Unmanned Aerial System
Designed, built and tested a fully 3D printed UAS from scratch. The aircraft is 1.4m wingspan, V-tail pusher configuration with an AUW of ~2.5kg. Constructed with 50 custom designed 3D printed parts, the goal was to create an airframe that could be rapidly reproduced and repaired using a simple desktop 3D printer, making it suitable for deployment in resource-limited environments.
Project Details
Technologies
XFLR5, Fusion 360, 3D Printing, ArduPilot
Category
Aerospace Engineering
Status
Redesign in Progress
Institution
Independent Project
Key Features
- Material: pre-foamed LW-PLA + carbon fiber wing and tail spars
- 5000mAh 4S LiPo battery for ~45 minutes flight time
- SpeedyBee F405 Wing flight controller with ArduPilot firmware
- On board FPV camera with 5.8GHz video transmitter for real-time telemetry and video feed
Project Overview
The UAV project began as a solo effort to design, build, and flight‑test a fully 3D‑printed unmanned aerial system from the ground up. The V‑tail pusher configuration was selected to balance aerodynamic efficiency, structural simplicity, and ease of manufacturing, while supporting manual and semi‑autonomous operation.
The airframe was constructed entirely from 50 custom 3D‑printed parts, optimized for additive manufacturing constraints and rapid assembly. Each component was designed to snap or bolt together, enabling quick repairs and straightforward replacement of damaged sections in the field.
Integration of the flight controller, receiver, and telemetry electronics formed a core phase of the project. The system was laid out to minimize wiring length, reduce interference, and keep the center of gravity within the required envelope, while allowing for future upgrades and sensor additions.
Technical Implementation
The flight control system utilizes a SpeedyBee F405 Wing APP board running ArduPilot firmware. Sensor fusion algorithms combine data from the IMU, GPS and barometer to maintain stable flight in various weather conditions.
Ground station displays real-time telemetry data, including altitude, airspeed, battery voltage, GPS coordinates and more on a laptop screen. The same data is also overlayed on the pilot's FPV video feed, providing critical situational awareness during flight operations.
The onboard GPS allows fully autonomous waypoint navigation, enabling the aircraft to execute pre‑planned missions without manual input. It also allows for return‑to‑home functionality in case of signal loss or low battery, enhancing safety and reliability.
Flight Testing Results
The intial flight test resulted in the loss of the aircraft, most likely due to a combination of pilot error and suboptimal center of gravity placement. The aircraft was recovered and underwent a redesign to address these issues, namely by reducing wall thickness of printed parts to increase the contribution of the battery to the overall center of gravity. Second flight test is planned for May 2026.
Improvements will be made to the flight test setup to allow for better data collection and analysis. This includes the addition of an SD card on the flight controller to log detailed flight data for post‑flight analysis, as well as the addition of several cameras to capture different angles of the flight for visual inspection and performance evaluation.
Lessons Learned
The project is still a work in progress.