Organized annually by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), the Aero Design competitions are among the most spectacular of their kind. The participating radio-controlled aircraft, designed and fabricated entirely by student teams in keeping with strict parameters, must be able to carry three to four times their own weight and fly once around a track bearing their load.

Early in the competition, the Polytechnique team earned top marks for its design report and oral presentation (47/50 and 41.5/50), placing it sixth in the standings before its plane, Atlas, had even lifted off the ground. After receiving corrections to the report and following a noontime presentation to the Lockheed Martin judges on Friday, the team headed to the airfield to conduct the test flights. According to veteran pilot Claude Vallières, Atlas appeared to have "excellent stability and controllability."

However, things took a turn for the worse when radio communications between the aircraft and the control surface failed, sending Atlas into an irretrievable nosedive. Ruling out the newly charged battery as a possible cause, the Avion-Cargo crew struggled to get to the root of the problem and give the plane a second flight. Ultimately unable to identify the electrical component that had caused the failure, they were forced to refit Atlas from tip to tail. They worked flat-out for a marathon 36 hours -- and under somewhat improvised conditions -- to equip Atlas with a new servo system, wiring, control surface, receiver and switch, and even managed to rebuild the tail, fuselage and wing.

Their efforts paid off ... to an extent. Repairing Atlas in time for the competition's final three rounds on Sunday, the Polytechnique team was able to stage a surprise comeback. However, Atlas' first flight, carrying a 22-lb. payload, ended disappointingly: damage to the wing sustained in Friday's accident was so severe that the plane's aerodynamic performance and manoeuvrability were compromised. Atlas finished 19th with no flights completed.

Nonetheless, the team remains optimistic. Avion-Cargo has now set its sights on Aero Design East, where it will compete on April 28 with every intention of delivering a top-flight performance and defending the honour of Atlas.

Full competition rankings:
http://forums.sae.org/access/dispatch.cgi/aerodesign_pf/showFile/102589/d20110322105701/No/1_REGULAR_Round_9.html