Tongji University 3D prints drone using continuous carbon fiber composites
'Tongfei n°1' uses a canard-type swept-back wing layout with a wingspan of 2.1m and has a take-off weight of only 1,400g
According to JEC Composites, the School of Aeronautics, Astronautics, and Mechanics of China’s Tongji University has teamed up with the Shanghai Aircraft Design and Research Institute of COMAC to apply continuous carbon fiber-reinforced resin matrix composite 3D printing technology to manufacture a domestic drone, named ‘Tongfei n°1’.
Tongfei n°1 uses a canard-type swept-back wing layout with a wingspan of 2.1m and has a take-off weight of only 1,400g. The use of continuous carbon fiber-reinforced composite 3D printing technology to manufacture drone parts ensures the rapid prototyping of complex topological structure designs for lightweight drones.
The research team of Professor Li Yan from the School of Aeronautics and Astronautics and Mechanics of Tongji University is funded by the national key R&D project ‘Large Format Fiber Reinforced Thermoplastic Composite Materials Additive Manufacturing Technology and Equipment’.
Tongfei n°1 is a verification of the project’s phased results in the aircraft field. During the flight test, Tongfei n°1 performed well in terms of maneuverability, durability, response speed, flight safety, and flight stability – fully demonstrating the advantages and potential of this technology in the field of drone manufacturing.
