Technofest Fixed-Wing UAV Competition Prep Guide

Technofest is a large aviation and technology festival where thousands of young people take their projects to the sky every year. The Fixed-Wing UAV competition is one of its most popular categories. Here is what to keep in mind while preparing.

Read the rules carefully

Wingspan, weight limits and mission requirements are the main parameters that shape your design. Read the rules, which are updated every year, together as a team and turn the requirements into a list.

Design process

Don’t skip airfoil and stability analysis with tools such as XFLR5. Comparing a few alternative designs reduces surprises later on.

Choosing materials

Balsa is light and easy to work. Carbon fibre tubes are ideal for structural support. EPO foam is handy for rapid prototyping. Your choice should match the competition’s flight envelope.

Electronic systems

Autonomous flight needs a flight controller, GPS module, airspeed sensor and telemetry. Remember to build in a redundant power system and set up fail-safes.

Testing and validation

Run many successful autonomous test flights before the competition. Log and analyse every test, and validate your aerodynamic model with field tests.

Reporting

Design reports carry real weight in the scoring. Prepare them in a tidy format, back them up with charts and tables, and put the deadlines in your calendar.