Rescue Angel 321

Disaster Relief Plane

Jack Slage
Sparky Aid Designs
Apr. 2019
ASU

Abstract:

The following report describes the proposed design of Rescue Angel 321, Which is a
12 engine, fixed wing craft, in the aerodynamically superior shape of a flying wing, with
two decks and a cargo capacity of up to 50,000 kn. It will be able to respond to any of
the five disaster scenarios given, and will be based in New Orleans, as it is in range of
most major Cities in North America. The plane will have two decks, which can either be
configured as all cargo, all scout vehicles, or a combination in between. The top deck,
usually used for aerial scout vehicles, will contain an automated launching mechanism
used to deploy the craft in-air or when there is limited runway space. The craft will be
able to transport a minimum of 750 passengers to an area at least 500 km away or
1000 passengers at least 1250 km away, while carrying cargo to and from the area of
impact. As the plane is modular these numbers may be adjusted depending on the
ratio of cargo:seating space. The wings struts are made of steel, in the shape of an I
beam, and FAT testing shows that the craft has passed all tests and is thus working
properly and useable. Future developments of the plane may, for some scenarios,
increase the size of the pallet the appropriate load is on, and, for example, in a fire,
provide the capability to either hover over or graze the surface of a body of water and
pick up water through the lower hull.

Introduction:

Almost always when a disaster strikes, inadequate help is given within the first 24 hrs.
This is why there are many more casualties and deaths. Most help is unable to arrive
due to the fact that there are no useable ways that are safe as there may be landslides,
fallen rocks, hostile surroundings, or blocked roads which prevent help from arriving
until it is too late. One way to step around this is to come not by land, but by air. We are
not the first to think of this method. However, Aircraft for post-disaster rescue
operations are, if at all, not fit with any specifically designed apparatuses to assist
survivors and victims. It takes valuable time to configure airplanes for specific rescue
operations and reduces the time available to help. What is more, planes are usually
made to service only one scenario, and have very long turnaround times on the ground,
which hampers their ability to truly assist survivors. To best help recovery efforts, our
design must be able to assist current rescue efforts, while also being able to complete
its own tasks independently of others. The target customer is the everyone who uses
the aircraft, from private contractors to military personnel to rescue teams performing a
mission. The users will be the Pilots, crew, aid workers, in-flight and on-ground
maintenance, medical, and security teams, and the affected victims. Payers will include
the companies, State/local governments, NGO’s, and National Governments. There will
need to be many variables clarified between us and the customer, including, but not
limited to, how communications will be established in an emergency situation, where
rescue teams will be located, where to deliver victims for medical and psychological
assistance, and other such issues. This will give us a better idea about the problem
and help us identify and refine it even more. Other stakeholders that may be involved
would be the providers of equipment and supplies, the media, and research
Institutions/funds, some of which may be paying for the missions partially or
completely. Most problems currently experienced by these institutions and media
anchors are a lack of support and useable infrastructure, and others. We intend to aid
all of the scenarios, and more. The potential buyers/renters/users of the plane would be
a private company or a government-funded institution/fund, such as FEMA1, or the red
cross (or red crescent in middle-eastern disaster scenarios). The requirements and
criteria are listed Below:

Requirements:

• The design shall be a rescue and relief device

• The design shall be able to quickly switch between various scenarios

• The design shall have modular capabilities

• The design shall have a large cargo capacity

• The design shall provide at least basic medical capabilities/VTOL

• The design shall be fuel efficient

• The design shall have an interchangeable ROC and cruise speed for hovering or
normal flying capabilities

• The design shall be compliant with all international standards for electricity,
communications, etc.

• The design shall have integrated computer systems

• The design shall utilize Artificial Intelligence (AI) for maximal efficiency

• The design shall have proper security features

• The design shall have maximally safe systems for the environment

Criteria:

• Speed

• Quick relief is crucial to be able to help more people and to prevent long-term
problems

• 15% of AHP

• Speed consists of airspeed/groundspeed

• The Boardroom videos abut Hurricanes, Tornadoes, Earthquakes, Zombie

Apocalypse, and wildfires all emphasize that speed is important in any situation
where people’s lives are on the line

• Price

• A low price leads to affordability

• 15% of AHP

• Price calculated as Payload+OEW/4.3+OMR

• Nobody will want to pay egregious amounts of money for a plane even if it preforms
extremely well

• Modularity/Flexibility

• Ability to switch between situations inside of the same plane saves money and time
as there is no need to have a separate plane for each scenario

1FEMA is the Emergency disaster fund for the United states, funded by the government, which assists those impacted
domestically but in some cases internationally.
 • 30%of AHP

• M/F if measured in the ability to quickly change the interior of a plane (in minutes)

• This is currently the imperfection in today’s planes

• Range

• Extended range options: Extra fuel tanks, Solar panels, External rocket boosters,
etc.

• 20% of AHP

• Range consists of long-distance aircraft+extra fuel tanks, solar panels, etc.

• Large range means more people will be able to be rescued

• Fast maintenance/Turnaround

• The speed of refueling/restocking on ground shorter to increase relief time

• 20% of AHP

• FM/T measured through speed of ground support to be able to service a plane in

the shortest amount of time.

• The trade-off between turnaround time and flying time is that a shorter turnaround
time will mean a shorter flight time.

• For each specific scenario, there will be disaster-specific platforms2 (e.g. for a
tornado there will be one with cages for animals, for fires there will be containers
of water, etc.), as well as platforms that will go on all flights (seating (at least one
pallet), medical (with stretchers stacked on top of each other to conserve space, a
medical refrigerator, 55 gallon potable water barrels with disposable cups), and
trolleys with drink and rations for the passengers, stowed in the lounge for crew).

• Loading and unloading the scout craft housed in the top deck of the plane is done
by the plane taxiing into a hangar where a platform with the old craft is removed
and the new platform inserted. The cargoes which go into the lower deck are
inserted via a ramp. If there is no availability to have a hangar of the appropriate
size, aircraft may be loaded into the bottom deck prior to the cargo is loaded and
lifted to the top deck by the cargo elevator between decks. The aircraft may be
configured such that both decks may be taken up by aircraft.3

2 See Appendix 1
3This may be the case if there are multiple flying wings going to the same area of impact and all but one are configured to carry
cargo on both decks. This setup would compensate for the other planes as they carry no aircraft inside of them.
 • Cargoes will all be on platforms/pallets4 , and will be slid primarily into the bottom
deck. This can be done either by multiple pallet loaders5 or through the rear ramp6
7.

The AHP matrix is shown below8 :

Speed Price Modularity/ Range Turnaround

Flexibility Speed

Speed 1 0.333 3 1 2 7.333 0.255

Price 3 1 2 1 1.5 8.5 0.295

Modularity/ 0.333 0.5 1 1 1 3.833 0.133

Flexibility

Range 1 1 1 1 1 5 0.174

Turnaround 0.5 0.667 1 1 1 4.067 0.142

Speed

Total: 28.733 0.999

Different mission profiles previously considered were:

1. Completely Cargo

1. In this prototype, there was only one cargo bay which was smaller than the
existing volume of the bottom deck. Because of this, it was smaller and thus
could not carry as much cargo as the current design. This plane could have
potentially assisted quicker as it had a smaller cargo weight. However, it
ultimately could not carry as much payload and had a longer turnaround time,
which did not conform to us needs.

2. Regular cargo craft

1. This Idea was of the same size as a C-5 or a C-17 globemaster. However, due to
the large turnaround time and its slow speed, this option did not work for us.

4 Buyers have the option of purchasing a simple platform, which would just be a pallet, a pallet with small wheels on the underside
for easier mobility, or a more expensive option to have low profile treads on the bottoms of the pallets which would support more
weight, be faster, and could be coordinated better. The last option would be controlled by a remote-control, and could be
programmed to function on their own and unload/reload the plane themselves while the people attend to other matters.

5 Multiple pallet loaders speed up the turnaround time. For the first pallets (the ones closest to the rear door or the first half-rows
on each side) both loaders (there can be up to four loaders present; however, for this example only two are used) unload and
release onto pallet transporters. Then, All pallets to be unloaded are shifted to one side of the plane as the loader on the other side
begins to load the new pallets, already prepared, which are brought by pallet transporters (see appendix 2). In this way, pallets are
getting replaced quicker as there is no necessity to completely unload a plane and then load it all again (as done in conventional
aircraft).

6 There will be a small pallet loader on the spot, brought by the plane as cargo and left until the final flight back, which will be able
to remove cargoes which must be level (e.g. the medical unit, the Zombie mobile medical center, the zombie containment/restraint,
center, etc.).

7 The only limiting factor of using the ramp would be the incline when going down. To sidestep this issue, There will be a pallet
loader on the first flight to the area which will come back on the last flight. On the plane there will be a crane on the ceiling.
8 The total in the last column is not 1.000 but instead 0.999, because the numbers were rounded. Any number such that the
following is true: 1.000 ±0.01 is acceptable.
Ultimately, the current design worked the best and fulfilled all criteria. There are no
designs out on the market like this, so there is no competition/market gap for this type
of aircraft in the market.

Platforms:

There are multiple important features used in the aircraft which make it unique. We will
proceed through them9 by looking at each scenario specifically10, what the given
scenario will require11, and which aspects are similar12 . We will then proceed to
examine the wing design13, following which we will view the interior14 and exterior15 in
images. After this, we will view the simulators16 and look at the automations 17. Finally,
we will end with viewing the factory acceptance procedures 18.

Common Platforms19:

Medical:

There will always be some sort of medical platform on the plane. In some situations,
there will be a larger “aerial hospital,” such as in the case of a zombie apocalypse,
where almost half of the pallets will have stretchers, or in the case of a earthquake,
where there will be a larger number of pallets furnished to be a hospital.

Seating:

9 Detailed explanations will be in the appendices. Overviews will follow below.

10 Appendix 3

11 Appendix 4

12 Appendix 5

13 Appendix 6

14 Appendix 7

15 Appendix 8

16 Appendix 9

17 Appendix 10

18 Appendix 11
19 These are ones which are taken on each flight, except certain exceptions
There will always be some seats on the plane for those that are not injured. If
necessary, there may be a smaller number of pallets with seats but there will then be
seats in the lounge/mobile command center.2021

Unique Platforms22:

Fire:

Equipment:

This pallet will contain equipment necessary to fight fires (hoses, axes, oxygen tanks,
etc.). This pallet will also contain novel technologies to fight fires.23

Water tanks:

These pallets will have large tanks on them filled with water, with a pump and a drum of
compressed, dehydrated fire retardant to inject into the water. On top of the tanks will
be folded water buckets, which will be deployed from the scout planes inside.

Hurricane:

Assistance:

This pallet will have tents and other such items to give temporary shelter, clothes, and
basic items.

MRE:

This platform will have Meals Ready to Eat (MRE) with parachutes on them to drop. As
an alternative, fragile objects may be delivered by either a swarm of drones or via the
scout craft24.

Tornado:

Cage:

These pallets will have cages of various sizes, with the larger cages being on the
bottom and the smaller cages being on the top. They have coverings over the cages as
to not irritate (or get irritated) by other animals.

Medical:

20This is where all operations are based. Incoming radio signals are received and rescues are coordinated. This is also where the
leader of the rescue operation gives orders from and manages the movements of the individual teams.

21The mobile command center contains bunks for the crew, meals for all, and other such items to comfort everyone on the ship.
These supplies get replenished every time the plane lands back at its base.

22 These are one which are only taken for a specific mission; they are mission-specific.

23 Such as using electricity to move the fire away, or blowing up explosives to consume the electricity.
24 The scout craft will go ahead of the larger plane and search the area prior to the delivery. Also, this can be done via drone.
This pallet will have a medical station to assist patients in a critical state. It will not have
as many resources as the veterinary station minutes away.

Earthquake:

Heavy equipment:

This pallet will have the heavy lifting equipment and a drum of fuel for it.

Medical:

This pallet will have all of the medical supplies needed to create a mobile hospital.

Zombie Apocalypse:

EEG/Medical:

This pallet will house the infected and the EEG machines to measure their brainwaves.
This pallet will be housed in a chicken-wire cage with armed guards inside to monitor
activity and to restrain if somebody becomes infected.

Zombie housing unit:

This will be a cage-within-a-cage for completely infected zombies who are not able to
be cured. They will be removed and destroyed after all necessary research is done on
them.

Armed Guard Unit:

This pallet will contain seats for the guards and armaments for them to use and
distribute among the survivors.

Wing Design:

As we are attempting to create an aircraft, wings – one of the most significant parts of
a plane, and especially wing shape – will be crucial if we are to succeed in this
endeavor. There will be a number of items for which it will be necessary to implement
various experimental and research procedures to properly understand them. While
there are many more aspects than the ones described here, these are reasonably
accurate representations and models of the actual aircraft’s behavior. The dependency
of the variables used, which are chord, thickness to chord ratio (Th/Ch ratio), and
camber, are all interconnected as they all affect the cross-section shape of the wing,
increase and decrease the lift, drag, and lift/drag ratio, and change the overall fuel
consumption, endurance, and range of the plane itself. We would like to know these
variables and how they move, as they are crucial to our project. We believe, however,
that while we may not get what we would like to see, we will still get valuable
information which will help us create a successful design. We expect to see values that
will move in different directions depending on which settings are in place, especially for
the camber, which will probably create the graph of a parabola with a negative slope.

The main modeling tool used will be the Zhukovsky Aerofoil Simulator, but additional
research will also be done. The three variables will be tested a predetermined amount
of points, evenly spaced, and will have information collected at each point. The
variables held constant will be the span and angle of attack. The variables changing
will be the chord, Th/Ch ratio, and the camber. For the chord and the Th/Ch ratio,
we will be testing every point, from 1.5 through 3 every 0.1 point for the chord and
from 0 through 1 for the Th/Ch ratio. For the camber, we will be testing every 0.02 m
from 0 through 0.1 m. The independent variable will be each of the values in turn, and
the dependent variables will be the lift and lift/drag ratio (L/D ratio).

Chord Length

Chord Length – Lift Chord Length – Lift/Drag

0.305 100
0.3 90
0.295 80
0.29 70
0.285 60
Lift

Lift

0.28 50
0.275 40
0.27 30
0.265 20
0.26 10
y = 0.0255x5 - 0.2971x4 + 1.3647x3 - 3.0702x2 + 3.3414x - 1.0991
0.255 0
y = -1.9472x 3 + 17.244x2 - 58.841x + 147.26
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5
Chord Chord

Figure 1. Chord Length to Lift Figure 2. Chord Length to Lift/Drag ratio

Figure 3. Chord (minimum) Figure 4. Chord (maximum)

Chord Lift/Drag Lift

1.5 91.295 0.3
1.6 89.18 0.298
 Chord Lift/Drag Lift
1.7 87.534 0.293
1.8 85.798 0.289
1.9 84.456 0.285
2 82.988 0.282
2.1 81.626 0.279
2.2 80.595 0.276
2.3 79.409 0.273
2.4 78.52 0.272
2.5 77.468 0.27
2.6 76.693 0.268
2.7 75.746 0.266
2.8 74.844 0.264
2.9 74.198 0.263
3 73.374 0.261

Table 1. Chord Length

The variables are related quadratically, such that as you increase the chord length, the
lift decreases. For the chord length we measured how the length of the wing
influences the lift and L/D ratio. We started at the minimum value, 1.5 m (Figure 3),
and ended with the maximum value of 3 m (Figure 4). The table (Table 1) shows the
data points. The graphs for the lift (Figure 1) showed a steeper decline than the graphs
for the L/D ratio (Figure 2). In Figures 1 and 2 the values of L/D ratio points are read
by looking at the chord length at the x-axis and the lift on the y-axis.

Thickness to Chord Ratio

Thickness to Chord Ratio Thickness

Thickness to Chord
to Chord Ratio
ratio
160 160
160
140 y = 103.02x4 - 304.68x3 + 370.46x2 - 264.41x + 145.57 140 y = 103.02x4 - 304.68x3 + 370.46x2 - 264.41x + 145.57
Lift Lift/Drag Lift/Drag
Lift/Drag

140
120 120
120
100 100
80 100
80
60 60
80
40 40
60
20 20
Lift

40
0 0
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.2 20 0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.2
y = 103.02x4 - 304.68x3 + 370.46x2 - 264.41x + 145.57
Th/Ch rat. 0 Th/Ch rat.
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.2

Lift/Drag Lift Thickness to Chord

Lift/Drag Lift/Drag ratio
Lift

Figure 5. Thickness to Chord ratio - Lift Figure 6. Thickness to Chord ratio

 Figure 7. Minimum Th/Ch ratio Figure 8. – Maximum Th/Ch ratio

Figure 7. Minimum Th/Ch Ratio Figure 8. Maximum Th/Ch Ratio

Th/Ch ratio Lift/Drag Lift

0 145.721 0.303
0.1 122.218 0.303
0.2 105.243 0.303
0.3 92.409 0.303
0.4 82.364 0.303
0.5 74.289 0.303
0.6 67.656 0.303
0.7 62.111 0.303
0.8 57.405 0.303
0.9 53.363 0.303
1 49.852 0.303

Table 2. – Thickness to Chord Ratio

The variables are related quadratically, such that as you increase the Th/Ch ratio, the
lift decreases. For the Th/Ch ratio we measured how the thickness of the wing affects
the lift and L/D ratio. We started with the minimum ratio, 0 (Figure 7) and ended with
the maximum, 1 (Figure 8). There are two graphs (Figures 5,6), one of which has two
sets of data points (Figure 5), the blue ones being the L/D ratio values, and the orange
ones being the lift, which remains constant at approximately 0.303. The other (Figure 6)
only shows the relationship between the L/D ratio (y-axis) and the Th/Ch ratio (x-axis).
The table (Table 2) shows the data points.

Camber

Camber Camber
160 160 y = -368229x4 + 192741x3 - 35919x2 + 2503.9x + 76.95
140 140

Lift Lift/Drag
120
120
100
100 80
Lift/Drag

80 60
60
40
20
40 0
20 0 0.02 0.04 0.06 0.08 0.1 0.12
y = -368229x4 + 192741x3 - 35919x2 + 2503.9x + 76.95
0 Camber

0 0.02 0.04 0.06 0.08 0.1 0.12

Camber Lift/Drag Lift

Figure 9. – Camber Figure 10. – Camber with lift

Figure 11. – Minimum Camber Figure 12. – Maximum Camber

Camber Lift/Drag Lift

0 76.954 0.219
0.02 114.124 0.387
0.04 131.071 0.554
0.06 134.698 0.722
0.08 131.006 0.89
0.1 124.07 1.057

Table 3. – Camber

The variables are related quadratically such that as you increase the camber, the lift
increases to a certain point and then begins to drop back down. For the camber, we
measured the angle with which the wing bends and how it affects the lift and L/D
ratio. The measurements started with the minimum (Figure 11), which was 0º, and
proceeded to the maximum, which was 0.1º (Figure 12), using 0.02º increments. The
table (Table 3) shows the data points. The two graphs (Figures 9,10) both show
camber, but one of them includes lift (Figure 10) while the other does not (Figure 9).

The design contains multiple tradeoffs, one between cargo and parasite craft, and the
other between speed and cargo. To solve the dilemma between the ratio of cargo to
parasite craft to include on the plane, we created two decks which can be reconfigured
– either both are one or the other, or it is a mix of both. The one between speed and
cargo was a bit harder. Attaching rockets and engaging the vertical rotors would
increase the speed, but limit the range as more fuel is consumed. However, if we
attached liquid fueled rockets, there may be a way to, after launch (when they will all be
used up), to somehow discharge the boosters and drop them with parachutes above a
given area where they can later be retrieved and reused. This would be in the best
interest of the customer as it would eliminate the cost of having to purchase new
rockets for every use. Rockets to come back may be stored as cargo in a fire/spark-
proof place. To increase the cargo capacity, there may be a way to hang catwalks from
the ceiling and anchor them to the walls for seating of aid workers/recipients, which
would free up the rest of the cargo bay to cargoes relevant to each mission. The
cargoes will be built on modular platforms, which are then inserted into the cargo hold.
If it is more important for a larger cargo capacity, then the sides and top may be
attached to the platforms in such a way that when needed, shorter payloads may be
stacked as to double the available space.

Interior Design:

The included design options are for an aircraft, which would be capable of supporting
3 mission profiles. These include acting as a support and rescue device, assisting
those on the ground, and evacuating those who need further help. The aircraft will
contain base equipment necessary for all missions and swappable modular units
suitable for specific mission use. The design shall assist every scenario. For the Forest
fire scenario, the modular platform shall have a large tank of fire retardant, with a pump
and other equipment, such as hoses, axes, oxygen masks, etc. For the Hurricane, the
platform will have MRE bales, water bottle bales, and other such items that may be
airdropped from the plane if there is no place to land. For an earthquake, items on the
platform will be heavy equipment to assist in removing large pieces of debris, and will
be able to extract those victims to a field hospital, brought by the plane. The tornado
will have a large platform with cages of different sizes, in addition to means to provide
for an onsite medical examination and minimal medical help. The zombie scenario will
have platforms which can contain potential zombies, EEG machines to assist in
diagnosing those infected, and 30mm GAU-8 Avenger Rotary cannons on the plane
itself to eliminate zombie outposts without having to risk the lives of people. All of the
said modular components will go along with additional support platforms, which will be
present in each scenario, and can be used in various ways (i.e. in the tornado case, the
medical part would be removed and become the field hospital).

Payload shall not exceed:

Fire: 48126

Tornado: 22195

Hurricane: 10551

Zombie: 3026

Earthquake: 98878

See Attachment 1

The design shall be able to quickly assess the surroundings

The design shall be able to search for victims and assist them

The design shall be able to offer medical help to those who require it

The design shall be able to scout ahead of ground search teams with the use of UAVs

The design shall have infrared-vision cameras to find people

The design shall be able to help search teams extract victims

The design shall, if necessary, be able to use RAT (rocket assisted takeoff) to become
airborne

The design shall be able to offer minimal life-supporting medical care for critical
patients

The design shall be able to evacuate those who need further medical assistance

The drawings (Appendix 7) depict the modular capabilities of the aircraft. Each
scenario has its own platform with everything needed for that mission, while certain
platforms like the medical or seating/stowage units remain in the aircraft for most
missions. As the aircraft is not a regular one with wings protruding out of a visible
fuselage and simply a “flying wing” which does not have any significant protruding
fuselage, it can take more cargo, weight, and is much more aerodynamic (which in turn
makes it faster). Further building it out of carbon fibre will make it lightweight as well as
strong. The matrix (attachment 3) proves that a flying wing is in many things, better that
one of the best transport planes in the world: the C-130. In those sections where the
regular plane fell through, the flying wing excelled in. For example, the turnaround time
on the ground (or the time it takes for the plane to land, refuel, restock, and get off the
ground again) for a regular aircraft is much, much longer than that of a flying wing,
which is fueled by multiple hoses piping straight into the fuel tanks, and only has to
switch out the used platforms with the newer ones, already ready, and then it is good
to go again. In this criterion, the regular plane scored a 1 and the flying wing scored a 5

Exterior25:

The aircraft, being a flying wing, will have heightened aerodynamic capabilities and
longer range, endurance, and payload capacities. It will also function as a mothership
for a smaller parasite craft launched from it which will function as reconnaissance
“scout planes” or relief craft for either small-scale emergencies or, in most cases, as a
primary support device to provide basic aid to the distressed prior when the larger craft
will arrive. The plane will have two bays: one for the cargo, and another, smaller, for the
parasite planes. There will be a launching mechanism which will catapult the crafts into
the air from above the plane. There will also be an elevator between the launching deck
and the cargo bay so that the plane can either be configured to contain all planes, all
cargo, or a combination of the two. The cargo bay will be taller and longer, and will be
able to contain more payload than initially imagined. This will increase the payload
capacity available for use. The plane will have four engines on each side of the wing
which will be inside of it used to propel the plane forward, and four engines (two on
each side) in the wings to act as downward pushing engines. This will assist them in
becoming airborne when it has heavy cargo loads. The plane will be able to service all
missions as it has a modular payload which can be configured to any mission. The
customer should not have any concerns about anything (except maybe price). There
will be crews both piloting in the air, assisting those on the ground at the scene of
disaster, and groups unloading the previous/preparing the next payloads (e.g.
restocking medical supplies, preparing, if necessary, refueling planes, refilling fire
retardant containers, etc.), who will switch out the used platforms with new ones to
quicken the speed of the turnaround time.

Automation:

The automated features of the aircraft will create a number of new capabilities. Those
included are, but are not limited to, a “parasite plane” launcher system, a security
“sentry mode,” an “automated fueling” capability to be able to fuel in the air, and an
emergency hovering maneuver, which automatically turns on when the altitude of the
plane is too low. Some of the most time-consuming activities can be solved in a very
short time by an automated system (need), which provides more time for the pilot and
crew to do what their job implies – help those on board (benefit). There will be rainy
day cases, and we will do our best to try and account for them. Among the sensors we
have a motion sensor, ultrasonic distance sensor, LED, LCD, buttons, etc., which will all
assist in preforming these automated tasks. For instance, in the automated fueling
system, a pilot had to manually direct the fueling link to make it join with the fueling
craft. Now, however, all he has to do is press a button, and the line comes out, the
piping hooks together, and the fuel gets replenished, all automatically.

25 See Appendix 8 for more information and images

Use Case Diagram

The users in the diagram will be the pilot/cockpit crew, the crew, the elements
(weather), the maintenance crews on the ground, the aid workers, the aid recipients,
and the animals. Each will have their own connecting uses.

Sequence Diagram:
We have two diagrams: one which Displays the so called “Sentry mode,” a security
feature that prevents unauthorized trespassers from entering, and another that assists
the pilot in deploying a fueling arm to be able to fuel in the air as well as in the ground,
expediting the turnaround process.

Sentry Mode (Diagram 1):

If the Pilot wants to use the Sentry mode, they would flip a switch turning on the
motion sensor. When motion is detected, an LED tuns on and the LCD shows where
the intrusion was.

Fueling Arm (Diagram 2):

This capability allows for the pilot to effortlessly connect to an in-flight aerial
tanker. The user, who in this case would be the pilot, would press a button depending
on the fueling arm, they want to use. This would unfold it. Then, automatically, it would
hook up with the fueling craft, and when the piping between them would be
interlocked, the plane would begin pumping fuel into our aircraft. While this would be
happening, an LED would turn on for each stage of the process and the LCD would
Diagram 1 (above) and Diagram 2 (below).

show which activity would be happening, so that even an amateur pilot with no
experience in in-flight fueling would be able to fuel with ease.

Activity Models:
Model 1 (sentry mode/automated refueling):

In this diagram we have two options: on which would be to use the automated
refueling capability, and the other would be to use the Sentry mode. As the Sentry
mode precedes the Automated refueling, this will be the first one talked about. If we
decide to use the sentry mode, it was not in use already, and the switch was activated,
then the motion sensors, when there is motion, would activate and LED to show that
there are intrusions and the LCD would show which motion sensor was activated (i.e.
where the motion was). The Automated refueling capability would show which switches
to activate, if necessary, and what they would do when activated. The series would
consist of six switches, one above the other, (i.e. one to deploy and one to retract) and
will be labeled for easy use.

Model 2 (parasite plane capability):

In this diagram we have options to engage parasite planes (parasite planes are small,
usually reconnaissance planes, launched in the air from a large mothership plane, and
usually have the capability to come back and land inside the plane. The four switches,
as in the previous example, have their own actions which, when used together,
successfully launch a plane.

Model 3 (emergency landing capability):

This diagram details the actions when either the plane cannot get into the air quickly
enough or it suddenly loses altitude and cannot recover quickly enough. While this
probably will never happen, it is still important to have a backup plan for a situation
such as this one. There are four situations, three in the air and one on the ground (to
account for abuse of the system), each of which have their proper, safe altitudes. When
activated, the ultrasonic sensor will measure the distance to the ground. If it is less
than the allowed height, it will signal with two LEDs to alert the pilot that the plane is
getting too low. It will then wait a few seconds and take another measurement. If in the
time between these measurements the Pilot has flown higher, than the previous
measurement, then one LED will turn off and the second when it gets to an appropriate
height. If the pilot has not flown higher between measurements, then the system will
take another height measurement and turn on another LED, this time, an orange one
(the first were yellows). If between these times the pilot still does not alter their height,
the system will turn on a final red LED and after a few seconds will take another height
reading. If the height is still lower than the previous, then, it will turn on the vertical
rotors and activate a single white light, signaling that the rotors are on. This will prevent
abuse of the systems and accidents which would otherwise have resulted in the lives
of the crew and passengers. If necessary, the plane will automatically land so that the
crew may service it if necessary (Another aspect, while not added, and would be
interesting to add, would be to modify the system and put them in certain places on
the aircraft e.g. top, wing tips, etc.).

Arduino:

The circuit is one that flashes lights at the tips of the the wings periodically when
turned on. This is usually used at night for the benefit of visibility for other pilots. The
code was found on arduino.cc and modified to better suit the needs of the problem.
The circuit will consist of the Arduino Uno, three LEDs, and a resistor. The only limiting
factor of this module will be the weather, which may limit the visibility of the other pilots
and prevent them from effectively viewing the safety lights.

FAT Testing:
The Tests done were for Fuel efficiency and Interchangeable ROC/Cruise speed. These are
both requirements and must be fulfilled.

Fuel efficiency:

Step Instructions Expected Requirement Pass/Fail

outcome
1 Set payload to 50,000 kn (max) Simulator will ✅
adjust
2 Read range ✅

3 Set payload to 25,000 kn (half) Range will be ✅

larger

4 Read range ✅

5 Set payload to 0 kn (none) Maximum range ✅

6 Read range VERIFY Req. 1

✅
Fuel efficiency/Maximal
range YES/NO

Interchangeable ROC/cruise speed for hovering/normal flying capabilities:

Step Instructions Expected Requirement Pass/Fail

outcome
1 Set number of motors to 8, read Simulator displays ✅
number on simulator value for regular
flight without
vertical jets
activated
2 Set number of motors to 12, Simulator displays ✅
read number on simulator value for regular
flight with vertical
jets activated
3 Set number of motors to 20, Simulator displays ✅
read number on simulator value for regular
flight with vertical
jets activated and
rockets engaged
4 Set number of motors to 0, read Simulator displays ✅
number on simulator value for
unengaged
engines.
Step Instructions Expected Requirement Pass/Fail
outcome
5 Compare simulator results Simulator results VERIFY Req. 2
✅
compared interchangeable ROC/
cruise speed for
hovering/normal flying
capabilities YES/NO

Conclusion:

While the Plane may be expensive, it is very capable of solving any disaster scenario. With the
revolutionary modular pallet system and the automation techniques, this plane is certainly
ready for anything that comes its way. With two decks, 12 engines, a launching system from
the top, and the iconic image of a flying wing, this plane will fight fires, rescue anyone, and
protect those who require assistance. This design is far from done, and it will take a lot of
developing to create something that will be able to function properly under the given
circumstances. There will need to be decisions on the interior machinery of the wings, the
types of aid given, and the potential buyer. There has already been an attempt on the types of
aid given, which will include all of the possible mission scenarios. To improve on the current
design we would suggest finding some small plane with medium range, various cargo
capacities, and small sizes to be able to fit the largest possible capacity. It would also be useful
to add a large cargo elevator between decks to bring cargo from the bay to load onto the
planes and a lounge underneath/behind the cockpit. While doing this project we learned very
much, and filled our engineering toolbox with the basics needed to imagine, design, and
engineer!

APPENDICES:

Appendix 1:

The platforms will contain objects needed for missions. See below for more.

Appendix 2:

Process of loading on air base:

1. Plane backs into hangar on base

2. Pallet loaders (either 2 or 4, we will be using four) arrive and take out the first few pallets all
together, placing them on pallet transporters which will take them away for replenishment

3. All old pallets on one side get moved to the other side and get taken down by two pallet
loaders, while the other two begin loading the new pallet loaders. Old pallets are taken
away and new, pre-prepared ones brought by other pallet transporters

4. When all pallets are put into the craft, doors close on bottom and top deck opens. Second
level of hangar slides into place next to aircraft door. Aircraft are pulled into the top deck
and secured. When all aircraft are secured, supplies are put into the lounge.

Appendix 3,4,5:

FIRE
Fire Retardant 15 lbs/gallon Measured in gallons

Aerial Water Bucket 100 lbs (empty weight) 8 feet long by 2 feet wide by 2
feet tall (when empty and
folded), 8 feet by 8 feet by 8
feet when filled

45100

48126

Tornado

Anderson Sling 250 3 feet by 3 feet by 3 feet

(collapsed)

Animal Cage (Lrg) 300 6 feet wide by 8 feet long by 7

feet tall

Animal Cage (Med) 150 4 feet wide by 6 feet long by 4

feet tall

Animal Cage (Sml) 15 2 feet wide by 2 feet long by 2

feet tall

715 17w x 19l x 16t

19133.5

22159

Hurricane

Food/water 'bundle' 900 4 feet wide by 4 feet long by 4

feet tall

Parachutes 25 Folded = 3 feet by 3 feet by 1

foot

7525 7w x 7l x 5h

10551

ZOMBIE

EEG Monitor Machine 220 width: 24 in. depth: 32.5 in

height 45.25 in

6820

3026

Earthquake
Bobcat T740 Compact Track 10,200 141.6L x 78W x 81.3H (in inches)
Loader

Bobcat HB180 Hammer Breaker 1,050 65 in long, 12 in diameter

Attachment

55 gallon fuel barrel (including 400 35 in tall, 24 in diameter

fuel)

18250 114w x 230.6l x 128.3h

98878

SYSTEMS USED ON ALL

FLIGHTS

Cable Pulley System 1,000 4 feet wide by 4 feet long

Rescue Basket 40 2 feet wide by 4 feet long by 4

feet tall

Plane Seat 80 1.5 feet wide by 2 feet long by 4

feet tall

Child Car Seat 18 1.5 feet wide by 1.5 feet wide by

2 feet tall

Drinking Water 45 lbs/5 gallon 1 foot wide by 2 feet tall by 1

foot long

Emergency Preparedness Kit 10 1 foot wide by 1.5 feet tall

First Aid Kit 3 1 foot wide by 1 foot long

Rescue Blankets 1.5 Pack = 1 foot by 1 foot (folded),

individually = 5 feet by 7 feet
when opened

Industrial Generator 1300 76.9L x 33.5W x 40.6H (in

inches)

Emergency Relief T ent 86 Folded = 3 feet by 1 foot by 1

foot

Shovel 8 1 foot wide by 4 feet long

Work gloves 0.5 N/A

Wheelbarrow 20 3 feet wide by 3 feet tall by 4

feet long

Portable Emergency Oxygen 5 .5 feet wide by 1 foot tall

Mask and Tank
 Evacuation Stretcher 5 6 feet long by 2 feet wide

Medical refrigerator 40 505*525*850

3026

Appendix 6:

Chord Length

Chord Length – Lift Chord Length – Lift/Drag

0.305 100
0.3 90
0.295 80
0.29 70
0.285 60
Lift

0.28 Lift 50
0.275 40
0.27 30
0.265 20
0.26 10
y = 0.0255x5 - 0.2971x4 + 1.3647x3 - 3.0702x2 + 3.3414x - 1.0991
0.255 0
y = -1.9472x 3 + 17.244x2 - 58.841x + 147.26
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5
Chord Chord

Figure 1. Chord Length to Lift Figure 2. Chord Length to Lift/Drag ratio

Figure 3. Chord (minimum) Figure 4. Chord (maximum)

Chord Lift/Drag Lift

1.5 91.295 0.3
1.6 89.18 0.298
1.7 87.534 0.293
1.8 85.798 0.289
1.9 84.456 0.285
2 82.988 0.282
2.1 81.626 0.279
 Chord Lift/Drag Lift
2.2 80.595 0.276
2.3 79.409 0.273
2.4 78.52 0.272
2.5 77.468 0.27
2.6 76.693 0.268
2.7 75.746 0.266
2.8 74.844 0.264
2.9 74.198 0.263
3 73.374 0.261

Table 1. Chord Length

The variables are related quadratically, such that as you increase the chord length, the
lift decreases. For the chord length we measured how the length of the wing
influences the lift and L/D ratio. We started at the minimum value, 1.5 m (Figure 3),
and ended with the maximum value of 3 m (Figure 4). The table (Table 1) shows the
data points. The graphs for the lift (Figure 1) showed a steeper decline than the graphs
for the L/D ratio (Figure 2). In Figures 1 and 2 the values of L/D ratio points are read
by looking at the chord length at the x-axis and the lift on the y-axis.

Thickness to Chord Ratio

Thickness to Chord Ratio Thickness

Thickness to Chord
to Chord Ratio
ratio
160 160
160
140 y = 103.02x4 - 304.68x3 + 370.46x2 - 264.41x + 145.57 140 y = 103.02x4 - 304.68x3 + 370.46x2 - 264.41x + 145.57
Lift Lift/Drag Lift/Drag
Lift/Drag

140
120 120
120
100 100
80 100
80
60 60
80
40 40
60
20 20
Lift

40
0 0
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.2 20 0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.2
y = 103.02x4 - 304.68x3 + 370.46x2 - 264.41x + 145.57
Th/Ch rat. 0 Th/Ch rat.
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.2

Lift/Drag Lift Thickness to Chord

Lift/Drag Lift/Drag ratio
Lift

Figure 5. Thickness to Chord ratio - Lift Figure 6. Thickness to Chord ratio

 Figure 7. Minimum Th/Ch ratio Figure 8. – Maximum Th/Ch ratio

Th/Ch ratio Lift/Drag Lift

0 145.721 0.303
0.1 122.218 0.303
0.2 105.243 0.303
0.3 92.409 0.303
0.4 82.364 0.303
0.5 74.289 0.303
0.6 67.656 0.303
0.7 62.111 0.303
0.8 57.405 0.303
0.9 53.363 0.303
1 49.852 0.303

Table 2. – Thickness to Chord Ratio

The variables are related quadratically, such that as you increase the Th/Ch ratio, the
lift decreases. For the Th/Ch ratio we measured how the thickness of the wing affects
the lift and L/D ratio. We started with the minimum ratio, 0 (Figure 7) and ended with
the maximum, 1 (Figure 8). There are two graphs (Figures 5,6), one of which has two
sets of data points (Figure 5), the blue ones being the L/D ratio values, and the orange
ones being the lift, which remains constant at approximately 0.303. The other (Figure 6)
only shows the relationship between the L/D ratio (y-axis) and the Th/Ch ratio (x-axis).
The table (Table 2) shows the data points.

Camber

Camber Camber
160 160 y = -368229x4 + 192741x3 - 35919x2 + 2503.9x + 76.95
140 140

Lift Lift/Drag
120
120
100
100 80
Lift/Drag

80 60
60
40
20
40 0
20 0 0.02 0.04 0.06 0.08 0.1 0.12
y = -368229x4 + 192741x3 - 35919x2 + 2503.9x + 76.95
0 Camber
0 0.02 0.04 0.06 0.08 0.1 0.12
Camber

Lift/Drag Lift

Figure 9. – Camber Figure 10. – Camber with lift

Figure 11. – Minimum Camber Figure 12. – Maximum Camber

Camber Lift/Drag Lift

0 76.954 0.219
0.02 114.124 0.387
0.04 131.071 0.554
0.06 134.698 0.722
0.08 131.006 0.89
0.1 124.07 1.057

Table 3. – Camber

The variables are related quadratically such that as you increase the camber, the lift
increases to a certain point and then begins to drop back down. For the camber, we
measured the angle with which the wing bends and how it affects the lift and L/D
ratio. The measurements started with the minimum (Figure 11), which was 0º, and
proceeded to the maximum, which was 0.1º (Figure 12), using 0.02º increments. The
table (Table 3) shows the data points. The two graphs (Figures 9,10) both show
camber, but one of them includes lift (Figure 10) while the other does not (Figure 9).

Appendix 7:

Not all designs are included.

Appendix 8:

fig1 Front view

Fig 2 top view

fig.3 Back view

fig.4 Side view

Fig.5 Enlarged view of front with cockpit visible

Appendix 9:

The simulators used were the Zhukovsky simulators and wing spar design simulators.

Appendix 10:

Automations were done in the Arduino Language on tinkerkad.com. The work is in the
public domain.

Appendix 11:

FAT procedures were passed and done correctly.

FINANCIAL ANALYSIS

OEW: 876.630kn

Range: 357,610.1-2,031,914.6

Endurance: 60.69-2007.42

Fuel capacity: 1.5*10^6

Initial Cost: 876.63/6.3 = $139.14 million

2 major disasters per year (15 weeks)

12 other disasters per year (1.5 weeks)

Entire usable number of weeks in the year 48

Interest rate = 8%

4 flight time + 3 hours ground time

2 “trips” per day (2 x 4666 km)

(4666 km/trip)(2 trips/day)(7days/wk)(18 wks/yr)=1,175,832 km/yr

Lifespan - 63.5 million km

Assistance Trips

1000 km round trip

6 trips/day

(1000km/trip)(6trips/day)(7days/wk)(30wks/yr)=1,260,000 km/yr

Total distance per year: 1.20M+ 1.26M=2.46M km

(63.5 million km)/(2.46 million km per yr)= about 25 years

Fuel cost per year

Disaster

(18 wks/yr)(7d/wk)(2trips/d)(269 kN)($54.76/kN)=$3.7 M/yr

Assistance

(30 wks/yr)(7days/wk)(6trip/day)(1000 km/trip)/ (4666 km/tank)(269 kN)($54.76

KN)=$3.98M/year

Total fuel costs per year

$3.7M + $3.98M= about 7.68M per year

OMR and Payload Costs

Operation, maintenance and repair (OMR)

12 engines ($0.35m/yr x 12)

Pilot and Crew ($0.2M/yr)

Total: $7.7M/yr

Total Payload Costs ($ 7.9/yr)

Total: $31m/yr

Resale benefit : $3.3m

(5% of the initial cost) $3.05m

LTW and ROI:

Present value of all costs: $433.3M

Present value of all benefits: $623.1M

Evaluating my project

Lifetime worth (LTW)

$623.1M - $433.3M = $198.8m

Return on investment (ROI)

$198.8M / $31M = 6.38 = 638%