Building Aircraft

Hands-on aircraft construction from UCLA’s E96A aerospace engineering course — a three-week summer program where students design, build, and fly their own aircraft. The series starts with the basics: building and testing simple gliders to understand how wing shape, weight distribution, and control surfaces affect flight. Week two covers aerodynamic theory and optimization — adjusting designs based on test results and applying principles like the lift equation and drag reduction. The final week documents the construction of a powered aircraft, including material selection, structural assembly, and motor mounting, followed by flight testing to evaluate performance against design predictions. Each post includes photos and observations from the build process, connecting classroom theory to real engineering outcomes.