the annual
AIAA competition—seven first-place wins, six secondplace
awards, two third-place awards, and one fourth-place
finish—with multiple teams entered in each competition,
collectively outdistancing all other universities in the
United States by a wide margin.
In the aftermath of this unparalleled success, Dr.
Arena and his staff turned in a new direction this past
year by forging a new partnership with the NASA
Oklahoma Space Grant and the Academy of Model
Aeronautics, through the local AMA club, the Stillwater
R/C Flyers.
This new alliance was used not only to organize a new
competition, but also to establish a new, joint-use flying
field to benefit all of the participating partners.
As a first step, the new OSU Unmanned Aircraft
Flight Station was constructed 12 miles east of Stillwater
with a 600- x 60-foot Petromat runway, pilot stations, a
shaded pavilion, and a storage and maintenance building.
MA columnist, Gene Smith, representing the Stillwater
R/C Flyers Club, had this to say about the joint effort:
“Developing what would become a symbiotic
relationship, Dr. Arena enlisted the Stillwater R/C
Flyers’ help in planning the layout of the new site,
laying the runway fabric, and developing the inaugural
event program.
More than 750 spectators gathered for Oklahoma State
University’s Speedfest 2011 at the new joint-use flying field.
Stillwater R/C Flyers Club members and other area modelers
staged a static display.
December 2011 53
A three-way partnership
for graduate success
As one of the more unusual full-scale aircraft to make an
appearance, this Burt Rutan-designed Long EZ canard
configuration with a pusher engine made several runway
passes. Dick Weast photo.
Area RC flier Jim Ellis brought his Okie Kid P-51 Mustang and
flew demo flights as the students set up for the next launch.
Jim’s 8-year-old model is built from an American Eagle kit. The
41-pound P-51 is powered by a Brison 5.8 engine.
Photos by the author unless otherwise noted
Left: One of the Black Team’s models sports a tail of fire from
its rocket engine boost as it prepares to leave the launching
ramp. The Orange Team delved into aviation history to build its
catapult launch system and the Black Team went high-tech with
limited-burn rocket engines. Bevers photo.
Below: MA columnist Gene
Smith provided the commentary
about the full-scale and model
demonstration flights and the
variety of airplanes present,
between rounds of the Speedfest
competition.
“The club’s affiliation with the AMA
was instrumental in obtaining insurance
coverage to protect the university as well
as the club and its members.”
At the same time as the construction
of the new field, at the beginning of the
2010 fall semester, approximately 40
senior aeronautical engineering students
were divided into two teams to fulfill the
requirements of their capstone course: to
design, build, and fly a model aircraft
specifically tailored for speed
competition—the first Speedfest 2011—
slated to be held in the late spring of the
new calendar year.
Organized into two teams, the Orange
Team and the Black Team (named for the
university’s school colors), the students
were further divided into three
subgroups, each responsible for either the
aeronautical design, the structure of the
aircraft, or the power components. Close
teamwork and cooperation became
mainstays for all of the students involved
as the semester progressed.
The Black Team entry’s electric power
system kicks in as it leaves its rocketboost
engine behind on the launch
ramp. The catapult system and the
rocket-boost-launch systems, employed
by the two teams, worked well and
neither seemed to have an advantage,
although the rocket boost was more
spectacular. Mike Bevers photo.
Although they didn’t win the competition, you couldn’t tell it by the expressions on the faces of the
Orange Team. Each had an assigned task in the design, the construction, or the power components of
the entries and worked closely together to see that all 11 of the models constructed could perform in
the 170-mph range. Weast photo.
Below: The victorious Black Team poses proudly with the six models it constructed and the Zumwalt
Cup. All members of the team were contributors to its success, as well as the important lesson of
real-world aeronautical design in this year’s model competition. Bevers photo.
Expert RC flier Dan Bierly (L) is honored by Dr. Andy
Arena for his contributions to Speedfest 2011 and his years
of service to the OSU aeronautical engineering program.
Bierly served as the pilot for both the Orange and Black
Teams this year, and provided entertaining 3-D flights with
his own RC aircraft during flight demonstrations.
To give both teams specific focus, the aircraft
requirements were set forth as the general framework
for the project at the outset of the semester. The
requirements included:
• Electric propulsion only, using 11.1-volt
battery packs of any capacity.
• A 40-amp McMaster-Carr safety fuse,
which must be externally accessible as the
arm/disarm link.
• The aircraft must take off without a
human touch after the propulsion system is
armed.
• Propellers and batteries may be changed
between missions, but no other part of the
aircraft configuration may be changed.
• Multiple models may be used as long as they
are identical in geometry and weight, excluding
the batteries and the propeller.
One of the Orange Team’s models is captured
just after leaving the catapult. Note the
external receiver antenna necessitated by the
composite carbon-fiber fuselage in order to
receive a strong signal from the transmitter. All
of the airplanes used name-brand radio
equipment for control. Bevers photo.
This beautiful composite commemorative trophy,
dedicated to the Wounded Warrior Project, was laid
up in the actual molding form of one of the
competition models. It was made into a unique display
piece, which was auctioned off to raise money for the
worthwhile cause.
The Glen W. Zumwalt
Aerospace Design Challenge
Champion trophy went to
members of the Black
Team this year, but its
significance is shared by all
aeronautical engineering
students at OSU. Dr.
Zumwalt championed the
establishment of a separate
aeronautical engineering
department in the
College of Engineering
at OSU, and is regarded
as its founder. Weast
photo.
56 MODEL AVIATION
The Ponca City Aviation Boosters Club from Ponca City OK, brought a number of antique and unusual fullscale
aircraft. This venerable Piper Super Cub’s low fly-bys pleased the spectators. Weast photo.
Left: Each team had an indoor display area that detailed the development
and evolution of its final design. Two members of the Orange Team share a
good luck hug before the next round of flights.
Below left: The judging panel of graduate students timed the flights
and kept things moving. L to R are Joe Conner, Cody Pinkerton,
Seong-Jin Lee, and David Walker.
Below right: Jacob Stockton and the Black Team make some repairs
and adjustments to one of the models before deciding to sideline it in
favor of another model. Both teams constructed multiple models to allow
for contingencies.
For the most part, these requirements
allowed the teams to use off-the-shelf
battery and propulsion systems, as well as
brand-name 2.4 GHz radios to keep the
airplanes on course. These requirements
tended to dictate the aircraft size and weight
and, as a consequence, both design teams
ended up with aircraft that were similar in
geometry, although the Orange Team came
up with a blended wing/body with a spanwise
battery pack which the team members
custom-soldered.
The Black Team opted for all-molded
composite construction designed to stand
the force of the calculated 15Gs in the
required high-speed turns. That need to
turn at a high G-load was a function of the
two missions the models had to perform.
Mission One was a pylon course with
pylons set at 600 feet apart. The models had
to fly 10 laps in a Figure Eight pattern with
all turns away from the pit and launch area.
Mission Two was a flat-out speed dash with
timing set for the length of the 600-foot
course. Timing occurred during two fullspeed
passes—one in each direction.
To eliminate speed from a diving start,
the models had to be level as they entered
the measured course and maintain that
attitude throughout the run. Two complete
runs were averaged to determine the
models’ top speeds.
To assure compliance with the rules, a
judging panel, comprised of graduate
students, was assembled. Because of the
precise requirements of both speed runs,
Dan Bierly, an experienced RC pilot from
the Stillwater R/C Flyers Club, served as the
pilot for both teams for safety and
consistency reasons.
One of the interesting ancillary features
of the competition was the third design
requirement: that of no human touch after
the propulsion system was armed. This
proved to be a separate engineering
challenge in itself.
Because the aircraft had no landing gear,
the student design teams had to come up
with a way of getting their respective
airplanes into the air at a workable altitude
before the electric-powered propeller took
over. Both teams came up with a ramp
solution to the problem; however, the
solution to getting to the top of the ramp
with adequate flight speed was handled in
two different manners.
The Orange Team took its cue from the
Wright brothers and other early aviation
pioneers by using a catapult to get the
orange-winged aircraft up to flight speed
before the motor kicked in.
The Black Team, on the other hand,
opted for a more modern method of getting
its airplane into the air by employing a
short-burning rocket-boost motor placed at
the rear of the airplane to push it up the
ramp to flying speed.
Although neither solution appeared to be
more advantageous than the other, both
systems worked reliably to get the airplanes
into the air and to the mission requirements.
They were indicative of the creative aspects
of the project.
The upshot of the day-long competition
was that, after several lead changes
throughout the day and back-and-forth
bantering between the students, the Black
Team won with an impressive 171 mph in
the speed dash, and an average of 149 mph
in the pylon course. The competition was so
close that it took the full seven rounds to
determine the winning team.
Winners or not, the students were
enthusiastic about the day and the whole
experience. Orange Team leader, Isaac
Reese, felt that the contest was very
competitive, but “... we’re all friends, too.
It’s kind of like a sibling rivalry.”
Wes Combs, the Black Team leader, was
equally as pleased with the day as more than
750 parents, grandparents, fellow students,
and aviation enthusiasts showed up for the
event. “The air show aspect is nice,” he said,
“because it brings it home so friends and
family can come.”
Billed as an invitational air show as well
as speed competition between two OSU
teams, Speedfest 2011 put aviation’s best
foot forward by using the set-up times
between speed runs for demonstration flights
by the Stillwater R/C Flyers Club and
members of neighboring AMA clubs, fullscale
flybys with antique and unusual
aircraft, and a static rocket display by an
area rocket club.
In wrapping up the entire experience, Dr.
Arena said that the event was as much about
relationships as anything else.
“Much of the work done on the new field
was by students who were supported by the
NASA Oklahoma Space Grant Consortium.
Another very important relationship is that
between aeronautical engineering and the
University Multispectral Lab. Ken Viera,
who is with UML, was instrumental in
working with us on a joint proposal to make
Oklahoma a center for UAS testing and
economic development.”
Likewise, speaking for the Stillwater R/C
Flyers Club, Gene Smith agreed.
“Thanks to the hard work of Dr. Arena,
Dr. J.P. Conner, the OSU Aerospace
students, the relationship with NASA, and
our local club’s affiliation with AMA, the
event was a major success … and we now
have a new flying field, of which both OSU
and our club can be proud.”
Next year’s capstone challenge for
Oklahoma State University’s Aeronautical
Engineering students, Speedfest II, is now
being developed, but it will be difficult to
surpass this year’s accomplishments for
everyone concerned. Speedfest 2011 was a
winner by any measure. MA
Larry Kruse
[email protected]
Sources:
Dr. Andy Arena
[email protected]
Oklahoma State University
School of Mechanical and Aerospace
Engineering
www.mae.okstate.edu
UAV Invitational Airshow and Speedfest
http://speedfest.okstate.edu
American Institute of Aeronautics and
Astronautics
www.aiaa.org
Stillwater R/C Flyers Club
http://members.provalue.net/stillwaterrc
Edition: Model Aviation - 2011/12
Page Numbers: 52,53,54,55,56,57
MANY UNIVERSITY aeronautical engineering programs
in the country tend to focus on the theoretical knowledge
more than the application of theoretical knowledge to the
immediacy of solving real-world problems.
That has not been the case in the recent past with
Oklahoma State University’s School of Mechanical and
Aerospace Engineering. Under the leadership of Dr. Andy
Arena, the Maciula Professor of Engineering at OSU,
students have benefitted by acquiring real-world knowledge
and success through participation in a national
aeromodeling design and performance competition,
sponsored by the 35,000-member American Institute of
Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), the professional
society for the field of aerospace engineering.
In the past decade, OSU Aeronautical Engineering
students have compiled an impressive record in the annual
AIAA competition—seven first-place wins, six secondplace
awards, two third-place awards, and one fourth-place
finish—with multiple teams entered in each competition,
collectively outdistancing all other universities in the
United States by a wide margin.
In the aftermath of this unparalleled success, Dr.
Arena and his staff turned in a new direction this past
year by forging a new partnership with the NASA
Oklahoma Space Grant and the Academy of Model
Aeronautics, through the local AMA club, the Stillwater
R/C Flyers.
This new alliance was used not only to organize a new
competition, but also to establish a new, joint-use flying
field to benefit all of the participating partners.
As a first step, the new OSU Unmanned Aircraft
Flight Station was constructed 12 miles east of Stillwater
with a 600- x 60-foot Petromat runway, pilot stations, a
shaded pavilion, and a storage and maintenance building.
MA columnist, Gene Smith, representing the Stillwater
R/C Flyers Club, had this to say about the joint effort:
“Developing what would become a symbiotic
relationship, Dr. Arena enlisted the Stillwater R/C
Flyers’ help in planning the layout of the new site,
laying the runway fabric, and developing the inaugural
event program.
More than 750 spectators gathered for Oklahoma State
University’s Speedfest 2011 at the new joint-use flying field.
Stillwater R/C Flyers Club members and other area modelers
staged a static display.
December 2011 53
A three-way partnership
for graduate success
As one of the more unusual full-scale aircraft to make an
appearance, this Burt Rutan-designed Long EZ canard
configuration with a pusher engine made several runway
passes. Dick Weast photo.
Area RC flier Jim Ellis brought his Okie Kid P-51 Mustang and
flew demo flights as the students set up for the next launch.
Jim’s 8-year-old model is built from an American Eagle kit. The
41-pound P-51 is powered by a Brison 5.8 engine.
Photos by the author unless otherwise noted
Left: One of the Black Team’s models sports a tail of fire from
its rocket engine boost as it prepares to leave the launching
ramp. The Orange Team delved into aviation history to build its
catapult launch system and the Black Team went high-tech with
limited-burn rocket engines. Bevers photo.
Below: MA columnist Gene
Smith provided the commentary
about the full-scale and model
demonstration flights and the
variety of airplanes present,
between rounds of the Speedfest
competition.
“The club’s affiliation with the AMA
was instrumental in obtaining insurance
coverage to protect the university as well
as the club and its members.”
At the same time as the construction
of the new field, at the beginning of the
2010 fall semester, approximately 40
senior aeronautical engineering students
were divided into two teams to fulfill the
requirements of their capstone course: to
design, build, and fly a model aircraft
specifically tailored for speed
competition—the first Speedfest 2011—
slated to be held in the late spring of the
new calendar year.
Organized into two teams, the Orange
Team and the Black Team (named for the
university’s school colors), the students
were further divided into three
subgroups, each responsible for either the
aeronautical design, the structure of the
aircraft, or the power components. Close
teamwork and cooperation became
mainstays for all of the students involved
as the semester progressed.
The Black Team entry’s electric power
system kicks in as it leaves its rocketboost
engine behind on the launch
ramp. The catapult system and the
rocket-boost-launch systems, employed
by the two teams, worked well and
neither seemed to have an advantage,
although the rocket boost was more
spectacular. Mike Bevers photo.
Although they didn’t win the competition, you couldn’t tell it by the expressions on the faces of the
Orange Team. Each had an assigned task in the design, the construction, or the power components of
the entries and worked closely together to see that all 11 of the models constructed could perform in
the 170-mph range. Weast photo.
Below: The victorious Black Team poses proudly with the six models it constructed and the Zumwalt
Cup. All members of the team were contributors to its success, as well as the important lesson of
real-world aeronautical design in this year’s model competition. Bevers photo.
Expert RC flier Dan Bierly (L) is honored by Dr. Andy
Arena for his contributions to Speedfest 2011 and his years
of service to the OSU aeronautical engineering program.
Bierly served as the pilot for both the Orange and Black
Teams this year, and provided entertaining 3-D flights with
his own RC aircraft during flight demonstrations.
To give both teams specific focus, the aircraft
requirements were set forth as the general framework
for the project at the outset of the semester. The
requirements included:
• Electric propulsion only, using 11.1-volt
battery packs of any capacity.
• A 40-amp McMaster-Carr safety fuse,
which must be externally accessible as the
arm/disarm link.
• The aircraft must take off without a
human touch after the propulsion system is
armed.
• Propellers and batteries may be changed
between missions, but no other part of the
aircraft configuration may be changed.
• Multiple models may be used as long as they
are identical in geometry and weight, excluding
the batteries and the propeller.
One of the Orange Team’s models is captured
just after leaving the catapult. Note the
external receiver antenna necessitated by the
composite carbon-fiber fuselage in order to
receive a strong signal from the transmitter. All
of the airplanes used name-brand radio
equipment for control. Bevers photo.
This beautiful composite commemorative trophy,
dedicated to the Wounded Warrior Project, was laid
up in the actual molding form of one of the
competition models. It was made into a unique display
piece, which was auctioned off to raise money for the
worthwhile cause.
The Glen W. Zumwalt
Aerospace Design Challenge
Champion trophy went to
members of the Black
Team this year, but its
significance is shared by all
aeronautical engineering
students at OSU. Dr.
Zumwalt championed the
establishment of a separate
aeronautical engineering
department in the
College of Engineering
at OSU, and is regarded
as its founder. Weast
photo.
56 MODEL AVIATION
The Ponca City Aviation Boosters Club from Ponca City OK, brought a number of antique and unusual fullscale
aircraft. This venerable Piper Super Cub’s low fly-bys pleased the spectators. Weast photo.
Left: Each team had an indoor display area that detailed the development
and evolution of its final design. Two members of the Orange Team share a
good luck hug before the next round of flights.
Below left: The judging panel of graduate students timed the flights
and kept things moving. L to R are Joe Conner, Cody Pinkerton,
Seong-Jin Lee, and David Walker.
Below right: Jacob Stockton and the Black Team make some repairs
and adjustments to one of the models before deciding to sideline it in
favor of another model. Both teams constructed multiple models to allow
for contingencies.
For the most part, these requirements
allowed the teams to use off-the-shelf
battery and propulsion systems, as well as
brand-name 2.4 GHz radios to keep the
airplanes on course. These requirements
tended to dictate the aircraft size and weight
and, as a consequence, both design teams
ended up with aircraft that were similar in
geometry, although the Orange Team came
up with a blended wing/body with a spanwise
battery pack which the team members
custom-soldered.
The Black Team opted for all-molded
composite construction designed to stand
the force of the calculated 15Gs in the
required high-speed turns. That need to
turn at a high G-load was a function of the
two missions the models had to perform.
Mission One was a pylon course with
pylons set at 600 feet apart. The models had
to fly 10 laps in a Figure Eight pattern with
all turns away from the pit and launch area.
Mission Two was a flat-out speed dash with
timing set for the length of the 600-foot
course. Timing occurred during two fullspeed
passes—one in each direction.
To eliminate speed from a diving start,
the models had to be level as they entered
the measured course and maintain that
attitude throughout the run. Two complete
runs were averaged to determine the
models’ top speeds.
To assure compliance with the rules, a
judging panel, comprised of graduate
students, was assembled. Because of the
precise requirements of both speed runs,
Dan Bierly, an experienced RC pilot from
the Stillwater R/C Flyers Club, served as the
pilot for both teams for safety and
consistency reasons.
One of the interesting ancillary features
of the competition was the third design
requirement: that of no human touch after
the propulsion system was armed. This
proved to be a separate engineering
challenge in itself.
Because the aircraft had no landing gear,
the student design teams had to come up
with a way of getting their respective
airplanes into the air at a workable altitude
before the electric-powered propeller took
over. Both teams came up with a ramp
solution to the problem; however, the
solution to getting to the top of the ramp
with adequate flight speed was handled in
two different manners.
The Orange Team took its cue from the
Wright brothers and other early aviation
pioneers by using a catapult to get the
orange-winged aircraft up to flight speed
before the motor kicked in.
The Black Team, on the other hand,
opted for a more modern method of getting
its airplane into the air by employing a
short-burning rocket-boost motor placed at
the rear of the airplane to push it up the
ramp to flying speed.
Although neither solution appeared to be
more advantageous than the other, both
systems worked reliably to get the airplanes
into the air and to the mission requirements.
They were indicative of the creative aspects
of the project.
The upshot of the day-long competition
was that, after several lead changes
throughout the day and back-and-forth
bantering between the students, the Black
Team won with an impressive 171 mph in
the speed dash, and an average of 149 mph
in the pylon course. The competition was so
close that it took the full seven rounds to
determine the winning team.
Winners or not, the students were
enthusiastic about the day and the whole
experience. Orange Team leader, Isaac
Reese, felt that the contest was very
competitive, but “... we’re all friends, too.
It’s kind of like a sibling rivalry.”
Wes Combs, the Black Team leader, was
equally as pleased with the day as more than
750 parents, grandparents, fellow students,
and aviation enthusiasts showed up for the
event. “The air show aspect is nice,” he said,
“because it brings it home so friends and
family can come.”
Billed as an invitational air show as well
as speed competition between two OSU
teams, Speedfest 2011 put aviation’s best
foot forward by using the set-up times
between speed runs for demonstration flights
by the Stillwater R/C Flyers Club and
members of neighboring AMA clubs, fullscale
flybys with antique and unusual
aircraft, and a static rocket display by an
area rocket club.
In wrapping up the entire experience, Dr.
Arena said that the event was as much about
relationships as anything else.
“Much of the work done on the new field
was by students who were supported by the
NASA Oklahoma Space Grant Consortium.
Another very important relationship is that
between aeronautical engineering and the
University Multispectral Lab. Ken Viera,
who is with UML, was instrumental in
working with us on a joint proposal to make
Oklahoma a center for UAS testing and
economic development.”
Likewise, speaking for the Stillwater R/C
Flyers Club, Gene Smith agreed.
“Thanks to the hard work of Dr. Arena,
Dr. J.P. Conner, the OSU Aerospace
students, the relationship with NASA, and
our local club’s affiliation with AMA, the
event was a major success … and we now
have a new flying field, of which both OSU
and our club can be proud.”
Next year’s capstone challenge for
Oklahoma State University’s Aeronautical
Engineering students, Speedfest II, is now
being developed, but it will be difficult to
surpass this year’s accomplishments for
everyone concerned. Speedfest 2011 was a
winner by any measure. MA
Larry Kruse
[email protected]
Sources:
Dr. Andy Arena
[email protected]
Oklahoma State University
School of Mechanical and Aerospace
Engineering
www.mae.okstate.edu
UAV Invitational Airshow and Speedfest
http://speedfest.okstate.edu
American Institute of Aeronautics and
Astronautics
www.aiaa.org
Stillwater R/C Flyers Club
http://members.provalue.net/stillwaterrc
Edition: Model Aviation - 2011/12
Page Numbers: 52,53,54,55,56,57
MANY UNIVERSITY aeronautical engineering programs
in the country tend to focus on the theoretical knowledge
more than the application of theoretical knowledge to the
immediacy of solving real-world problems.
That has not been the case in the recent past with
Oklahoma State University’s School of Mechanical and
Aerospace Engineering. Under the leadership of Dr. Andy
Arena, the Maciula Professor of Engineering at OSU,
students have benefitted by acquiring real-world knowledge
and success through participation in a national
aeromodeling design and performance competition,
sponsored by the 35,000-member American Institute of
Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), the professional
society for the field of aerospace engineering.
In the past decade, OSU Aeronautical Engineering
students have compiled an impressive record in the annual
AIAA competition—seven first-place wins, six secondplace
awards, two third-place awards, and one fourth-place
finish—with multiple teams entered in each competition,
collectively outdistancing all other universities in the
United States by a wide margin.
In the aftermath of this unparalleled success, Dr.
Arena and his staff turned in a new direction this past
year by forging a new partnership with the NASA
Oklahoma Space Grant and the Academy of Model
Aeronautics, through the local AMA club, the Stillwater
R/C Flyers.
This new alliance was used not only to organize a new
competition, but also to establish a new, joint-use flying
field to benefit all of the participating partners.
As a first step, the new OSU Unmanned Aircraft
Flight Station was constructed 12 miles east of Stillwater
with a 600- x 60-foot Petromat runway, pilot stations, a
shaded pavilion, and a storage and maintenance building.
MA columnist, Gene Smith, representing the Stillwater
R/C Flyers Club, had this to say about the joint effort:
“Developing what would become a symbiotic
relationship, Dr. Arena enlisted the Stillwater R/C
Flyers’ help in planning the layout of the new site,
laying the runway fabric, and developing the inaugural
event program.
More than 750 spectators gathered for Oklahoma State
University’s Speedfest 2011 at the new joint-use flying field.
Stillwater R/C Flyers Club members and other area modelers
staged a static display.
December 2011 53
A three-way partnership
for graduate success
As one of the more unusual full-scale aircraft to make an
appearance, this Burt Rutan-designed Long EZ canard
configuration with a pusher engine made several runway
passes. Dick Weast photo.
Area RC flier Jim Ellis brought his Okie Kid P-51 Mustang and
flew demo flights as the students set up for the next launch.
Jim’s 8-year-old model is built from an American Eagle kit. The
41-pound P-51 is powered by a Brison 5.8 engine.
Photos by the author unless otherwise noted
Left: One of the Black Team’s models sports a tail of fire from
its rocket engine boost as it prepares to leave the launching
ramp. The Orange Team delved into aviation history to build its
catapult launch system and the Black Team went high-tech with
limited-burn rocket engines. Bevers photo.
Below: MA columnist Gene
Smith provided the commentary
about the full-scale and model
demonstration flights and the
variety of airplanes present,
between rounds of the Speedfest
competition.
“The club’s affiliation with the AMA
was instrumental in obtaining insurance
coverage to protect the university as well
as the club and its members.”
At the same time as the construction
of the new field, at the beginning of the
2010 fall semester, approximately 40
senior aeronautical engineering students
were divided into two teams to fulfill the
requirements of their capstone course: to
design, build, and fly a model aircraft
specifically tailored for speed
competition—the first Speedfest 2011—
slated to be held in the late spring of the
new calendar year.
Organized into two teams, the Orange
Team and the Black Team (named for the
university’s school colors), the students
were further divided into three
subgroups, each responsible for either the
aeronautical design, the structure of the
aircraft, or the power components. Close
teamwork and cooperation became
mainstays for all of the students involved
as the semester progressed.
The Black Team entry’s electric power
system kicks in as it leaves its rocketboost
engine behind on the launch
ramp. The catapult system and the
rocket-boost-launch systems, employed
by the two teams, worked well and
neither seemed to have an advantage,
although the rocket boost was more
spectacular. Mike Bevers photo.
Although they didn’t win the competition, you couldn’t tell it by the expressions on the faces of the
Orange Team. Each had an assigned task in the design, the construction, or the power components of
the entries and worked closely together to see that all 11 of the models constructed could perform in
the 170-mph range. Weast photo.
Below: The victorious Black Team poses proudly with the six models it constructed and the Zumwalt
Cup. All members of the team were contributors to its success, as well as the important lesson of
real-world aeronautical design in this year’s model competition. Bevers photo.
Expert RC flier Dan Bierly (L) is honored by Dr. Andy
Arena for his contributions to Speedfest 2011 and his years
of service to the OSU aeronautical engineering program.
Bierly served as the pilot for both the Orange and Black
Teams this year, and provided entertaining 3-D flights with
his own RC aircraft during flight demonstrations.
To give both teams specific focus, the aircraft
requirements were set forth as the general framework
for the project at the outset of the semester. The
requirements included:
• Electric propulsion only, using 11.1-volt
battery packs of any capacity.
• A 40-amp McMaster-Carr safety fuse,
which must be externally accessible as the
arm/disarm link.
• The aircraft must take off without a
human touch after the propulsion system is
armed.
• Propellers and batteries may be changed
between missions, but no other part of the
aircraft configuration may be changed.
• Multiple models may be used as long as they
are identical in geometry and weight, excluding
the batteries and the propeller.
One of the Orange Team’s models is captured
just after leaving the catapult. Note the
external receiver antenna necessitated by the
composite carbon-fiber fuselage in order to
receive a strong signal from the transmitter. All
of the airplanes used name-brand radio
equipment for control. Bevers photo.
This beautiful composite commemorative trophy,
dedicated to the Wounded Warrior Project, was laid
up in the actual molding form of one of the
competition models. It was made into a unique display
piece, which was auctioned off to raise money for the
worthwhile cause.
The Glen W. Zumwalt
Aerospace Design Challenge
Champion trophy went to
members of the Black
Team this year, but its
significance is shared by all
aeronautical engineering
students at OSU. Dr.
Zumwalt championed the
establishment of a separate
aeronautical engineering
department in the
College of Engineering
at OSU, and is regarded
as its founder. Weast
photo.
56 MODEL AVIATION
The Ponca City Aviation Boosters Club from Ponca City OK, brought a number of antique and unusual fullscale
aircraft. This venerable Piper Super Cub’s low fly-bys pleased the spectators. Weast photo.
Left: Each team had an indoor display area that detailed the development
and evolution of its final design. Two members of the Orange Team share a
good luck hug before the next round of flights.
Below left: The judging panel of graduate students timed the flights
and kept things moving. L to R are Joe Conner, Cody Pinkerton,
Seong-Jin Lee, and David Walker.
Below right: Jacob Stockton and the Black Team make some repairs
and adjustments to one of the models before deciding to sideline it in
favor of another model. Both teams constructed multiple models to allow
for contingencies.
For the most part, these requirements
allowed the teams to use off-the-shelf
battery and propulsion systems, as well as
brand-name 2.4 GHz radios to keep the
airplanes on course. These requirements
tended to dictate the aircraft size and weight
and, as a consequence, both design teams
ended up with aircraft that were similar in
geometry, although the Orange Team came
up with a blended wing/body with a spanwise
battery pack which the team members
custom-soldered.
The Black Team opted for all-molded
composite construction designed to stand
the force of the calculated 15Gs in the
required high-speed turns. That need to
turn at a high G-load was a function of the
two missions the models had to perform.
Mission One was a pylon course with
pylons set at 600 feet apart. The models had
to fly 10 laps in a Figure Eight pattern with
all turns away from the pit and launch area.
Mission Two was a flat-out speed dash with
timing set for the length of the 600-foot
course. Timing occurred during two fullspeed
passes—one in each direction.
To eliminate speed from a diving start,
the models had to be level as they entered
the measured course and maintain that
attitude throughout the run. Two complete
runs were averaged to determine the
models’ top speeds.
To assure compliance with the rules, a
judging panel, comprised of graduate
students, was assembled. Because of the
precise requirements of both speed runs,
Dan Bierly, an experienced RC pilot from
the Stillwater R/C Flyers Club, served as the
pilot for both teams for safety and
consistency reasons.
One of the interesting ancillary features
of the competition was the third design
requirement: that of no human touch after
the propulsion system was armed. This
proved to be a separate engineering
challenge in itself.
Because the aircraft had no landing gear,
the student design teams had to come up
with a way of getting their respective
airplanes into the air at a workable altitude
before the electric-powered propeller took
over. Both teams came up with a ramp
solution to the problem; however, the
solution to getting to the top of the ramp
with adequate flight speed was handled in
two different manners.
The Orange Team took its cue from the
Wright brothers and other early aviation
pioneers by using a catapult to get the
orange-winged aircraft up to flight speed
before the motor kicked in.
The Black Team, on the other hand,
opted for a more modern method of getting
its airplane into the air by employing a
short-burning rocket-boost motor placed at
the rear of the airplane to push it up the
ramp to flying speed.
Although neither solution appeared to be
more advantageous than the other, both
systems worked reliably to get the airplanes
into the air and to the mission requirements.
They were indicative of the creative aspects
of the project.
The upshot of the day-long competition
was that, after several lead changes
throughout the day and back-and-forth
bantering between the students, the Black
Team won with an impressive 171 mph in
the speed dash, and an average of 149 mph
in the pylon course. The competition was so
close that it took the full seven rounds to
determine the winning team.
Winners or not, the students were
enthusiastic about the day and the whole
experience. Orange Team leader, Isaac
Reese, felt that the contest was very
competitive, but “... we’re all friends, too.
It’s kind of like a sibling rivalry.”
Wes Combs, the Black Team leader, was
equally as pleased with the day as more than
750 parents, grandparents, fellow students,
and aviation enthusiasts showed up for the
event. “The air show aspect is nice,” he said,
“because it brings it home so friends and
family can come.”
Billed as an invitational air show as well
as speed competition between two OSU
teams, Speedfest 2011 put aviation’s best
foot forward by using the set-up times
between speed runs for demonstration flights
by the Stillwater R/C Flyers Club and
members of neighboring AMA clubs, fullscale
flybys with antique and unusual
aircraft, and a static rocket display by an
area rocket club.
In wrapping up the entire experience, Dr.
Arena said that the event was as much about
relationships as anything else.
“Much of the work done on the new field
was by students who were supported by the
NASA Oklahoma Space Grant Consortium.
Another very important relationship is that
between aeronautical engineering and the
University Multispectral Lab. Ken Viera,
who is with UML, was instrumental in
working with us on a joint proposal to make
Oklahoma a center for UAS testing and
economic development.”
Likewise, speaking for the Stillwater R/C
Flyers Club, Gene Smith agreed.
“Thanks to the hard work of Dr. Arena,
Dr. J.P. Conner, the OSU Aerospace
students, the relationship with NASA, and
our local club’s affiliation with AMA, the
event was a major success … and we now
have a new flying field, of which both OSU
and our club can be proud.”
Next year’s capstone challenge for
Oklahoma State University’s Aeronautical
Engineering students, Speedfest II, is now
being developed, but it will be difficult to
surpass this year’s accomplishments for
everyone concerned. Speedfest 2011 was a
winner by any measure. MA
Larry Kruse
[email protected]
Sources:
Dr. Andy Arena
[email protected]
Oklahoma State University
School of Mechanical and Aerospace
Engineering
www.mae.okstate.edu
UAV Invitational Airshow and Speedfest
http://speedfest.okstate.edu
American Institute of Aeronautics and
Astronautics
www.aiaa.org
Stillwater R/C Flyers Club
http://members.provalue.net/stillwaterrc
