File:20250513 BeePlane EstacaBDX3A Soutenance.pdf

The Bee-Plane Final Presentation (May 2025) is a comprehensive student-led engineering and communication report detailing the development, evaluation, and positioning of the Bee-Plane concept, a modular medium-haul aircraft featuring a detachable fuselage (“basket”) attached to a flying platform (“bee”). The document outlines the collaborative nature of the project across multiple academic teams and disciplines, including aerodynamics, structures, propulsion, and communication, while presenting technical estimations derived from comparative analyses of over 100 existing aircraft. Key aircraft characteristics such as maximum takeoff weight (approximately 122 tons), power requirements, and structural mass breakdown are extrapolated using trend-based methods. The report also includes design considerations (wing structure, landing gear, propulsion systems), modular configurations (passenger, cargo, medical, military), and innovative attachment mechanisms (e.g., twist-lock systems). Operational analyses are conducted through case studies such as the Paris–Nice route, highlighting turnaround time reductions and logistical advantages. Additionally, the document evaluates economic viability, maintenance planning, and market competitiveness against aircraft like the A220, identifying both opportunities (notably with open-rotor configurations) and limitations (capacity mismatch for short-haul routes). The presentation concludes with insights from industry interviews, project management tools (SWOT, Gantt), and reflections on future improvements, particularly regarding business model credibility and technological refinement.