GNAT - Trainer

The Gnat is a trainer-style aircraft designed for participating in the aeroprix competition, hosted by NIT Rourkela as part of their tech fest Innovision. Three key parameters were considered during its design: endurance, manoeuvrability, and thrust loading.

With a maximum power setting, TWR=0.56. Gnat cruises at 30% of max power, allowing it to extend its flight time up to 15 minutes, which is 50% more than the requirements stated in the RFP. The aircraft is incredibly light, with a wing loading of 11.758 ounces/ft^2, which enhances its ability to turn at high speeds and maintain a small turning radius. However, the design has a shortfall in slow-speed manoeuvrability. As the speed decreases and the angle of attack increases, the wing generates more drag and the motor is unable to sustain flight, leading to a power-on stall that must be recovered by decreasing the angle of attack.

The name "Gnat" was chosen for the aircraft, as the legendary Folland Gnat also had a thrust-to-weight ratio of 0.56 for a clean takeoff.