The primary goal of the testing was to evaluate the drone's takeoff and hovering capabilities. Throughout the testing, two flights were performed. Unfortunately, the takeoff from the launch mat was unsuccessful, and the aircraft performed a "backflip" near the ground. Consequently, we had to switch to hand-launches to continue the testing.

During the second flight, the drone drifted further than planned due to wind, forcing us to perform an emergency landing. During the landing, one wingtip broke and one of the motor mounts came loose. As of today, the drone has been repaired and is ready for the next round of test flights.

Despite these challenges, the hover mode worked remarkably well, especially considering this was our very first test. From these flights, we gained valuable experience regarding how sensitive a tailsitter drone is to wind while hovering. We also gathered essential data for tuning the motor tilt servos to prevent similar emergency landings in the future. (A servo is a precision motor that controls the motor tilting mechanism, allowing us to manage the drone's orientation and its transition from hover to horizontal flight.)

In parallel, we have begun working on a new test drone. This model is nearly the same size as the competition drone planned for the 2026 IMeche UAS Challenge. If all goes well, we hope to have the larger drone completed by the end of January or during February.

BlueNimbus wishes you a wonderful holiday season!