The size of the AEV will be affected by the shape of our design. Since our AEV design resembles an aircraft, the ratio of the wings to body should be similar to an actual airplane. The article, “Wing Aspect Ratio,” by Science Learning Hub compares various wing types of both aircrafts and birds. Since our AEV must not conserve too much energy, but still have great maneuverability, the moderate aspect ratio for the wings seem more reasonable according to the Science Learning Hub. Additionally, the AEV will be more stable with longer wings, but due to limited space, moderate aspect ratio fits better. We can easily calculate this wing aspect ratio by using the formula provided by the Science Learning Hub below.
Aspect ratio = wing length (m)/wing width (m)
The size of the AEV is also heavily constrained by the size of the track and the predetermined weight limit of less than 500 grams according to the MCR. Since the AEV shaft must hold the AEV controller and batteries, the shaft must have a width of at least 5 cm and a length of at least 10 cm. The length of the AEV will be determined after the wing’s aspect ratio is decided.
References:
- Wing Aspect Ratio by Science Learning Hub ( 12 September 2011): https://www.sciencelearn.org.nz/resources/302-wing-aspect-ratio