From Ground to Sky: Build a Real Aircraft | MOS S6 Open Recruitment!

As kids, we folded our first “airplane” from a sheet of paper. This time, join InHub’s 8-day aerospace engineering practice challenge — and turn a paper plane into a real aircraft. In Makers On-Site Session 6, you will start from aerodynamics, aircraft design, and engineering manufacturing to complete the design, fabrication, testing, and maiden flight of a radio-controlled aircraft. 8 days of on-site studio · 7 weeks in total · 300+ hours.

Makers On-Site: Co-Create Series Session 6 — Aircraft from Scratch (Aircraft Design & Fabrication Workshop). This seven-week interdisciplinary workshop is now open for registration to all DKUers!

From Flight Principles to Real Manufacturing

An aircraft is a complex systems-engineering effort: aerodynamic layout, structural strength, weight and center of gravity, power system, control mechanisms, and flight-control systems are all interrelated. You will learn:

• 01 Aerodynamics & Flight Principles — lift, drag, airfoils, angle of attack, airflow;

• 02 Aerodynamic Design — modeling, sample fabrication, wind-tunnel testing;

• 03 Structural Manufacturing — weight, center-of-gravity, and load requirements;

• 04 Power & Flight Control — motors, servos, remote control, ground debugging;

• 05 Testing & Iteration — wind-tunnel, static, and flight tests.

It All Starts with a Wind Tunnel

You will take part in designing, building, and debugging a low-speed experimental wind tunnel — a planned long-term Innovation Hub facility (target wind speed about 30–50 m/s, over 1 hour of continuous operation). You will learn wind-tunnel structure and principles, wind-speed/airflow-stability testing, aerodynamic-model mounting and experimental methods, and applying wind-tunnel data to aircraft design.

Event Information

• Guest Mentor: Melon — Co-founder & CTO of HappyPower;

• Studio Phase: Oct 16–17, Oct 23–24, Oct 30–31, Nov 27;

• Build Week (online mentor Q&A): Nov 1 – Nov 26;

• Final Showcase: Nov 28;

• Class time: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM;

• Location: LIB 1030;

• Registration: https://duke.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_7TLIHLSKURCESKG (QR in the images below);

• Quota: only 30 spots; open to all DKU students.

Course Schedule — Building an Aircraft in 8 Days

• Day 1 — Flight Principles & Wind Tunnel: fluid mechanics and flight principles; wind-tunnel principles and methods; join the experimental wind-tunnel design & build;

• Day 2 — Wind Tunnel & Structural Testing: assembly, debugging, airflow tests; static-testing principles; build the structural static-test rig;

• Day 3 — Overall Design: layout, dimensions, weight & CG, materials, technical route; deliver the overall design proposal and technical documents;

• Day 4 — Aerodynamic Design: Rhino modeling of wings/tail; wind-tunnel data; iterate layout, fix parameters;

• Day 5 — Structural Design: fuselage, wing joints, tail structure; prototypes + static tests; optimize and finalize;

• Day 6 — Power & Flight Control: motors, servos, controls, remote system; “Iron Bird” ground test platform; EMI control; flight-control debugging; prototype assembly;

• Day 7 — Ground Testing & Test Flight: pre-flight checks; takeoff, attitude stability, control response, power performance; parameter adjustments;

• Day 8 — Flight Demonstration & Project Report: deliverables — flyable prototype × technical documentation × flight-test results.

What Do You Need to Prepare?

Team engineering challenge: ideally 3–5 members with hands-on/engineering foundation. Recommended skills: machining (hand drills, angle grinders); 3D modeling (Rhino basics); electronics (board soldering, basic circuits). Not yet skilled but strongly motivated? Come to Innovation Hub — we will help you grow. Teammates wanted: scan the team-up QR code in the images below (join the group first, form a team, then apply — joining the group does NOT mean admission).

What You Will Complete in the End

A flyable unmanned aircraft — working with the key technologies of aerospace engineering: Aerodynamics × Structural Design × Manufacturing × Power Systems × Flight Control & Experimental Testing.

Participation Commitment

Makers On-Site is a studio-practice-centered program. Only full participation earns the official workshop certificate.

Innovation Hub Website: https://ine.dukekunshan.edu.cn/innovation-lab/overview/ | Previous MOS Projects: https://ine.dukekunshan.edu.cn/innovation-lab/inhub-projects/