CANADA DRONE AEROSPACE CENTRE 

VTOL AND FIXED-WING UAV DESIGN, ASSEMBLE and OPERATIONS WORKSHOPS 

10 DAYS INSTRUCTOR-LED HANDS-ON TRAINING 

OBJECTIVES:                                                                                                                                     

After taking this course participants will be able to design, build, assemble and test VTOL or Fixed-Wing drone Prototypes.

COURSE OUTLINE: 

Day – 1:

Introduction to drone design fundamentals: aerodynamics, weight distribution, and power systems.

Introduction to CAD software (e.g., SW Maker) for designing a fixed-wing airframe.

Day – 2:

Advanced CAD design and refining the airframe structure.

Introduction to the Cube Orange flight controller and its features (with ADS-B).

Day – 3:

Assembly of the fixed-wing airframe, including motor, servo installation, and control surface setup.

Day – 4):

Integration of electronics: Cube Orange, GPS, telemetry systems, and Foxtech Map-A7R Pro camera.

Sensor calibration (GPS, airspeed, barometer, and IMU).

Day – 5:

Programming the Cube Orange with ArduPlane for fixed-wing functionality.

Initial flight testing and troubleshooting.

Week 2: VTOL Drone Build and Advanced Testing

Day – 6:

Introduction to VTOL drone design principles and the differences from fixed-wing.

Assembly of the VTOL airframe: motor installation and servo setup for VTOL transitions.

Day – 7:

Integration of Cube Orange, GPS, telemetry systems, and Foxtech Map-A7R Pro camera for VTOL.

Calibration of servos and VTOL-specific control surfaces.

Day – 8:

Programming the Cube Orange with ArduPlane for VTOL functionality.

Sensor calibration and preliminary testing.

Day – 9:

Advanced flight testing for both drones (fixed-wing and VTOL).

Mission planning: autonomous waypoint navigation and camera integration.

Day – 10:

Final testing and participant-led demonstrations.

Q&A session and troubleshooting best practices.

Drone A. VTOL (Vertical Take-Off and Landing Fixed-Wing):

A hybrid between a multi-rotor and a fixed-wing airplane.

It can take off and land vertically like a helicopter, but transitions to horizontal flight like a traditional plane for efficiency. Photo attached

Drone B. Fixed-Wing:

A drone with a traditional airplane frame that requires a runway or a catapult system to take off and land. Photo attached.

It offers longer flight times and greater range, making it ideal for large-area surveying.