From design to flight: students test their drones

On May 29, the test field at Unmanned Valley was buzzing with activity: six student teams from the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences visited to test their self-designed and self-built fixed-wing Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). And successfully so — as soon as their creations took off from the test field, loud cheers erupted.

The students are working within the minor Design, Build & Fly — a four to five month program in which multidisciplinary teams develop, build, and ultimately fly an unmanned aircraft from scratch. The focus is on designing, building, testing, and improving in short cycles.

“When it suddenly flies, it’s really special”

Timo, a Mechanical Engineering student, reflects on the process: “It’s really amazing to see that something you designed from scratch actually ends up flying. You learn so much in just a few months.” He is enthusiastic about the program and is already considering a follow-up study at Delft University of Technology.

Testing, adjusting, and trying again

During the test day, all prototypes were flown under the supervision of Alex from Unmanned Valley. He performs the test flights and provides direct feedback to the teams. He explains what he pays attention to: “We look at things like the center of gravity, stability, whether the controls respond logically — so that left is actually left — and whether everything is properly secured according to the pre-flight checklist. Those are the basic requirements for a good flight.”

After each flight, teams received feedback and evaluation, after which they could adjust their designs. For example, one team immediately added extra fins after the first test flight to improve stability, and then flew again.

“You see the development every year”

Aviation lecturer Hans has followed the minor for years and clearly sees how students grow:
“It’s great to see how students develop. From first design to an aircraft that flies stably — that growth is visible every year.”

Toward the final: autopilot and precision flight

In the coming week, the teams will work toward the final presentation and final flight on Friday, June 5. The UAVs will then fly with autopilot and must follow a fixed course, including a figure-eight within a limited box. Excitement is increasing, with a strong focus on fine-tuning the final details.

Hands-on learning at a unique test field

The collaboration between the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences and Unmanned Valley shows what a field lab can mean for technical education. At this location, students can not only develop their designs but also test and improve them directly under realistic conditions. It is precisely this combination of designing, testing, and iterating that makes the learning process so valuable.