Design of a fixed-wing drone for cargo transportation

In recent years, the utilization of fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for cargo transport has garnered significant attention due to their efficiency, rapid deployment, eco-friendliness, and cost-effectiveness compared to traditional transportation methods. This presentation focuses on the design and flight dynamics of a fixed-wing drone specifically engineered for the transport of medicines and essential goods to remote and rural areas, drawing inspiration from the operational model of "Zipline International Inc.", a company that has successfully implemented such systems in regions like Rwanda, Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, and Ivory Coast. The research will first give a description of the the whole aircraft system, then of the aerodynamic forces acting on the main wing and on the whole UAV. It will then cover the sizing of the main wing through an iterative process (using the aerodynamic simulation software "Xflr5") and will describe the main components present onboard the drone.