TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — National Chung Cheng University’s (CCU) two fixed-wing drones passed their flight tests, according to a press release on Tuesday (May 21).
Professor Chen Shyh-leh (陳世樂) has assembled a team within the university to develop drone tech even there is no dedicated department for this. The university said the performance of the drones is comparable to existing fixed-wing drones and can be applied in rescue missions and terrain surveys, per CNA.
Yang Han-hsun (楊翰勳), an associate professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering responsible for designing the drones, said they have a wingspan of 3 meters and a body length of approximately 2.5 meters.
Yang added the fixed-wing design of the drones requires less thrust compared to typical quadcopter drones. “This results in longer flight times, greater distances, faster speeds, and higher payload capacities.”
Wu Yi-chuang (吳亦莊), also a professor from the mechanical engineering department, said the materials used for the drones needed to be strong and lightweight. “The prototype drones developed by the school will use carbon fiber laminates in the future, which will not only strengthen the aircraft structure but also reduce the reliance on metal materials, thereby decreasing the overall weight,” he said.
Chen said the takeoff conditions for fixed-wing drones in the wild are not ideal. “To reduce the need for a runway during takeoff, the team is developing and testing a catapult launch system,” he said.
The team has already completed tests with a small 2 kg drone and plans to develop a catapult system for medium-sized drones weighing up to 20 kg in the future, reported CNA.
