In the fascinating convergence where the laws of physics meet boundless innovation, the BOEING National level Aeromodelling Competition in IIT Kharagpur, Laws of Motion event stands as a beacon of inspiration and a testament to the audacious spirit of aeronautical engineering. This unique competition serves as a dynamic intersection, where the fundamental principles that govern the physical world become the canvas upon which teams from across the nation paint strokes of ingenious aeronautical engineering. With a mandate to not only understand but actively design, fabricate, and demonstrate fixed-wing aircraft systems, this event calls upon participants to bridge the gap between theory and practical application, creating a symphony of scientific understanding and cutting-edge innovation in the vast expanse of the skies.
National Competition | |
1st Prize | 1,00,000 |
2nd Prize | 50,000 |
3rd Prize | 30,000 |
At each Zonal Competition | |
1st Prize | 50,000 |
2nd Prize | 25,000 |
3rd Prize | 15,000 |
Aeromodelling Workshop
In addition to the competition, Boeing is set to sponsor workshops on aeromodelling, which will be organized by the respective IITs. These workshops will serve as an extra opportunity for students keen on creating and constructing RC aircraft to gain practical experience in the design and building processes. The specific dates for these workshops will be communicated separately.
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Formate of the Competition
The zonal events are scheduled to take place at four IITs across different regions: East Zone at IIT Kharagpur, West Zone at IIT Bombay, North Zone at IIT Kanpur, and South Zone at IIT Madras.
Participants have the flexibility to register for any of the four zonal competitions, bringing along their aircraft and all required equipment to partake in the event. The top three teams from each zonal round will receive invitations to compete in the national finals, which will be hosted at RVCE in Bengaluru.
Problem Statement for the Zonal Rounds
Your team is tasked with the design and operation of a commercial aircraft, with detailed specifications provided in the Design Constraints Section. The primary objective of the aircraft is to maximize payload capacity relative to its weight. Additionally, the aircraft should demonstrate efficiency in unloading and reloading the payload to minimize downtime and associated airport charges. Points will be awarded based on the payload carried, while deductions will be made for the time spent on the ground during loading and unloading to account for incurred costs. The team achieving the highest points in one complete round trip will emerge as the winner.
The payload for the competition will consist of golf balls supplied by the organizers, each weighing 45 g and having a diameter of 43 mm. The competition arena will be an open ground, and the zonal competition will comprise two rounds:
Qualifier Round
Main Round
1. Qualifier Round
The primary objective of the qualifier round is to identify the top 30 teams eligible to advance to the Main Round. In line with the overarching theme of payload transportation, the qualifier round focuses on selecting teams that have constructed aircraft with robust payload-carrying capabilities, ensuring safe flight while transporting the designated payloads.
A crucial criterion for qualification is that the aircraft must carry the payload for a minimum duration of 30 seconds. The payload must be securely mounted inside the aircraft, and judges will grant take-off clearance only upon satisfactory inspection of the payload mounting mechanism. A time window of a maximum of 3 minutes is allocated between takeoff and landing, and the aircraft must complete the round within this stipulated timeframe.
The scoring mechanism is determined by the formula:
Score = (Weight of Payload Carried * 100) / (Weight of Aircraft without Payload).
Aircraft unable to sustain flight for 30 seconds with the payload will receive a score of 0. Each team is entitled to two attempts, and the better of the two attempts will be considered as the team's final score.
The top 30 teams, determined by their scores, will qualify for the Main Round. Additionally, qualifying teams will receive a reimbursement of INR 5000 per team, intended to cover material costs for their models. Participation in the main round is contingent upon the demonstrated safe flying capabilities of the aircraft with the payload.
2. Main Round
In the Main Round, each team is required to execute one complete round trip involving the delivery of golf balls, ultimately returning to the starting point.
Scoring Mechanism:
For each successful delivery of a golf ball during the round trip, the team will be awarded 10 points.
A cost of 1 point per second spent on the ground will be deducted.
The team's net points, obtained by calculating the total score minus any incurred deductions, will be considered as the final score.
Round Details:
The following procedures must be executed once the timer initiates:
1. Load the Aircraft at the Point of Origin:
Golf balls are loaded onto the aircraft while it remains on the ground.
The aircraft must not be touched by the team during this phase.
Only one team member is allowed to participate, loading without direct contact with the aircraft.
Opening/closing of doors/compartments for payload placement should be controlled solely from the transmitter, not manually.
Cost of Step 1 (C1): Time in seconds from the timer starting to the payload compartment closing.
2. Take Off:
The aircraft should take off once the payload compartment doors are closed.
Hand-launching is permitted to avoid runway issues in the open ground setting.
3. Fly for at Least 30 Seconds and Land at the Point of Destination:
The aircraft can land anywhere on the ground, with the landing point considered as the destination.
Earnings for the trip (E1): 10 times the number of golf balls carried.
4. Unload the Aircraft Completely at the Destination:
Only one team member is allowed, to unload without touching the aircraft.
Opening/closing of doors/compartments for payload removal should be controlled solely from the transmitter.
5. Reload the Aircraft at the Destination:
Similar to Step 1, reloading is done as in Step 1.
Cost of Steps 4 & 5 (C2): Time in seconds from touchdown to the payload compartment closing after reloading.
6. Take Off at the Destination:
The aircraft can be hand-launched to accommodate the open ground setting.
7. Land After a Minimum Flight Time of 30 Seconds:
The aircraft can land anywhere on the ground for a safe landing.
Earnings for the trip (E2): 10 times the number of golf balls carried.
8. Unload the Aircraft:
Similar to Step 4.
Cost of Step 8 (C3): Time in seconds from touchdown to the payload compartment closing after unloading.
A maximum time of 3 minutes is allotted for the entire mission.
Score Calculation:
{Score} = E1 + E2 – C1 – C2 – C3
Zonal Competition Winners:
An overall score, combining the Qualifier and Final round scores, will be calculated. The highest overall scoring teams will be declared winners.
{Overall Score} = {Normalized Score in Qualifier Round} \times 0.25 + {Normalized Score in Main Round} \times 0.75
In the case of a tie, the winner will be determined by a separate round devised by the Judges on the spot. The Judges' decisions will be considered final in all instances.
The top 3 teams will receive invitations to RVCE Bengaluru for the finals, and the problem statement for the final round will be released in February 2024.
Design Constraints
Participants are required to create and construct a custom RC aircraft for the competition. Ready-made models such as RTF, ARF, BNF, etc., are strictly prohibited.
The thrust-to-weight ratio (T/W) must not exceed 1 without any payload. If an excess thrust is detected, it will be balanced by adding weight beneath the aircraft at its center of gravity.
The aircraft itself should not exceed a maximum weight of 1 kg, excluding any additional payload. The propeller diameter is restricted to a maximum of 13 inches, and the wingspan should not surpass 1.2 m.
Only electric motors are permissible for propulsion; the use of IC engines or any alternative means of providing thrust is expressly forbidden.
The employment of gyroscopes (gyros) and programming assistance in receivers is not allowed. Additionally, programming for any phase of the mission is strictly prohibited.
Lastly, the use of FPV (First Person View) or any other support for flying is also prohibited.
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Team Structure
Team Size Guidelines:
Maximum Team Size: 4
Minimum Team Size: 2
An additional mentor is permitted to accompany the team; however, active assistance during participation is not allowed.
Team Composition:
Team members can be from the same college/school or different educational levels (School/UG/PG).
There is no limit on the number of teams that can participate from a single college/school.
Eligibility Criteria:
Only students are eligible to participate in this competition.
Participants must present a bona fide certificate signed by their respective Head of Department (HoD), Dean, or Principal, along with their school/college ID card.
Safety Measures:
A safety pilot may be available on the ground, provided by the organizers.
The safety pilot, if needed, can assume control of the aircraft in case of an emergency.
Participants have the option to voluntarily seek the safety pilot's assistance or fly independently.
However, if the safety pilot deems the participant's skills inadequate for safety reasons, the safety pilot will take over.
The final decision rests with the safety pilot and judges, and participants must comply with their directives.
Abstract Submission
Participants are required to submit an abstract on their aircraft.
The abstract should be concise, comprising less than 15 pages (A4 size, 1.5 line spacing) with standard formatting.
It must document fundamental aspects of the aircraft design, including dimensions, wing areas, velocity, etc.
The document should elucidate how the design aligns with the given problem statement.
Abstracts must adhere to the standard format, downloadable from the respective IIT websites.
Alongside the abstract, participants must submit a zip file containing a minimum of 5 and a maximum of 10 photographs depicting the various stages of aircraft construction.
The abstract must be submitted 20 days in advance of the competition date.
Abstracts should be sent via email in the specified format.
The list of shortlisted teams, selected based on the abstracts, will be announced 15 days before the competition date.
General Guidelines
The same aircraft used in the abstract must be employed in both competition rounds.
In the event of damages, teams can repair the same aircraft but are prohibited from using a replacement. The repaired aircraft should be prepared for its turn.
Teams are advised to carry extra components (motors, batteries, propellers, etc.) to prevent unforeseen challenges at the venue.
Failure to be ready at the designated turn may result in time loss or forfeiture of attempts.
All participating aircraft must utilize the 2.4 GHz radio frequency.
If participants intend to use a different frequency, prior notification to the organizers is mandatory.
Receivers installed in the aircraft must exclusively operate in 'receiver mode only.'
The use of metal propellers is strictly prohibited.
Organizers will conduct pre-competition checks on all systems (servos, motors, etc.) for functionality.
Teams with non-functional systems will be disqualified from the competition.
Teams are prohibited from sharing any parts of their aircraft (motors, ESC, battery, etc.) with other teams.
Each team must carry all necessary equipment for participation.
Models can either have a powered take-off with landing gear or be manually launched by a person standing at ground level.
A team member cannot be part of more than one team.
The timer will commence 30 seconds after the previous team completes their attempt.
Teams must be prepared and launch promptly upon entering the take-off zone. Failure to do so may result in the loss of their turn.
To qualify for reimbursement, the team must provide bank account details belonging to one of the team members.
The name on the bank account must match the registered participant's name. Reimbursement/prize money will not be transferred in case of a mismatch.
In adherence to stringent safety requirements, if a pilot flies beyond the designated flying zone, including the overhead section of the event organizing and control area, they are automatically disqualified. The pilot must promptly return and execute a safe landing.
Conclusion
Boeing: IIT's Laws of Motion event goes beyond the ordinary, inviting aviation enthusiasts to embark on an exciting journey where creativity and engineering collide. This competition transforms into a stage for innovation as teams defy gravity and design constraints, exploring the boundless possibilities of aeronautical engineering. More than just a contest, it signifies a new era in flight, where the sky is not a limit but the gateway to endless exploration and achievement.
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