VTOL Fixed-Wing UAV
Open-source flight-control development and real-flight testing for hybrid VTOL, tail-sitter, and tilt-wing UAVs.
This project summarizes my early engineering work on open-source UAV flight-control systems and novel VTOL aircraft platforms.
I have used Pixhawk/PX4-based autopilots since 2015 and worked on firmware customization, QGroundControl workflows, hardware-in-the-loop (HIL), software-in-the-loop (SITL), flight-log analysis, parameter tuning, and real-world flight testing. The work covered multirotors, hybrid VTOL fixed-wing aircraft, tail-sitters, tilt-wing UAVs, distributed electric propulsion aircraft, and flapping-wing UAVs.
Highlights:
- Adapted PX4 open-source flight control to reduce system cost for hybrid VTOL fixed-wing UAVs.
- Designed, integrated, tuned, and flight-tested multiple VTOL platforms from 1.5 kg to 25 kg.
- Worked with both open-source autopilots and industrial flight controllers.
- Used long-range telemetry and digital video links for field testing.
- Designed and validated the control system for a 5 kg distributed-propulsion tilt-wing UAV.
Hybrid VTOL fixed-wing UAV using PX4-based flight control. Takeoff weight: 5 kg.
Hybrid VTOL fixed-wing UAV. Takeoff weight: 13 kg.
Hybrid VTOL fixed-wing UAV. Takeoff weight: 25 kg.
Distributed-propulsion tilt-wing VTOL UAV. Takeoff weight: 5 kg.