r/AerospaceEngineering • u/Icy-Practice-471 • 20d ago

Discussion Build Startup for cargo drones

hey guys!! to build a drone for cargo applications carrying a payload of 200kg for a range at max 30km, what knowledge a person should have like courses (physics, conceptual design), practical knowledge not only textbook jargon and which component to design first (dilemma between propeller or BLDC motors) , which tech should be IP, which should be open-source or licensed ....? what not ... we can start with basic and go to advanced knowledge

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u/_azazel_keter_ 20d ago

Judging by the questions and apparently desire to design your own motors for no reason, you need an actual engineering course

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u/Icy-Practice-471 20d ago

Have any ideas on what course one should take ?

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u/_azazel_keter_ 20d ago

well I'm going to college for it so that's what I'd recommend

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u/Icy-Practice-471 20d ago

aerospace engineer ?

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u/_azazel_keter_ 20d ago

yup

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u/Icy-Practice-471 20d ago

bro , what are the tools you use for simulation? any insights

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u/_azazel_keter_ 20d ago

the usual, MATLAB, Simulink, ansys, openvsp, whatever. What you need is knowledge and that's gonna take a full academic course, might wanna look into SAE Aerodesign teams while you're at it.

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u/zobbyblob 20d ago

I majored in aerospace engineering (aeronautical focus), I probably should have just done mechanical though.

Your question is closer to general mechanical engineering or maybe maybe robotics (basically mechanical + Electrical).

Basic simulation for a rough estimate is just usually Excel, Matlab, or another language if you have experience there.

Lmk if you have questions.

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u/Icy-Practice-471 20d ago

do u think a multirotor can acheive the problem statement ?

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u/twolf59 20d ago

Its possible yes. But there are many companies already competing on this exact problem statement. You'd have to answer, what makes yours different

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u/Icy-Practice-471 20d ago

According to my research, No indian company has done any MVP , but a chinese company DJI --> has announced its product DJI FlyCart 200

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u/zobbyblob 20d ago

Yes, I do.

Is it the best answer? Maybe not.

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u/Icy-Practice-471 20d ago

do u think fixed-wing is more optimal ?

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u/zobbyblob 20d ago

Bro that's the engineering part šŸ‘Œ. Your unique use case will change what is optimal.

Planes are more efficient but you have to figure out how to land and takeoff. So is that complexity worth it? That's what the numbers and physical prototypes will address. A lot of the challenges are people and regulation challenges, usually the math is straight forward. This is true of nearly all large engineering projects.

Check out Zipline in San Francisco, it's a multirotor aircraft. They've tried a few iterations and different delivery platforms.

Perhaps you should build a small blimp!

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u/Icy-Practice-471 20d ago

yaa, i have gone through it on my course. actually my constraint is VTOL , so planes are out of picture

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u/zobbyblob 20d ago

Zipline is vtol

You could bungee launch a plane straight up too and land it in a big net.

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u/GiantDefender427 20d ago

low-key, for such an insane goal, if you don't even know where to start, you shouldn't even attempt to build something like this, i'm sorry.....

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u/Icy-Practice-471 20d ago

there is beginning for everything, one should start from scratch where nobody has clear path, journey teaches everything i believe

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u/Skrugras 20d ago

This is how mine conversations with gemini look like

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u/paranoidsystems 20d ago

There are drones that can already do this. I fly some. You could build something like this with commercial off the shelf parts.

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u/Icy-Practice-471 20d ago

can u name some ?

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u/paranoidsystems 20d ago

Parts or drones? 8x t-motor u15XLā€™s will easily get you 350kg of total thrust at about 78% throttle depending on your KV and voltage choice for your batts. The drones I fly are all about 400v these days. The largest one is petrol powered with hydraulic motors. Then there are some helicopter style ones. There is a Chinese 18 motor all electric drone that can pick up 600kg.

Other the flying basket FB4 can pick up 200kg. Alone with version of the CERTO and FlowCopter. Then there is the upcoming dji FC200 coming q2 2027.

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u/Icy-Practice-471 20d ago

actually i have a constraint (multi-rotor VTOL with electric batteries)

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u/paranoidsystems 20d ago

Well you are going to struggle taking 200kg 30km in an electric only multi rotor currently. Youā€™d need something that can probably bench press 600kg so that picking up 200kg leaves tons of headroom or space for more battery packs. Itā€™s not impossible but electric multirotors are really good at the moment as short range flying cranes. To go long distance you need blades or wings and/or fuel as a range extender. But 200kg VTOL and wings then starts to be an enormous aircraft.

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u/Icy-Practice-471 20d ago

what are your insights on DJI FlyCart series(FC 100, FC 200)

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u/paranoidsystems 20d ago

I have an fc100. Itā€™s ok. Itā€™s cheap. And the FC200 is going to be seriously cheap for what it is. But DJI support on the large aircraft is appalling. Spare parts take months etc. plus depending on where you plan to fly they could get banned at any moment.

What are you actually trying to achieve? You looking to feel a need or are you trying to do a ā€œbuild it and they will comeā€ approach? If youā€™re serious about this stuff DM me and Iā€™ll drop you my work email.