Featured work

UAV Platforms & Drone Projects

Fixed-wing and flying-wing UAVs designed for stability, efficiency, and autonomous flight, from balsa-and-hand-carved first builds to 3D-printed and simulation-driven platforms.

Dec 2025 — Present

Flying Wing

Speedbuild completed over Christmas, optimized for 30km/h+ flight.

Key specifications

48%

Mass reduction (structural optimization)

1.3

Thrust-to-weight ratio

78%

ESC thermal warpage reduction

Final assembly
Flying wing final build 1 Flying wing final build 2 Flying wing final build 3
Further details +
Flying wing preliminary design

Preliminary Design

Fully 3D-printed 1 kg flying-wing UAV with geometry optimized for efficient cruising at 30+ km/h. Performed batch Reynolds number sweeps in XFLR5 for various flying wing airfoils across Re = 2,000–3,000,000.

A MH60 root airfoil with PW51 wingtips was chosen based on resulting data, with 3° of wingtip washout incorporated to reduce tip stall risk and improve dynamic stability across the 90 cm wingspan.

Flying wing CAD

CAD & Manufacturing

Designed the full airframe and internal layout in SolidWorks, including modular avionics mounting, serviceable wiring routes, and a ram-air duct for ESC cooling. LW-PLA was used for structural components with targeted PETG reinforcement near thermally sensitive areas.

20mm diameter carbon fiber tubes string all 3D-printed sections together for structural integrity. Extensive print trials characterized filament shrinkage to maintain tight tolerances.

Flying wing analysis

Aerodynamic & Structural Analysis

Conducted aerodynamic stability analysis in XFLR5, tuning washout, sweep, and dihedral to achieve strong modal behavior (short-period ζ = 0.372, phugoid ζ = 0.231). ANSYS was used for drag studies and structural validation.

Structural optimization using LW-PLA reduced overall mass by 48%, while PETG reinforcement reduced ESC thermal warping by 78%.

2024 — 2025

Fixed-Wing Long-Range (V2)

3D-printed / lasercut wood hybrid drone optimized for long-range performance while having a wingspan under 1.5m.

Key specifications

2 kg

Weight

1.4 m

Wingspan

0.65

Thrust-to-weight ratio

Final build
V2 final build 1 V2 final build 2 V2 final build 3 V2 final build 4
Further details +
V2 wind tunnel testing

Preliminary Design

Designed as a long-endurance fixed-wing V-tail platform using conventional RC design principles. Without access to CFD tools at the time, a small laminar-flow wind tunnel was built to collect comparative airfoil data and generate basic polars for lift versus angle of attack.

V2 CAD

CAD & Build

Modeled structural layout and avionics integration using laser-cut balsa ribs, carbon-fiber spars, and selective 3D-printed components. Platform included onboard FPV, low-resolution infrared sensing for urban heat mapping, and distributed flight-control logic using Arduino devices in a master–slave architecture.

2023 — 2024

Fixed-Wing Long-Range (V1)

Fully hand-carved drone — the first one built.

Key specifications

1.9 kg

Weight

1.5 m

Wingspan

0.68

Thrust-to-weight ratio

Final build
V1 final build 1 V1 final build 2 V1 final build 3
Further details +
V1 preliminary design

Preliminary Design

First complete fixed-wing UAV built entirely from balsa wood before access to a 3D printer. Designed using standard RC aircraft heuristics for stability, control authority, and endurance. Configured for FPV flight using a lightweight analog camera system and long-range radio transmission.

V1 CAD

CAD & Electronics

Basic CAD used primarily for visualization and dimensional planning rather than full structural optimization. Electronics focused on achieving reliable video transmission. A 512 MHz radio system was selected due to operation in dense urban Hong Kong, where signal obstruction and multipath interference were significant constraints.