Well we started

As previously commented, the aircraft we are endeavoring to produce is an autonomous aircraft that uses artificial intelligence (AI). Basically, we wanted a plane that is big enough and stable enough to be airborne for an hour with monitoring equipment. We would prefer the monitoring data to be streamed real time to a ground station. The monitoring equipment could be cameras of various capabilities (movie, still or filtered), air sampling devices, weather instruments or other devices that fit in the payload compartment.

The final design is a high wing canard configuration. Fuselage dimensions were dictated by the plan forms of the projected cargoes. Consequently, the fuselage is slightly ellipsoid. I'll give particulars in another post and some insight into the design process (3 1/2 months from the concept to a final CAD drawing) as we go along and the milestone corresponding to the different design criteria are reached.

Let's look at the engine requirements, because this is a large contribution to the weight and performance of the final product. We discussed the design concepts with an electric motor manufacturer and the recommendation was 2 -4 Kilowatts of propulsion power. Evaluating electric motors and battery requirements for a 1 hour flight resulted in a cost of approx $12,000 just for the propulsion. NOT able to be done!!!! The other option was either 2 or 4 cycle piston engines. 2 stroke glow engines which meet the power requirements burn 2 or more ounces of fuel a minute. This is possible in our design, but a lot of weight and volume for the fuel. 4 cycle engines meet the power requirements burn approximately 1.1 to 1.4 ounces of fuel a minute. The 4 cycle engines are larger size and weigh more but the reduced fuel load makes up for the weight penalty. We now have a good estimate of fuel weight and volume for a 1 hour flight.
Bays for forward electronics, general purpose volume (which include the nose gear), computer area, fuel compartment and engine were configured in the final design. Airfoil and wing area requirement guesstimates were evaluated using the NASA freeware FoilSim II v1.5 found at:
http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/K-12/freesoftware_page.htm

Design and 3D rendering was performed in-house (my garage) using a 3D CAD program.
Bulkheads for the fuselage cross-sections were determined at locations suitable for the necessary instrument bay volumes. Bulkhead outlines were printed from Cad drawings onto paper and the outline was transferred to 3/16 inch plywood.

We are laying up foam blocks to carve.