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Testing the LEMFEV on Earth

Here, you can learn about our flying model

The Scaled LEMFEV model for testing on Earth

Our first technology demonstrator is an electric boxwing vertical takeoff and landing aircraft - like the LEMFEV. The model has a wing span of 1 m 10 cm, which is almost identical to the size of the Martian aircraft (secondary payload). The aircraft has no control surfaces or fuselage; in all flight modes, the aircraft is controlled by differential thrust of six propellers located on the leading edges of the lifting surfaces. Equipment, payload, and batteries are located in the central instrument compartments in the wings (compartment covers on the lower surfaces of the wings).

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The Structural Design of the Model
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The technology demonstrator airframe was made of aviation plywood (ribs) and foam (with a density of 13 kg/m3), assembled on carbon tubes, and covered with Haoye HY Covering Film Dark Yellow low-temperature shrink film. The unloaded parts are made using FDM technology from Creality Hyper Series PLUS plastic on a Reality K1 MAX printer.
The ribs were cut on a CNC milling machine at Moscow aviation institute.
The foam parts were cut on a four-axis CNC foam cutter.
The production of the model took about 120 man-hours.

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The breakdown of printed parts used in the structure of the flying model 

Testing the Flying Model at a Low Altitude

General tests:

 

  • Study of the feasibility of the adopted concept of the Martian aircraft

  • Tuning the electronic components

  • Practicing airplane flight modes

  • Evaluation of the aircraft's flight performance in all modes

  • Data collection for the design of the second flying model

 

Special tests: 

 

  • Study of the interference of the distributed propulsion and airframe, including the development of the boundary layer on the wing using temperature and pressure sensors, microphones, liquid crystals

  • Search for the optimal propeller geometry for vertical and horizontal flight modes

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