Lessons Learned from the Design, Development, and Subscale Flight Testing of a Hybrid-VTOL UAS

Hybrid Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) unmanned aerial systems (UAS) aim to integrate the endurance and cruise efficiency of fixed-wing aircraft with the vertical takeoff, landing, and hover capabilities of multirotor platforms. The Hummingbird project was developed as a subscale research platform to explore a hybrid fixed-wing X8 multirotor configuration equipped with retractable arms designed to minimize drag in forward flight. While the platform experienced a crash during its first hover test, the overall design, manufacturing, and early testing process provided valuable insight into aerodynamic design, structural fabrication, mechanism development, subsystem integration, and the limitations encountered during rapid prototyping.