Small scale VTOL aircraft using only one lift-producing motor : A study of lift capacity for a Vertical Take-Off and Landing capable aircraft

Sammanfattning: The usage of unmanned aerial vehicles in applications such as terrain mapping and surveillance is proliferating in the modern world. This project aims to investigate the feasibility, in terms of payload capacity and stability, of small scale winged aircraft that have the ability to lift and land vertically, while also being able to transition to normal forward flight using wings for primary lift. The prototype aircraft was built with the limitation of using only one lift-producing motor that would be responsible for both vertical take-off and landing, and the horizontal propulsion in forward flight. The prototype was built primarily using 3D-printed plastic with an electric ducted fan as the method of propulsion. Internal ducting was used to redirect airflow downwards, from the only propulsion source to achieve vertical lift at a standstill. The final iteration of the aircraft successfully performed multiple hovers over 30 seconds long but did not have wings to test a transition to forward flight. Lifting capacity was low but the concept proposed in this thesis holds promise for further development and optimization.