The world's largest quadcopter drone.

The four-winged drone model from the University of Manchester is 6.4 meters wide, equipped with four electric motors and an autopilot function.

The research team built a prototype drone from foam plastic. Photo: University of Manchester

Engineers at the University of Manchester have built and test-flown the world's largest quadcopter. Made from a foamboard material similar to cardboard, the drone measures 6.4 meters wide and weighs 24.5 kg, just 0.5 kg short of the weight limit set by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), Phys.org reported on October 23rd. This advanced drone design, called the Giant Foamboard Quadcopter (GFQ), is unlike any existing drone. Its four wings are formed from a series of hollow box structures that can be easily disassembled for transport.

The project began as an activity to inspire students to unleash their creativity in design by utilizing low-cost, suitable, and readily available materials for lightweight, environmentally friendly aerospace structures, rather than carbon fiber. Unlike carbon fiber, low-density sheet materials are easily recycled and even biodegradable. The research team hopes the project will encourage the next generation of designers to think about sustainability from a completely new perspective.

"Foam is a fascinating material. If used in the right way, we can create many complex aerospace structures, where each component is designed to be rigid when needed. Thanks to this design specialization and contextual research, we can confidently say this is the world's largest quadcopter," said Dan Koning, an engineer at the University of Manchester who led the design and construction of the vehicle.

While this drone prototype was developed purely as a proof-of-concept exercise, future versions of the vehicle could carry large cargo over short distances or be used in aerial docking experiments. The four-winged drone is constructed from 5 mm thick sheets of foam plastic with a foam core and an outer paper shell. The foam sheets are laser-cut to the desired size and assembled into a 3D structure by hand, using only hot melt glue.

GFQ is powered by four electric motors running on a 50-volt battery pack. It also has a flight control system and can fly autonomously. Its first flight took place on July 5, 2023, inside the main hangar at the Snowdonia Aerospace Center. The project is being developed building on the previous success of a similar large fixed-wing foam aircraft in 2022. Currently, the research team is working to optimize the GFQ's design.

An Khang (According to Phys.org )

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