Flexcraft Flexible Aircraft

Last updated on Nov 13, 2020 academic

FLEXCRAFT – Flexible Aircraft – is an aircraft that combines the idea of modularity – allowing a reconfiguration of the cabin for different missions (commercial and recreational, emergency and assistance, among others) with STOL capability – to compete with rotary wing solutions, through short runway operation, improving overall performance.

It is a collaborative project between SETsa, AlmaDesign, Embraer Portugal, INEGI and IST.

I joined this project in its final year, and worked on the construction of a remotely piloted vehicle - a scaled version of what the real FLEXCRAFT would be. This encompassed not only the construction itself, but also the design and fabrication of parts, systems testing (ground vibration tests, inertial characterization, avionics, etc), definition of new approaches for the structure/avionics and a lot of problem solving under many constraints.

academic collaborative
Simão Rodrigues
Simão Rodrigues
Aerospace Engineer, PhD

Publications

Ground Vibration Test of a Modular Remotely Piloted Vehicle
In the search for cleaner and greener ways to fly, the development of hybrid and fully electric aircraft presents a significant …
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