UTAT Aircraft Design
UTAT Aircraft Design
University of Toronto Aerospace Team
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Co-led the redesign of the main landing gear, evaluating wheel placement, ground stability, structural loading, wing-spar clearance, and weight constraints to improve takeoff and landing performance. Contributed to research and development efforts involving landing-gear configuration, structural concepts, material selection, and manufacturability to support future design decisions.
Co-led the redesign of the main landing gear, evaluating wheel placement, ground stability, structural loading, wing-spar clearance, and weight constraints to improve takeoff and landing performance. Contributed to research and development efforts involving landing-gear configuration, structural concepts, material selection, and manufacturability to support future design decisions.
Assessed load transfer into the fuselage and considered lightweight carbon-fibre construction to support a strong and efficient airframe. Also designed a 3D-printed fuselage connector with integrated landing-gear channels and mounting features to improve alignment, simplify assembly, and securely constrain the gear under landing loads.
Assessed load transfer into the fuselage and considered lightweight carbon-fibre construction to support a strong and efficient airframe. Also designed a 3D-printed fuselage connector with integrated landing-gear channels and mounting features to improve alignment, simplify assembly, and securely constrain the gear under landing loads.
My experience with UTAT has given me the opportunity to apply mechanical design concepts to a real aircraft system. I have been involved in the redesign of the main landing gear for an autonomous aircraft, considering factors such as ground stability, structural loading, wheel positioning, wing-spar clearance, weight, and how loads are transferred into the fuselage.
Through this project, I have also developed a stronger understanding of lightweight structural design. I used SOLIDWORKS to develop and refine concepts, evaluate landing-gear geometry and load paths, and ultimately design a lightweight fuselage connector with integrated landing-gear mounting features.
The design went through several iterations as unexpected constraints and integration issues arose, requiring us to revisit dimensions, interfaces, and mounting geometry. We also coordinated closely with other subteams and waited for their respective portions of the aircraft design to be finalized before locking in our own geometry.
This experience taught me the importance of flexibility, communication, and iterative problem-solving when collaborating with other subteams to verify geometry, structural performance, and manufacturability, ensuring our components integrate successfully with the rest of the aircraft.
Going forward, I am especially excited to continue taking the design beyond CAD and analysis into prototyping, manufacturing, and physical testing. I want to see how the components perform once they are produced, compare real behaviour against our design assumptions, and use those results to further refine the aircraft. I am also looking forward to learning more about composite structures, aircraft loads, and the broader process of designing and validating lightweight aerospace systems.
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