Glider Cart
Hefring Engineering
I worked with one other co-op student to design and build a cart for the Hefring glider, OceanScout.
In addition to transportation for the glider, the cart had to facilitate a single user deploying and recovering OceanScout from its mission in the water and serve as a platform for basic glider maintenance. My primary focus was the cart frame, which I took from concept design to functional first prototype.
The result, shown in the image above, is a lightweight, sturdy frame made from corrosion-resistant aluminum extrusions and plastic crosspieces. Two foldable, position-locking hooks allow the cart to hang from the side of the boat during deployment and recovery, leaving the user free to handle the glider. Handles at the front and rear make it easy to move and position the cart. It tips up onto 2 wheels for transport (shown below), and rests on short legs for storage and glider maintenance (above). The glider is secured with a folding ring around the nose cone, and an auto-locking latch at the tail (the other co-op’s focus.)
I enjoyed working on the cart because I was able to handle the whole process. In addition to refining my design skills, I learned how to generate the BOM and engineering prints, interact with vendors, and incorporate DFM feedback. The prototype worked as intended, and there are clear next steps for whoever picks up the project after me.
