Flybee
Day 1 β Design, Modelling & Initial CFD (~5 hours)
So yeah, this whole thing started with a simple idea β to make a cool fixed-wing plane that can lift good weight but still be light and easy to carry. I wanted something that works well, flies smooth, and isnβt a pain to assemble. Once I had the goal in mind, I just jumped into it step by step planning the design, picking the parts, and figuring out how to actually build it all.
Step 1: Planning the Design & Frame Style
I started with a rough sketch to lock down priorities: modularity, weight balance, lift, and simplicity. I chose a high-wing layout and tractor propeller configuration for better airflow and natural stability. Then I started modelling the fuselage.
The fuselage worked well in CAD, so I moved on to the wing. I kept it rectangular β simple to model, cut, and balance. Size: 1250mm span, 250mm chord.
I studied 3 airfoils: GOE225, S1223, and NACA4412. Plotted Cl/Cd, stall behaviour, etc. GOE225 gave the best performance overall.
Then I started modelling the GOE225 wing:
Assembled wing + internal structure:
I made a solid version of the wing for CFD:
Day 2β Tail Design, Final CFD, and Autonomy Prep (~5 hours)
Started the day with V-tail design. Used two angled stabilizers at 110Β°, surface area was 70% of conventional H-tail to save weight.
Mounted servos on tail and aligned pushrod paths.
Then moved to final assembly:
Ran full body CFD on wing + fuselage + tail.
Final observations: - GOE225 gave 28.58 N lift (wing-only) @ 4Β° AoA - Full body gave 37.26 N lift, 3.61 N drag - Smooth pressure gradient, no flow separation - Enough lift margin to carry 2 kg payload safely
Selected GOE225 for its: - High lift - Gentle stall - Low drag - Simpler fabrication than S1223
Avionics & Autonomy Setup
Started placing electronics and picking flight gear:
Going fully autonomous β added: - Pixhawk flight controller - Ublox GPS module - 433 MHz telemetry
Planning to flash ArduPilot and program waypoint missions soon. Next steps: install in frame, test with Mission Planner, and do ground test + maiden auto flight. im gonna Add BOM,sketches and laser cutting files in the repo