Andrew Dowdy
I design, 3D-print and fly large unmanned aircraft, taking each airframe from CAD and internal structure through electronics integration to hand-launched flight test. Currently studying Aerospace Engineering at MIT.
| 1 | Center-body / avionics bay |
|---|---|
| 2 | Motor nacelles ×2 |
| 3 | Printed rib-lattice wing panel |
Colossus
A 3D-printed tailless flying wing: my largest and most capable airframe to date
Project Overview
Inspired by NASA's Prandtl Wing research, Colossus is the latest evolution of my obsession with pure-form flying wings. This design builds upon lessons learned from Goliath. Colossus abandons the split elevon active yaw control utilized by Goliath. Instead, a more mathematical approach was used to optimize the lift distribution of the wing in hopes of eliminating adverse yaw effects. The elimination of adverse yaw effects, combined with a light, pure-form design, paved the way for incredible efficiency, achieving 4–8 hour flight times on a 4S 20000 mAh Li-ion battery.
- Wingspan
- 3 m
- Takeoff weight
- 3.5–4.5 kg
- Flight time
- 4–8 hours
- Material
- LW-ASA, PLA Pro
- Status
- Flight proven
Goliath
3D-printed pure-form flying wing with active yaw stability.
Long Range UAS Proven through multiple iterations and dozens of flights
- Wingspan
- 2.75 m
- Takeoff weight
- 4 kg
Other builds
Smaller and recreational airframes I've designed, built or flown. A lot of what went into Colossus and Goliath started here.
See all other projects →
