X-Wing Flight Video

Unmanned aerial vehicles, specifically quadcopters, have become integral to various industries. They are especially sought after for their ease of control, stability and practicality. Quadcopters can complete tasks while the operator remains safely grounded. The largest drawback of quadcopters is their inefficient nature and the consequential flight time and range. Although different configurations of quadcopters have been researched in recent years, many configurations remain unexplored. To combat the inefficiency of quadcopters, a novel configuration is proposed to increase flight time and distance while maintaining the desirable features. The configuration will enable all actuators and lift-generating surfaces to be utilised optimally, whether the quadcopter hovers or travels forward. The actuators and propellers were chosen to be optimal for the desired weight of the quadcopter without the added weight of the drivetrain and wings. A hybrid analytical-numerical model was then developed to evaluate the performance of the configuration in different flight modes. This ensures that adding extra components is beneficial even when the propulsion system is not optimised for the specific configuration. A custom frame, printed circuit board, wings, and drivetrain were designed and assembled. A novel control method and switching strategy were also developed to ensure that control is possible in the configuration. Multiple flight tests were conducted to tune the control system of the quadcopter and to ensure that it can transition reliably between the flight modes. The power draw data of the quadcopter was obtained with and without the addition of the extra components and then compared. The value of the research lies in the fact that this simplistic design and conceptual premise delivers an increase in efficiency whilst maintaining the desirable features of quadcopters, yet it has been overlooked until now. The novel configuration could inspire other configurations and, therefore, further advancements in quadcopter technology.