Freebird was our 2024 UAS Challenge entry and received the Most Promising Team Award. Two front motors tilt between vertical and forward flight, allowing the team to remove the separate lift motor used on the previous layout.
What changed
- Tilting front rotors: The front motors provide vertical lift in hover and rotate forward for cruise flight.
- Four-motor layout: Removing the dedicated lift motor reduced weight and drag while keeping VTOL capability.
Achievements
The UAS Challenge judges awarded Freebird the Most Promising Team Award. The result recognised the potential of the tilting mechanism and the team’s work to make a mechanically demanding layout flyable.
Technical Details
The airframe retained parts of the previous design but needed substantial changes around the tilting motors. The flight controller was tuned specifically for the transition from hover to forward flight and back again.