April 1, 2019

Quick and Simple Wings for WREN’s First Prototype!

After 2-3 long nights of preparation and manufacturing, Arfin and I built quick wings for our first prototype of WREN. These will be used to conduct tests in our first flight of the full model with the aim of testing avionics for out flying wing VTOL aircraft and WREN’s overall aerodynamics.

They will be joined with the aligning carbon fibre tubes to the main midsection/fuselage. The reason for the quick change wings is to give us the ability to swap out and use other sized wings tips, so we can fly using the optimal setup for any situation.

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We have manufactured using a simple laser-cut rib design, consisting of spaced ribs and supporting struts across the length of the wings. This was combined with foamboard leading and trailing edges to ensure no flow separation and wrapped in solar film for a smooth aerodynamic surface. Finally, foamboard ailerons were attached to a servo and cloth tape hinges to enable the aircraft to steer.

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This build was quite a learning experience, as they rapidly learn the technique of developing a sufficiently rigid internal structure, shrinking the wrap by heat and attaching ailerons. There are certainly many problems and improvements that can be made, alongside the many hiccups along the way but I hope to practice this technique further into the future alongside another big project in the works!

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By Daniel Wong