THE ROLE OF RP&M (RAPID PROTOTIPING AND MANUFACTURING) IN THE DESIGN AND BUILDING OF A UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE

Design and building of UAVs (for civil and military missions) is a field of actuation where the most important Universities, research Centers and Aeronautical designers have dedicated a lot of human effort. The concept “rapid prototyping” (quick prototype generation) has become usual in conceptual design processes and prototype design applied to engineering and other parts of the applied sciences. During last years, a team of students and professors (at the Escuela Universitaria de Ingeniería Técnica Aeronáutica, EUITA) have been working in a design and building of a UAV for civil observation. This paper presents the design process and final manufacturing of several parts of the vehicle, with this technique. Furthermore, this paper will present all the features and stages of this engineering project, and the current moment of evolution in the process will be presented, together with a description of the main difficulties the project has undergone, as a global experience in engineering design and development.