FIXED WING UAV

Project Summary

Role: Aerodynamics & Mechanical Design Engineer
Competition: SAEISS Drone Development Challenge (DDC) 2024
Domain: Aerospace Engineering

Designed and developed a fixed-wing UAV for the SAEISS Drone Development Challenge, focusing on aerodynamic optimisation, structural design, CAD development, and engineering validation through CFD and structural analysis.

The Challenge

The objective was to design a lightweight fixed-wing UAV capable of carrying the required payload while achieving stable flight characteristics, structural reliability, and aerodynamic efficiency under strict competition constraints.

The aircraft needed to balance lift, weight, endurance, manufacturability, and structural strength without compromising flight performance.

My Role

My responsibilities included:

• Mission Requirement Analysis
• Airfoil Selection
• Wing Design
• CAD Development
• Structural Analysis
• CFD Simulation
• Manufacturing Support
• Design Validation
• Competition Documentation

Engineering Process

Mission Analysis

The design process began by analysing competition requirements, payload constraints, flight conditions, and aircraft performance targets.

These requirements established design objectives for lift generation, cruise performance, endurance, and structural integrity.

Aerodynamic Design

Multiple airfoils were evaluated using XFLR5 to compare lift, drag, and stability characteristics.

The final wing configuration was selected after analysing:

• Lift-to-drag ratio
• Stall behaviour
• Cruise efficiency
• Manufacturing feasibility

Mechanical Design

The complete aircraft was developed in SOLIDWORKS, including:

• Wing Assembly
• Fuselage
• Tail Assembly
• Payload Bay
• Landing Gear
• Electronics Packaging

Particular attention was given to weight reduction while maintaining structural stiffness.

Engineering Validation

The design was validated using engineering simulations.

Analysis included:

• CFD Analysis
• Structural Analysis
• Modal Analysis
• Stress Distribution
• Deformation Evaluation

Simulation results guided several design refinements before manufacturing.

Manufacturing & Assembly

The aircraft structure was manufactured using lightweight materials suitable for rapid fabrication and field assembly.

Assembly focused on:

• Structural alignment
• Weight optimisation
• Ease of maintenance
• Component accessibility

Results

• Successfully designed and manufactured a competition-ready fixed-wing UAV.
• Achieved efficient aerodynamic performance through simulation-driven design.
• Secured 2nd Place in the Best Aerodynamic Analysis (CFD) category at the SAEISS Drone Development Challenge.
• Demonstrated the integration of aerodynamic theory, CAD, simulation, and manufacturing into a complete engineering solution.

Key Takeaways

This project strengthened my understanding of aircraft design by combining aerodynamic theory, simulation, and mechanical engineering into a complete product development workflow. It reinforced the importance of simulation-driven design and iterative engineering when developing lightweight, high-performance systems.