Students from Drone Research Center association are collaborating on the development of a flying vehicle
The student association Drone Research Center (DRC) from the Institute of Theoretical and Applied Electrical Engineering (UTEE) at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Communication Technologies at Brno University of Technology has successfully completed its first industrial collaboration. In cooperation with UDX Research company, students designed and built a scaled-down model of an innovative urban flying vehicle.
From left: Volodymyr Mykhailo Horbal, Pavel Mužík, UDX Research company representative, and Jakub Prvý. | Author: Filip Stejskal - Monkee Drones
The project focuses on developing a revolutionary concept of a personal flying vehicle, which students internally refer to as a "motorcycle." The reason is the characteristic seating arrangement – the pilot and passenger sit in a row one behind the other with legs forward and hands on control elements, similar to a motorcycle.
"Unlike a motorcycle, however, it is not controlled by body leaning, but by control levers and electronic systems. The machine is intended for pilots with ultralight aircraft licenses," clarifies the technical solution current head of the DRC association, Jakub Prvý.
The fundamental advantage of this concept is the use of the tiltrotor principle – tilting rotors in the direction of flight. "Compared to classic multicopters, it has the advantage that the pilot always sits in an upright position during flight. The intention is to offer a solution that could compete with air taxi concepts and other forms of urban air mobility in the future," explains the project vision Jakub Prvý.
Intensive practical learning
During work on the project, students gained extensive practical experience. "We learned many new things – from the principles of wing aerodynamics and flow optimization in ducted propulsion systems, through construction procedures for designing lightweight but strong parts, to tuning control systems for stable flight," the team describes their findings. Part of the project also included testing and fine-tuning the prototype in real conditions. Students worked on a scaled-down model because the original 1:2 scale model was unsuitable for testing – it was too heavy, poorly transportable, and required large spaces due to safety concerns and limited agility during maneuvers.
Students Volodymyr Mykhailo Horbal, Pavel Mužík, and Jakub Prvý worked intensively on the project. "Together we fine-tuned the construction, optimized the control system, and gradually transformed the concept into a flying prototype. From initial designs to successful field testing – it was an intensive but extremely beneficial experience," the student team evaluates the entire project.
The full-scale model is intended for two people. Detailed parameters including range, speed, and construction solutions are available on the manufacturer's website.
| Responsible person | Ing. Zdeňka Koubová |
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| Date of publication |