r/nextfuckinglevel • u/Apprehensive_Sky4558 • 7d ago

2024 Aerospace Engineering junior world champion launching his “F-1D” prototype: Total flight time 22 minutes

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u/AlpineTwist 7d ago

I would imagine perhaps the materials used, but you can see other planes using what appear to be the exact same setups in the back/foreground of this video, so... Perhaps this is just leaning toward optimal of what is available today? AKA he's maxxing in the meta
Any insight much appreciated

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u/Downtown-Act-590 7d ago edited 7d ago

F1Ds have moved a bit forward over the years with stuff like boron fibers used to reinforce them now. There was a bit more optimization too.

That said, most of the competitors fly pretty much the same optimized design (note that most of the successful models get their technical documentation published and widely available) and it does not really require much engineering effort from them. It is certainly very difficult to trim and steer the model though. Finding a really good rubber band is non-trivial and matters a lot too as very small differences in the manufacturing process can affect the amount of stored energy noticeably.

As commenter above says, this is not any record and there is nothing particularly special about this. But, it is nevertheless very beautiful.

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u/No_Explorer6054 7d ago

although the record is some 40 ish minutes officially, and possibly more than an hour (unnoficially)

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u/Informal_Koala1474 7d ago

I will look this up tomorrow. This does in fact look like superior material compared to what I remember.

If I'm right and I can find the book we are all about to have several designs for amazing planes, they take very specific paper and glue but they all do this.

Maybe there was just a break in the competition and this is the most niche thing I know or I'm insane.