1. PROBLEM STATEMENT:

Design and fabricate a model RC aircraft with all degrees of freedom to complete a specific set of manoeuvres and tasks in the specified time frame. The design must be in such a way that equal importance is given to all the following factors

• Speed
• Manoeuvrability
• Power (thrust)

2. AIRCRAFT SPECIFICATIONS:

• The design of the aircraft must be in such a way that it has the four forces of flight. (Lift,drag, weight and thrust from the rotor). Innovative designs of aircrafts are accepted but unconventional designs like hovercrafts and helicopters are not allowed.
• If the participants already have a model, they are allowed to modify it to the below given specifications.
• The wing span of the aircraft should be anything less than or equal to 40 inches.
• Only electric motors are allowed. IC engines are strictly prohibited
• Teams are allowed to bring more than one aircraft.
• No team is allowed to use a launching mechanism. It should be either hand launched or should take off from the ground.
• The voltage of the battery should not exceed 12 V.
• The teams are free to choose the material of fabrication for the model. The best bet would be balsa wood as it is very light, but at the same time durable. Sun foam could be another choice.
• There is no restriction on the weight of the aircraft. However, the participants must keep in mind the tasks at hand while designing their aircraft. Recommended weight is 1-1.25kg.
• Use of gyroscopes is strictly prohibited.
• The use of RTF (Ready -to- fly) and ARF (Almost- ready -to - fly) kits are strictly prohibited.
• But the use of ready-made motors and batteries, Remote control sets, propellers and servos are allowed. The participants are also allowed to use kits comprising of assembled pieces of balsa wood to make the fuselage and the wings.

3. COMPETITION RULES:

ROUND 1 (Preliminary Round):

This round will test the aerodynamics and the manoeuvrability of the aircraft. This is considered as an eliminative round because they are  pre-requisites, for the tasks in the second round. In the prelims, the model will be tested on the following tasks:

• Vertical looping.
• Rolling
• Drop spinning

While performing these manoeuvres the motor must be kept running all the time.
Points will be awarded bases upon the stability of the aircraft and time taken.

VERTICAL LOOPING:

ROLLING:

DROP SPINNING:

• The aircraft must take-off and reach a convenient height. From that height, it must dive towards the ground and during the process must make rolls about its axis.
• The total number of trials is 2 and the better of the two will be considered. The time limit for each  trial is 5 minutes and all the three manoeuvres are to be completed within it. The judging is subjective and hence it is not necessary to complete all the tasks. It is also not necessary to takepart in both the trials. In case you feel you have performed best in trial 1, then you can skip trial 2.
• The aircrafts which successfully complete the above moves will be shortlisted for participation in round two. If all the aircrafts are good enough, then all the teams will go through to the second round.
• The participants will be allowed a total of 3 chances to launch the aircraft in every run i.e. if the aircraft doesn't leave the runway, then they can re-launch their aircraft. In case it leaves the runway and then stops, then that particular run will be over and no point will be awarded for it
• The performance in this task will be judged and points will be awarded accordingly. This will be the deciding factor for selection into Round 2.

ROUND 2 (Finals Round):

This round contains the main event which will test the design of the aircraft, throttle control,  swiftness of the flight and the flying skills of the team. This has been sub-divided into two tasks, namely the “The maze” and the “Wind Glide”.

THE MAZE:

The top view of the arena is shown in the picture. It consists of 3 poles each of a suitable height, each located in the corner of an equilateral triangle. The distance between each pole is 65 meters. 

The aircraft must complete 5 laps according to the following directions:

• In the first lap, the aircraft must go around these poles such that all the poles lie inside the path of the aircraft.
• In the second, third and fourth lap, one of the poles must be progressively left out while making the laps.
• The task and path for the final lap is illustrated in the diagrams below. 

Lap 1 Isometric

Final Lap Isometric

Final Lap Top View

WIND GLIDE:

• This task will test the aerodynamics of the model. The aircraft must rea ch a certain height with the motors turned on. After a specific amount of time the throttle must be made 0 %( flame-out situation).
• The aircraft must then glide down to a specific spot without the use of the motor at any point of time.
• The aircraft must take off from the run way or be hand launched. The participants are allowed to choose any path, but the motor must be shut down after exactly 45 seconds.
• Thereafter the aircraft must PURELY GLIDE and TOUCH DOWN in the landing area which is a circle of radius 15 feet.
• Each team will be given 2 trials and the better of the two will be considered.
• THERE SHOULD BE NIL THRUST CONTROL AFTER 45 SECONDS. IF ANY TEAM VIOLATES THIS RULE, THAT PARTICULAR TRIAL WILL NOT BE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION EVEN THOUGH THE LANDING MIGHT BE SUCCESSFULL.

4. JUDGING CRITERION:

Round 1:

As mentioned earlier, the judging for Round 1 will be subjectively judged.

Round 2:

The maze: 

• The time taken to complete all five laps will be noted. This task has to be completed within a maximum of 300 seconds.  
• The number of points in this round will be (300-t) where t is total time taken.
• If the participant is not able to complete the lap in 300s in a particular trial, then the points for that trial will not be taken into account. 

Wind glide:

The number of seconds the aircraft is able to stay in the air after the motor is shut down will be the number of points gained in this round.

BEST DESIGN:

Irrespective of the performance in the above tasks, there will be a separate cash award for the best innovative design. The models will be  examined by aero modelling experts to decide this prize.

 The team with max number of points in "The Maze" and "Wind Glide" put together will be declared as the winner.

5. TEAM SPECIFICATIONS:

The maximum number of members in a team is 4. Students from different colleges/universities are allowed to form a team.

6. ABSTRACT SUBMISSION:

• All teams must submit an abstract about their aircraft.
• The format is available for download here.
• The last date for the submission is February 14, 2011.
  

All aircrafts will undergo inspections before the start of the event by experts from the aero-modelling field. Any violations will lead to direct disqualification. The models will also undergo inspections for safety before its launch. The model must be rigid and should not be of any threat to other participants as well as spectators.

General :

1. The team cannot comprise of more than 4 students, including the flyer.
2. The transmitters of all the teams will have to be deposited with the coordinators to prevent frequency clashes. Your cooperation is required to ensure the safety of everyone.
3. Electric motors are allowed, but the use of IC engines is strictly prohibited.
4. The maximum voltage of the battery should not exceed 12 V.
5. The aircraft will be checked for its safety before the start of the event, and will not be allowed to participate if found unsafe for other participants or spectators. The organizers’ decision will be final in this regard.
6. The use of RTF (ready-to-fly) and ARF (almost-ready-to-fly) kits are strictly prohibited.
7. The coordinators cannot assume responsibility for any problems arising due to the weather. However, necessary steps will be taken to ensure a fair competition.
8. A team that is not present at their assigned slot for the trials will NOT receive any points.
9. The organizers reserve the right to change any of the mentioned rules and specifications should it be necessary. Participants are encouraged to check the Website frequently, and notify themselves of any updates.
10. The teams must be in good competitive spirit. Misbehavior of any sort will not be tolerated.
11. Any team or team member found misbehaving will be disqualified immediately.
12. THE DECISION OF THE JUDGES WILL BE FINAL AND BINDING. NO CORRESPONDENCES WILL BE ENTERTAINED IN THIS REGARD.

Video Submission:

1. The team should prepare and submit a short unedited video of at least 1 minute showing clearly their model aircraft and flying skills to take part in Pragyan 11. THIS IS COMPULSORY.
2. Teams will be short listed purely based on their flying skills demonstrated in the video. This is due to concerns in regard with the safety of the crowd as the models travel at considerable speeds.
3. In the video, the model must be hand launched, or must take off from the ground and perform basic maneuvers like banking on either side, making U-Turns and landing. It is enough if you show your basic skills.
4. The clip should be in AVI or MPEG format. If other formats are used, the necessary plug-ins must be attached.
5. The video need not contain the exact working or mechanism of the aircraft. It must convince the organizers that the team is competent enough to fly the aircraft without trouble.
6. The video must clearly show the aircraft, the operator, and the RC used, following which, the flying skills are to be demonstrated and videotaped.
7. The video must be uploaded on Youtube with the following title: "Pragyan11.Skydive.(Team –Name)"
8. If you are unable to upload the video on Youtube, you may send the video by courier/post to the event managers. The address is available upon request. However, this mode of submission is highly discouraged. Pragyan will not be responsible for any postal/courier delays.
9. Your participation will be confirmed only after the receipt of the video. An email will be sent to you once your video is received.

References:
In case you are a beginner, then we strongly suggest that you spend a lot of time in a RC FLIGHT SIMULATOR in a PC/Laptop before actually flying your model. It will help you save a lot of time and money. Some of the common RC flight simulators are listed below:

FMS
Realflight G2 and G3
Reflex XTR
Aerofly Pro

FMS is a real bargain. The software is available for free! You can download the latest version here:

http://n.ethz.ch/student/mmoeller/fms/index_e.html

Aerofly Pro has very realistic flight physics and decent graphics. There's a dedicated cable to connect your own Tx to your computer. This allows you to get used to flying with your own transmitter. There is also a version that comes with a controller, but we would recommend getting comfortable with the Tx that you will use at the field.

The standard program comes with both planes and helicopters. An expansion pack is now included for free. There is also a "Deluxe" version available with lifelike photorealistic sceneries. You can in fact install photorealistic sceneries into the basic AFP.

Dilip Raghupathi
+91 93806 92797