Winners (click the pic for more pics)
By Steve Manganelli
June 12th, 2026 marked the 4th year SEFSD hosted Dr. John Huang’s University of California San Diego’s (UCSD), capstone design class competition for now graduated Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering students. Early in the academic quarter, (7) teams of 4 to 6 students were provided a proscribed electric R/C model power system consisting of 3S1800 Lipos, an appropriate ESC and small outrunner motor. They were provided receivers, economical servos and transmitters that are reused year to year. The rest of the aircraft design/development is up to them! The aim for the competition is carrying a combination of in-flight deployed low density cargo (cardboard box) and high density cargo (tire weights) around the pattern. The day students were provided equipment and fabrication actually began, I provided a lecture entitled “Prafalls of R/C Model Design” in attempt to curtail the foibles of models brought to previous competitions. Foibles happened anyway!
The most important elements of the competition were my SEFSD volunteer test pilots without whom none of the flying (and crashing) would have taken place. Many thanks to SEFSD member and Weedwacker Officer Keith Miller, our own Dennis LaBerge and most gracious George Harper whom took time off work to support the effort. Thanks much gents. Each pilot bet their fortunes on the success of one or two of the teams. I also want to give a shout out to our diligent photographer Frank Sutton whom camped out at the East end of the runway all by his lonesome and to UCSD’s lab manager Paul Arcoleo whom supported the on-campus fabrication efforts and proctored the competition on the field.
Three of the teams had their models “ready” a week and a half before the competition and arranged for me to test fly them in advance. I spent at least an hour recommending and then implementing remedial repairs before any of them were ready to fly. Everything from horrible hinge lines, backwards controls, aft C.G. , excessive control throws needed to be mitigated. Eventually they all flew, one of them the ultimate winner of the competition proving planning is good. One technically is still flying as it’s flexible tailbooms did not allow enough downforce to climb and we only achieved enough altitude to plow into one of the palm tress adjoining the sidewalk! Hats off to them for building a complete new airplane in just a week and half. The other (4) teams made their first flights at the competition.
Two deltas made up the most interesting models. One student leader assured me his design could fly on 2/3rds throttle and his team should win the competition due to the enormous size of the low density payload. However, it had neither a rudder nor steerable nose gear so it did a lot of ground loops in my piloting hands! After spending most of the competition time trying to fit a rudder and Nosewheel Steering, they opted to change pilots and Keith Miller got it into air and almost made it around the pattern! The other delta also lacked ground steering and the nose gear did not fare well in our loose dirt surface. Our intention was to try one more ROG and then hand launch it, but the nose/motor mount collapsed on that last ROG attempt then the whistle blew ending the competition at the proscribed time. While the ill prepared teams made remedial repairs, the prepared teams added more and more payload for higher scores. Simple and robust usually wins! Certificates were handed out for best this and best that along with the highest payload value ending another year of SEFSD supporting our academic Aerospace Engineering community. The after-picture shows Dennis’s hat, 2nd from right and Keith Miller, tall hat in about the middle. Dr. Huang is at right.
Group Before
Group Awards
High AR Delta
Huge Box Delta
Palm Tree Group
