The competition the team is participating in this year is the iMechE UAS Challenge, taking place from 6-8 July 2022. This allows us to build a drone with a wingspan of two metres and keep it at the weight of about a bowling ball." Then, these structural loads are transferred to the internal carbon frame with joints.
Shervin Tochani, structural engineer of the team, explains how that works: “We use a special, foam-like plastic which we can make just strong enough to withstand the aerodynamic load. In order to achieve the lowest mass possible, the team uses a completely 3D-printed outer fuselage with an internal carbon frame. With a maximum competition weight of ten kilograms including payload, weight is a key issue for the team. The lowered drag also means speed goes up: the new drone can reach a theoretical top speed of more than 120 km/h.” Lightweight drone You can also eliminate the horizontal stabiliser, decreasing drag further. With the new design you can achieve more lift and reduced wingtip vortices, as the front and back wings are connected. This is called a ‘box-wing’, and it decreases aerodynamic drag, but it’s largely untested.”īas Kluijtmans, aerodynamicist, adds: “A crucial parameter for efficiency is the lift-to-drag ratio: the higher this value, the more efficient your wings, meaning you can carry your medical aid further and score more competition points. That is why this year we have developed a cutting-edge drone, with an unique design: the wing goes all around the main body. Philippe Damoiseaux, Technical manager of the team explains how the team achieved that: “One of our goals is innovating the drone industry. Building upon previous years’ drone Phoenix, Thunderbird is more efficient while carrying a package with a higher range of more than 30 kilometres. The 2021-2022 team has been working since September to develop the new drone.
With the aircraft, the team will compete against more than thirty other teams at the 2022 iMechE UAS Challenge, where the drone will carry out a simulated rescue mission. The drone is designed for efficient medical aid delivery and uses an unique wing design that improves efficiency. The student team DroneTeam Twente unveiled their newest drone to the world: Thunderbird.
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