Autonomous Flying Wing

A fully autonomous model of a flying wing with a wingspan of 1200mm

I have decided to build this plane as my final year middle school project.

To design the frame, I used Fusion 360. The frame's skeleton is made of ultralight 3D printed ribs. They are only one wall thick to save weight, and because they aren't loaded in that direction, their strength isn't compromised. To improve flight characteristics, I used special flying wing airfoils and a couple of degrees of reflex on the wingtips. The 3D printed ribs are glued in place on a carbon fiber strut. Next, the entire model is covered in 3mm thick depron foam. A piece of lightweight balsa wood is glued to the leading edge and then sanded to the shape of the airfoil. The elevons are also made out of balsa wood. Lastly, access hatches are cut into the foam, and the model is covered in a protective layer of foil.

The wingtips are equipped with 3D printed winglets that help with vertical (yaw) stability and reducing wingtip vortices.

I originally put a standard 13-inch propeller on the model, but then changed it for a folding prop. This decision was made because the non-folding prop kept colliding with the ground during landings and destroying the motor mount. There weren't any folding pusher props available locally. I had to buy a folding puller prop and disassemble its prop adapter. With some 3D printed modifications, I changed the puller prop into a pusher prop.

A flight controller is a device that actively stabilizes the flight of the model. I decided to use the MATEK F405-SD flight controller because, in addition to the standard accelerometers and gyros, it also has a barometer. I decided to use the INAV 4 firmware because when it is paired with a GPS module, it can autonomously control the model. Some of the autonomous functions include autolaunch, waypoint missions, or return to home (in case of signal loss).

The model is also equipped with an FPV (first-person view) system. This allows us to view the video from the onboard camera in real-time. In addition to the real-time video, we can also see live telemetry thanks to the OSD (on-screen display) ability of the flight controller.

The power is supplied by a 2200mAh 3s Li-Po battery pack, and the model is powered by an older EMAX BLDC outrunner motor. This equipment isn't optimal. If I had more funds for the project, I would use a Li-ion battery pack and a more efficient motor. 

Nevertheless, the flight time is about 25 minutes. The cruising speed is about 75km/h and the max tested speed is 130km/h.