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Ultralight Project

Abstract Driven by a commitment to innovation and sustainability, our undergraduate team combined hands-on engineering, computational modeling, and experimental testing to become the first in the world to successfully design, build, and fly a manned electric ultralight aircraft. As one of the last major modes of transportation to electrify, aviation is on the verge of transformation: we aim to be at the forefront of that change. This project focused on rethinking flight from the ground up by developing a lightweight, battery-powered propulsion system integrated into an ultralight airframe. Over the course of a year, we applied principles from aerodynamics, electrical and mechanical engineering, and systems integration to tackle a plethora of challenges. Notably, weight optimization, motor selection, battery safety, and structural integrity were the driving engineering factors throughout the process. Exercising iterative design, rapid prototyping and physical testing, we completed a fully functional aircraft capable of safe, sustained, and emissions-free flight. Our efforts demonstrate not only the feasibility of electric ultralight aviation, but the capacity of undergraduate engineering teams to drive meaningful innovation in sustainable transportation. We hope to act as a catalyst of inspiration for others tackling large projects, and for the aviation industry to adopt this rapidly growing technology.

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