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UNITED NATIONS UAV DESIGN
Project in collaboration with the United Nations and Singapore Center for 3D Printing,
OBJECTIVE
Design a 3D-printed drone leveraging print-in-place mechanics to integrate moving components into a single build. Optimised for rapid manufacturing, customisation, and low-cost deployment for United Nations tactical threat detection.
DESIGNÂ
The airframe was designed for efficient packaging, integrating the sensor bay, electronics and propulsion system while minimising unused internal volume. The aerodynamic surfaces were then sized to provide sufficient lift at MTOW while maintaining a compact airframe.
SENSOR
BAY
BATTERY/WING BOX
ELECTRONICS BAY
MOTOR HOUSING
DESIGN
CAD MODEL
A pusher configuration was selected to keep the sensors upstream of the propeller, exposing them to cleaner, less disturbed airflow for more reliable sampling. A V-tail was adopted to combine pitch and yaw control, reducing the number of tail surfaces while maintaining the required control authority.
SIMULATION
MAX AoA : 12°
MAX LIFT: 160N
LIFT: 42N
MTOW: 40N
ENGINEERING IMPROVEMENTS
EXCESS DEFLECTION
FSI analysis of the initial design revealed excessive deflection in the twin-boom structure, making it unsuitable. This finding drove a redesign toward a more structurally robust configuration better suited to additive manufacturing.
UNDESIRABLE VORTICES
CFD analysis revealed that the original nose geometry generated undesirable vortices, prompting a redesign to achieve cleaner, more attached airflow around the fuselage.
Before
After
PRINT-IN-PLACE
Print-in-place design reduced assembly time and part count while leveraging the unique geometric freedom of additive manufacturing.
FINAL ASSEMBLY
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