Emergency Tilt-Rotor Aircraft (E.D.T.A)

Overview

Vertical Take-off and Landing (VTOL) tilt-rotor aircraft combine the accessibility and maneuverability of a helicopter while using a wing for improved efficiency during horizontal flight. VTOL aircraft however have the tendency to lose altitude during the crucial flight transition from vertical to horizontal flight. Our solution to reduce flight transition volatility and improve flight stability is to incorporate a specialty motor tilting system that serves the dual purpose of flight control and propulsion. The tilt-rotor aircraft features a tandem wing configuration with a high coefficient of lift airfoil to prevent the risk of stall during low-speed maneuvers and the transition from vertical to horizontal flight.

Community Benefit

Combining the VTOL capabilities of a helicopter and the conventional fixed wing of an airplane means EDTA will have improved flight duration, speed, maneuverability, and overall efficiency when compared to a drone. The design is scalable allowing for a multitude of uses such as cargo delivery or autonomous reconnaissance.

Team Members

• Nicholas Duenas - nduenas2020@fau.edu           
• Alexander Gaudreau - agaudreau2019@fau.edu 
• Robert Gaudreau - rgaudreau2019@fau.edu 
• Gabriel Loreto - gloreto2018@fau.edu 
• Benjamin Martinez - bmartinez2016@fau.edu 
• Abram Mikhail - amikhail2019@fau.edu 
• Gino Muto - gmuto2019@fau.edu 

Sponsors

FAU Office of Undergraduate Research & Inquiry (OURI) & FAU Wave