Under the supervision and mentorship of Dr. Chandra Shekhar Prasad from Department of Dynamics and Vibration of the Institute of Thermomechanics three senior high-school students have completed their one-year internship project in aerospace/aeronautics under Otevřená věda 2023, a programme of scientific internships for talented high-school students held at top institutes of the Czech Academy of Sciences under the direct supervision of scientists. Their topic was “Multi-role aircraft design methodologies and principles”. The project was based on a visionary approach aimed to integrate cutting-edge flight physics into the design process. The students had a chance to familiarize themselves with aerodynamics of flight physics and core principles of aircraft design including programming and harnessing computational tools to simulate and analyze complex aerodynamic flows and aerostructures.
The students’ curriculum included hands-on experience in computer-aided design (CAD), 3D printing, empowering students to translate theoretical knowledge into tangible prototypes. Understanding the significance of composite materials in modern aviation, they explored the art of composite manufacturing, learning the techniques pivotal in crafting lightweight yet robust aircraft components. To further verify their learning, the students were lead by their mentor to design, build and flight test a folding wing multi role UAV as shown in the photograph.
The students presented their project at the Open Science Student Conference, which took place on 22-24 November 2023 in Prague.