Engineering schools do a great job of teaching how to analyse but have been struggling with the best way to teach design which is a process of synthesis rather than analysis. The best way to teach the design process is to use design competitions. The competing designs are quite varied and do not seem to converge on a single solution. Incidently, model airplane competition has generated more innovation than any other aspect of the hobby.

In a system as complex and interrelated as a model airplane there is never a set of design requirements that fully states all the things necessary for success. That's why testing is required to find out the things the requirements left out and the things the design does that were not intended by the designer.

Almost any design with sufficient power, low enough weight and and a modicum of stability and control can be made to fly. However, something that is more economical, beautiful, durable, reliable, faster, slower, contollable, maneuverable, longer range, longer duration and with a bigger pay load than anything else that has gone before isn't something that will come from a program or handbook but will come from the creative mind of the artist-designer. An elegant design is one that synergistically combines several functions into one element and produces simplicity out of complexity. A sparless, ribless, stressed skin wing structure is an example of an elegant design approach only made practical by the light weight, strength and stiffness of composite materials.