This content is not included in
your SAE MOBILUS subscription, or you are not logged in.
Engineering Design of Starcar 3
Annotation ability available
Sector:
Language:
English
Abstract
Starcar 3 is being designed at The University of Arizona as a platform to demonstrate technologies important to the future of personal aviation. Among them are the Global Positioning System for precision guidance and control, automobile engines for propulsion, structural methods compatible with comfort and safety, and vehicle transformation to combine the benefits of automobiles and airplanes.
Starcar 3 is a system of three modules: road module, passenger module, and sky module. The passenger and road modules together form a good automobile, and the passenger and sky modules together are a good airplane. This paper describes the road module, passenger module structure, rear suspension, sky module propulsion, and sky module structure.
The road module presently is based on a Honda 1.6 liter engine mounted transversely for front-wheel drive. The sky module structure includes a composite aeroshell and a welded aluminum tube frame, built upon a base frame that ensures torsional stiffness on the road. The sky module structure is a graphite-epoxy composite, and the propulsion system is built around a Chevrolet 90° V6 engine with an odd-fire crankshaft. The drive train is designed to abate torsional vibrations.
Starcar 3 as an airplane has an estimated gross weight of 2,190 lbs. The predicted top speed is 236 mph. At an altitude of 8,000 ft and speed of 200 mph, the fuel flow rate is 9.2 gph, and the fuel economy is 21.6 mpg.
Authors
Citation
Crow, S., "Engineering Design of Starcar 3," SAE Technical Paper 932602, 1993, https://doi.org/10.4271/932602.Also In
References
- Cox J. “Aerocar, Molt Taylor's Quest for a More Useful Airplane,” Sport Aviation 39 1 11 21 January 1990
- Crow S. C. “Starcar Design and GPS Control,” SAE Technical Paper Series 921569 SAE International Future Transportation Technology Conference and Exposition August 1992
- Crow S. C. “Back to the Future of Personal Aviation,” SAE Technical Paper Series 901990 SAE International Aerospace Technology Conference and Exposition October 1990
- Crow S. C. “Differential GPS Control of Starcar 2,” NAVIGATION: Journal of the Institute of Navigation 39 4 383 405 Winter 1992-93
- Crow S. C. “Conceptual Design of a Starcar,” SAE Technical Paper Series 911021 SAE International General, Corporate, and Regional Aviation Meeting and Exposition April 1991
- Moll N. “Tale of 200 Horses: the Tobago XL,” Flying 120 8 64 71 August 1993
- Fenton J. Vehicle Body Layout and Analysis 7 Mechanical Engineering Publications Ltd. London 1980
- Lambert M. Jane's All the World's Aircraft, 1992-93 154 155 339 340 Jane's Information Group Ltd. Surrey, England 1992
- Goldsworthy B. “The Convair Flying Automobile,” SAE Technical Paper Series 921566 SAE International Future Transportation Technology Conference and Exposition August 1992
- Barker R. Harding A. Automobile Design: Twelve Great Designers and Their Work 2nd 115 140 167 197 Society of Automotive Engineers, Inc. Warrendale, Pennsylvania 1992
- Crombac G. Lotus Esprit 57 60 Automobilia Milan, Italy 1991
- Casucci P. Ferrari F40 62 63 Automobilia Milan, Italy 1988
- Gillespie T. D. Fundamentals of Vehicle Dynamics 259 261 309 317 Society of Automotive Engineers, Inc. Warrendale, Pennsylvania 1992
- Currey N. S. Aircraft Landing Gear Design: Principles and Practices 94 120 American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc. Washington, D.C. 1988
- Citroen Cars Ltd. Citroen 19-20-21-23 Owners Workshop Manual 29 44 Brooklands Book Distribution Ltd. Cobham, Surrey, England 1991
- Hoerner H. F. Fluid-Dynamic Drag 6 18 Hoerner Fluid Dynamics Brick Town, New Jersey 1965
- Garrison P. “Weighing Tail Prop Planform,” Flying 120 1 86 87 January 1993
- Norris J. Bauer A. B. “Zero-Thrust Glide Testing for Drag and Propulsive Efficiency of Propeller Aircraft,” Journal of Aircraft 30 4 505 511 July-August 1993
- Finch R. Converting Auto Engines for Experimental Aircraft Finch Books Santa Barbara, California 1992
- General Motors General Motors Performance Parts Catalog 58 65 General Motors Corporation Detroit, Michigan 1992
- Hessenaur D. P. “Propeller Drive Systems and Torsional Vibration,” Contact! 9 2 11 July-August 1992
- Abbott I. H. Von Doenhoff A. E. Theory of Wing Sections 437 627 Dover Publications New York 1959
- Aviation Week Staff “Specifications, U. S. Reciprocating Engines,” Aviation Week & Space Technology 136 11 112 113 March 1992