Senior Capstone Design Class

Senior Design Mission Statement

A big change occurred in the senior design class for the 1996-97 academic year. Instead of continuing work on the Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) and the BD-5, the design class developed a two stage radio controlled rocket and aircraft. The first stage had to be a propeller driven aircraft with enough power to carry the second stage rocket powered aircraft. After obtaining a height of 500 feet above ground level, the rocket would launch from the aircraft and climb to an altitude of 1500 feet. The rocket would then take a picture of a ground target. Both vehicles had to be recoverable.

Structures, Stage I:

Jessica Gallagher, Aaron Macmillin, Rich Meyer, Tom Polachek, Erik Swedberg, and Kevin Walker

Stage II:

Nate Rice, Krystyna Shudy, and Tony Wong

The structures groups developed and tested the wing structure. Analytical tools such as PRO-ENGINEER and ANSYS were used to model the wing. The Stage I wing was constructed out of foam and fiber glass composite, while the stage II wing used the traditional wood spar and rib structure. After the wing structures were constructed, each wing was tested to failure, and the results were analyzed.

Aerodynamics, Stage I:

Bernard Calamug, Terence Loo, Helen Lee, Marc Walker, and Andreas Mediavilla.

Stage II:

Mary Hayden, Matt Myers, Giang Nguyen, Bill Washabaugh, and Shawn Williams

The aerodynamic groups made the wind tunnel models and developed a test matrix. The test matrix included scenarios for stage I engine out, control surface effectiveness, lift and drag profiles, and stability and control within the flight envelope.

Flight Controls:

Kristen Alberts, Brian Damiani, Jake Hageman, Michael M. Ondrey Jr. and William Spetch

The main goal for the flight control group was the development of a control system for the Stage II rocket powered vehicle. Through out winter and spring quarter, the controls group developed simulations of the trajectory, and programmed a tattletale controller for the rocket flight. The result was a closed loop control system that would keep the vehicle on its trajectory.

Model Construction:

Daniel Anderson, Brian Damiani, Jake Hageman, Aaron Macmillin, Rich Meyer, Matt Myers, Michael M. Ondrey Jr., Mark Oreschnick, Nate Rice, and Kazutaka Takahashi

The main goal of this group was the construction and flight of the two stage vehicle. Stage I was divided into wing fabrication, fuselage construction, stabilizer construction, and internal layout of components. Stage II consisted of vehicle construction, recovery systems, and control systems. The construction process took most of spring quarter.

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