Test Results

In the morning, prior to visiting the airfield at Van Nuys, I tested the landing gear, as I included a rotating front wheel. In order to do this I had a servo motor that was connected with a splitter to the rudder, which means the wheel and rudder turn in synchronous.

The aircraft’s maiden flight was an impressive success, boasting an excellent center of gravity and remarkable speed, thanks to its powerful electric motor.

More about my UCLA E96 experience:

• UCLA E96A Plane Engineering: The Start of an Adventure
• UCLA E96A Week One Recap – Gliders, Part One
• UCLA E96A Week One Recap – Gliders, Part Two
• UCLA E96A Week Two Recap – Aerodynamics
• UCLA E96A Week Three Recap – The Final Test
• UCLA E96A Week Three Recap – Building The Final Plane

Lessons Learned

The final flight test put our radio-controlled plane through its paces. Our design held up well in stable flight but showed pitch sensitivity in gusty conditions. The course reinforced how much real engineering goes into even a small aircraft.