Project number
16090
Organization
UA Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering
Academic year
2016-2017
The aim is to design an unmanned aircraft that can take off vertically and observe small areas. The team’s aircraft, configured as a flying wing and lifting body, takes off and lands vertically, hovers, and can fly long distances efficiently.
Wingtip motors and propellers move the plane horizontally, and transition to vertical to supplement the four central fans that provide most of the vertical thrust during hover. The fans are shut down during horizontal flight for better overall aerodynamics. The aircraft weighs a kilogram, has a wingspan of about 1.25 meters, carries a payload of 100 grams, and can fly for 20 minutes.
Equipping the aircraft with a camera linked to a ground station makes it suitable for missions such as area surveillance for reach and rescue and monitoring localized fires.
Wingtip motors and propellers move the plane horizontally, and transition to vertical to supplement the four central fans that provide most of the vertical thrust during hover. The fans are shut down during horizontal flight for better overall aerodynamics. The aircraft weighs a kilogram, has a wingspan of about 1.25 meters, carries a payload of 100 grams, and can fly for 20 minutes.
Equipping the aircraft with a camera linked to a ground station makes it suitable for missions such as area surveillance for reach and rescue and monitoring localized fires.