Aerospace Division
Alongside sound Engineering practice in the design, development, and build of their unmanned aircraft, innovation is a key aspect of the IMechE UAS Challenge. Each year the teams come up with novel and challenging solutions to the challenge set by the IMechE, and this year is no exception.
Judging innovation has, like all the other categories this year, been more of a challenge than usual due to the Covid-19 pandemic that disrupted the competition and prevented the annual fly-off. This year we have judged on the design and analysis of the proposed innovative solutions without the benefit of seeing these innovations in action; this made judging much more difficult than usual.
The overall scoring revealed two teams standing out from the rest.
University of Twente Team A3T approached innovation with the overall design of their vehicle, a blended-wing tilt-rotor with novel features incorporated to provide the great flexibility of a VTOL capable aircraft, with the range and duration offered by wing and body lift during forward flight. To maximise the efficiency, the vertical stabilisers are located beneath the aircraft and double as landing skids, eliminating the need for separate landing gear. Innovation was also addressed in the manufacturing method, with a novel application of PETG thermoplastic forming in conjunction with 3D printed ribs to form the aircraft skin.
Huddersfield Team Hawk incorporated a number of innovations in their design, with a morphing wing to provide flight control echoing some of the research that is current in the aerospace industry; a novel wheel design incorporating compressibility to greatly simplify the landing gear, borrowed and adapted from ground-vehicle technology; and a truss-braced fuselage design to provide weight efficiency in the aircraft structure.
Judging was a close-run thing, with both teams being very deserving of praise for their creativity and innovation. Ultimately the prize has gone to the University of Twente Team A3T, for a very well-deserved prize for innovation. Huddersfield Team Hawk embraced the innovation challenge, and I strongly commend them for their creativity and commitment in a close-run competition.
Congratulations to University of Twente Team A3T on winning this year’s Innovation Award!
Registration for the UAS Challenge 2021 is now open until 15 November 2020; visit the UAS Challenge website for full details of how you and your team can get involved.