09 November 2020

Have you ever dreamt of building your own aircraft? That’s exactly what students taking the master’s programme in aeronautical engineering have been doing for the past seven weeks. Well – in any case – they’ve been building a remote-controlled prototype of an aircraft.

two model airplanes built by students at Linköping University
Photographer: Teiksma Buseva

On a misty October morning, we meet 29 students gathered on an airfield outside Linköping. Together with teacher David Lundström, they are here to test the planes they have built. Some students have been working up to the last minute, fine-tuning their model far into the night. We can feel excitement and nervousness in the air.

Prototype Realization is a project-based course during which master’s students are tasked with building a remote-controlled prototype of an aircraft. It is a direct continuation of a course in Aircraft Conceptual Design in which they carried out the fundamental design and analysis of their craft.

Video

David Lundström is course supervisor and describes how the course links theory and practical work.

“It’s one thing to draw up a conceptual design that looks good on the drawing board. It’s much more challenging to get it to fly. Our students find this out for themselves on this course.”

The students received seven weeks and around 2000 Swedish kronor to build the aircraft. Working under restrictions of both time and money is useful training for their future careers as engineers. The students also learn about working with modern prototyping tools, such as 3D printing, CNC machining and laser cutting.

Translation: George Farrants

Student stories

Read more about Master's Programme Aeronautical Engineering

Latest news from LiU

Claudia Tazreiter discusses her work.

From Europe to Australia and back

As a child in the 1970s, Claudia Tazreiter emigrated from Austria to Australia with her family. For more than three years now, she has been back in Europe. Now as a professor at LiU. It is not a coincidence that migration is her field of study.

Increase in program applications at LiU

When the application for the autumn semester closed, 411,200 people had submitted at least one application. At LiU, the number of applicants to programs increased by three percent.

Anders Persson in front of X-ray image

Images of a heartbeat can save lives

Researchers at LiU have developed a new method for rapid and safe diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases. Once fully developed, the method will be able to save lives, reduce suffering and save money worldwide.