Prototype of a Solar-powered Fix-winged Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

Abstract

Abstract The usage of solar power is a plausible and environment-friendly solution to solve the problem of limited duration of operation of current Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAVs) in market. Based on the state-of-the-art experiments in integrating solar power into aircraft and the basic theoretical calculations, this study investigates an attempt to construct a remote control solar-panel powered autopilot fixed-wing aircraft with technology accessible for home crafting. The aircraft is designed to recharge itself using sunlight within the duration of its operation and execute certain simple autopilot routes. The success of this model sheds light for further research and investment in making small-scale aircrafts solar-powered.