This fixed wing long range drone is designed and manufactured for the purposes of being a defence research UAV platform. We made the outer skin moulds, utilising our 3D FDM printer for the winglets, and the internal structure comprises of pultruded CFRP (carbon fibre reinforced plastic) tubes. The light-weight airframe provides room for a central control systems bay.
The structural UAV skin is a sandwich laminate, with spread tow fabric exterior, glass fibre internal skin and structural foam. For additional strengthening a spar cap of uni-directional carbon fibre is integrated in to the skin laminate composite. The internal structure of the fuselage was CNC machine cut from light-weight birch ply to reduce manufacturing time and cost.
At this stage the UAV is only a structure and set for further development with the addition of airborne sensor systems. It will likely be used for testing defence applications, such as aerial mapping, surveillance, or training for land forces.
For further details on our UAV carbon fibre composites manufacturing capabilities please don’t hesitate to contact us today!