Most trailers can carry only objects shorter then 20 feet. This 20 foot transport limit is based on some past practical considerations. In the past, most HPA wings are constructed with five or six panels. The maximum single panel size being 20 feet. We get that size because at one time wings were constructed on top of 20-foot tubes. First the tubes as the actual structural members and then later, aluminum tubes used as mandrels for making carbon tubes for the spars.

Anyone experienced with HPAs knows just how difficult it is to move the airplanes safely. The airplanes are fragile beyond belief. Every time the airplane is moved it sustains some level of damage. I mean it, "EVERYTIME THE AIRPLANE IS MOVED, IT SUSTAINS DAMAGE!" A careless bump, someone grabbing the airplane where it shouldn't be grabbed, someone resting a tool or placing a hand on a skin panel, pushing, pulling, tugging. And every time there is damage, the airplane must be repaired. And with every repair, the airplane becomes a little heavier and a little slower. The ground crew inflicts the majority of damage done to any HPA.

Loading the airplane isn't too bad. You've got an experienced crew who's put hours of work into the airplane. They carefully place the airplane into the trailer. The first set of panels goes in leading edge down with the upper surface resting against the side of the trailer. The wings are protected with a blanket and secured with bungee cords. The second set of wings goes in, the lower surface resting against the lower surface of the first set. The second set is then covered with a blanket and secured. The third set goes in similarly. Next comes the rudder and elevator. The rudder goes on one side and the elevator on the other. Those are then secured. Now in the middle of that goes the fuselage and under the fuselage, the tail boom. The propeller blades are wrapped up in towels and slipped somewhere in there between the fuselage, tail boom, rudder, and elevator. That's it for the controlled packing. The final bit of packing consists of piling anything and everything that you just might possibly need out on site into what ever space is remaining. Toolboxes, wire, cable, clamps, 3 kinds of glue, flashlights, tape, you name it, and we pack it. We once had to cancel a flight test for lack of screwdriver. The trailer is then closed up and stored as we wait for acceptable test conditions. Acceptable test conditions being favorable weather and finding enough ground crew members.

The move from the storage area to the test area isn't without its safety concerns. Every time the trailer hits a bump, a curb, or a pothole it lurches and there's the possibility of damage. Something always seems to come loose inside the trailer and starts bouncing around. I tell you, it's a real sinking feeling sometimes to open up the back of the trailer and see a damaged airplane.

And then…...

You get the trailer on site and begin to organize the volunteers who have shown up. This is the first time that half of them have ever seen an HPA much less handled one. You give a quick lecture about being extremely careful when handling the airplane and apologize in advance for anything you may say to someone while under the stress of the moment. You end up pairing each inexperienced volunteer with someone with more experience. The trailer is opened and unloading begins. The pieces come out of the trailer in the reverse order. Now, where do you put the pieces as you take them out of the trailer? Well, you walk them clear of the trailer, find an open spot, and just lay them on the ground. As more and more pieces are removed from the trailer, the ground around the trailer becomes quite cluttered with the various airplane parts. And still more parts are coming out of the trailer. You've got a mix of experienced and inexperienced volunteers, half of them walking backwards through a maze of parts. It becomes a challenge to organize everything. The then strange and unusual people start showing up. People with cameras looking for the perfect shot from the perfect location somewhere between the parts. Then there are the permissive parents with curious kids and the bored kids with curious parents. There's obligatory retired aerospace engineer who stops by and starts telling you how to redesign the airplane to get it right. And then god forbid, an unleashed dog is running loose.

Somewhere, sometime during the unpacking process, the airplane starts being put together. So we've got pieces coming out of the trailer and being placed on the ground, we've got other pieces being picked up off the ground and carried to the airplane as it comes together. We've got curious spectators and the helpful incompetent. Sometimes it's a wonder the airplanes even survive the unpacking and assembly.

Anyway, the point here is that the RAVEN project isn't just an airplane; it's a complete system. The airplane must be transported or stored safely. Trailer design requirements were established before the airplane design was finalized.

The Trailer Team
From our pool of industry professionals we were able to recruit a team leader for building the trailer. Tom Moran, a design engineer with PACCAR in Mt. Vernon, Washington. PACCAR is the parent company of Kenworth Trucks……. Tom recruited two fellow PACCAR employees, Ben Hummel, and John Luoma to work with the students.

Our next task was to recruit a design team from the student population at the University of Washington. It turns out that every year, the students in this class must do a project. During the first week of the class, industry representatives come into the class room and present potential projects for the students to work on. The students then choose a project from the presentations, form a team, and accept the project as their class assignment. The students course grade will be based on their ability to deliver on the project & course requirements.

Here is the list of trailer requirements:

Six students stepped up to the challenge: Carlo Collodi, Dustin Green, John Moselage,Clayton Mosher and Arif Samad.

The students had a lot of ideas, too many to fit into any one design. So we suggested that the students divide into 3 design teams. Each design team would take two weeks and develop a configuration concept to sufficient detail that the team leaders could decide which design best met the requirements.