Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present the process of design and prototyping of a two-seat, electric-powered, self-launching motorglider AOS-71 closely connected with the teaching process conducted by the academic staff of Warsaw University of Technology (WUT) within a unique educational ULS – Ultra Light Sailplanes programme. Design/methodology/approach The selected design methods and tools used during the development of the motorglider have been described. The computer aided design/computer aided manufacturing modules of the Siemens NX software were used to work on the structural design, tools and technical documentation. The core of the ULS educational programme is to educate aerospace engineering students by providing an opportunity for them to participate in each phase of the aircraft life cycle – from conceptual drawings through structural design and prototyping to manufacturing, testing and maintenance. Findings The main innovations of the AOS-71 design are: retractable ecological electric propulsion, spacious cockpit where seats are located side by side and the all-composite airframe made of 90 per cent advanced carbon epoxy composites. Practical implications The electric motorglider can be used as a multifunctional flying laboratory for flight research and student education. Originality/value The AOS-71 project and its continuation are a valuable example of involving aerospace students in each phase of the aircraft life cycle. It also contributes to the research in the field of using innovative electrical propulsion systems in aircraft designs.

Means of in-plane loading of thin laminates with concentrated loads are of high practical importance. The purpose of this work was to investigate experimentally and numerically the mechanism of load transfer, load capacity, damage and associated failure modes of a specific, mechanical lock joint intended for in-plane loading of thin laminate plates with concentrated loads. The experimental investigations were carried out with the digital image corelation (DIC) and computed tomography (CT), and numerical ones with the help of a non-linear FE modelling, accounting for progressive damage. For this purpose, a special algorithm was developed accounting for a continuous degradation of the stiffness moduli of the laminate with strains according to the custom defined degradation law. Due to the specific design, the joint loaded a laminate plate with its front and rear parts, unlike a typical bolt joint transferring a load only by contact pressure developed at the front side of a bolt. Due to this feature, the load capacity of the joint was almost two times higher than that of a typical bolt joint of the same relevant dimensions.