Integrating Additive Manufacturing and Composite Manufacturing Techniques to Build a General-Purpose UAV

Year 2025, Volume: 06 Issue: 02, 91 - 105

Turan Konyalıoğlu Sinan Alnıpak , Halil İbrahim Şahin Erdinç Altuğ

Abstract

The development of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and their integration into our daily lives has been rapidly accelerating in recent years. Despite these advancements, the production of UAVs often necessitates specialized and costly equipment. However, with the rapid evolution of 3D printing technologies, it is possible to build and fly UAVs. This study investigates the feasibility of employing 3D printing for the manufacturing of a 3.8-meter wingspan hybrid UAV. The system comprises two components: a hybrid aircraft and a parachute drone carried by the hybrid aircraft. Following the mechanical and aerodynamic design of the air vehicle, it was fabricated using a rapid prototyping approach, incorporating 3D printing and composite production techniques. This study demonstrates that even large-scale aircraft can be produced with limited laboratory facilities and minimal equipment. It is anticipated that this approach can make UAV production more accessible to the general public, potentially accelerating the development of UAV technology.

Keywords

Hybrid UAV , Parcel Delivery UAV , Rapid Prototyping , Vacuum Infusion Method

Ethical Statement

There are no ethical concerns raised by this article.

Supporting Institution

The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBİTAK)

Project Number

120E182

Thanks

The authors would like to thank Vedat Ali Aksu for his help in manufacturing the prototype.

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