For the test flights of Gita XI 12 we had to transport the aircraft from UMBC to a model airfield about 20 minutes away, and with a wing 8 feet in length and a fuselage of a similar length, disassembly was required for transport. For the first test flight, we only had to detach the wing from the fuselage in order to transport it, on arrival reattach the wing and do all safety checks to ensure our connections. The first flight had over 8 people working on reassembly and setup, and yet we noticed that there were some inefficiencies in our design that lead to losing hours to assembly. We struggled accessing the flight controller, making connecting the wires tedious and difficult. During transport the tail was prone to bumping and damage during transport due to it remaining attached. Also the wing took too much time to be balanced and connected to the fuselage. However, after the crash that came from that flight we had a chance to rebuild the fuselage, and add the features to make assembly even faster.
Upon rebuilding the fuselage, we added a new tail connected by two screws to the boom allowing for it to be slid off. Allowing for less risk of damage to the tail during transport, and quick reattaching upon arrival. Also we added multiple doors to the sides of the fuselage, allowing for quick access to any of the electronics inside, and for quick troubleshooting during test flight sessions. We also made 3d printed casings for the four screws attaching the wing to the fuselage, this allowed for a snug fit and easy adjustments during our flight sessions.
On our first flight after completing those changes we were able to completely reassemble, setup, and prepare the plane for flight safety checks in under 20 minutes. With less than half the original number or members working on it. In the amount of time it took for us to set up and assemble the plane on the first flight, we were able to be in the air in less time during our subsequent flights.