Cole LambethProjects / Duke Aviators UAV
Duke Aviators
Duke Aviators' unmanned aerial vehicle team designs and builds remote-controlled aircraft with full structural and propulsion systems, for recreation and competition.
- Role
- Propulsion Systems Lead
- Period
- Fall 2026 – present
- Goal
- AIAA DBF team by fall 2027
- Motor
- Scorpion SII-4020-420Kv
Fall 2026
Building a first test aircraft
I joined the team this fall. It is modeled on a Design/Build/Fly (DBF) team and plans to become an official one in fall 2027. The competition is run by the AIAA; see the DBF website.
As a new, small team, much of our effort has gone into learning aircraft design from established DBF teams such as Georgia Tech and Purdue. We've started building a test airplane that follows designs used by top-ranked teams. So far I have:
- researched and specified a preliminary electric propulsion system around a Scorpion SII-4020-420Kv motor
- designed and built the wing and tail structure of the test airplane using laser-cut parts
Next we'll keep developing and flight testing the airplane on the way to becoming a DBF team.
