Alexander Liou's Blended-Wing Body Aircraft Senior Thesis Project

Why It Matters

The UAV provides a fast, autonomous solution for delivering life‑saving medical supplies to combat zones, potentially reshaping battlefield logistics and expanding rapid‑response capabilities in remote environments.

Key Takeaways

• Blended-wing body UAV designed for 1 kg medical payload.
• VTOL capability via retractable leg reduces drag in flight.
• Flight controller, airspeed sensor, and elevons enable auto‑stabilization.
• Battery positioned forward; dual side payload bays balance center of mass.
• 24 km range targets frontline medics with rapid plasma delivery.

Summary

Alex Liou, a senior in mechanical and aerospace engineering, presented his thesis project: a blended‑wing‑body unmanned aircraft designed to transport a 1 kg blood product or plasma payload up to 24 km to frontline medics. The UAV combines vertical take‑off and landing (VTOL) capability with aerodynamic efficiency, targeting rapid medical logistics in combat zones.

The aircraft houses a flight controller within an aluminum subframe that stabilizes flight automatically. It features an airspeed sensor, elevons on each wing, and a wing‑tip motor for control, while a forward‑mounted battery and dual side payload bays keep the center of mass balanced. A first‑person‑view camera provides pilot visibility, and a retractable leg—operating on a four‑bar linkage—supports VTOL take‑off and landing yet folds away to minimize drag during cruise.

Liou highlighted the “cool thing” about the deployable leg, noting its dual role: extending for ground contact and retracting for streamlined forward flight. The design’s modular payload bays allow quick swapping of medical supplies, and the integrated sensors enable precise autonomous navigation to designated drop points.

If refined, this blended‑wing‑body platform could revolutionize battlefield resupply, offering faster, lower‑cost delivery of critical medical supplies compared to traditional helicopter or ground transport. Its efficient aerodynamics and VTOL flexibility also suggest broader applications in civilian emergency response and remote‑area logistics.

Original Description

Alexander Liou ’26 showed us his advanced aircraft that serves as his senior thesis project, currently in its final stages of production in the Engineering Quadrangle’s machine shop. Most aircraft use a tube-and-wing design, but what Alex is creating is a blended-wing body aircraft that combines the wings and fuselage into a single aerodynamic shape. The design reduces drag, provides more lift, and requires less power. This drone is designed to take off vertically, using two 13-inch propellers mounted on the motors. Alex says that he originally designed this prototype as a potential way to deliver blood products to medics more efficiently than a conventional "multicopter"; the drone’s payload size allows for transport of four 250ml blood packages. He said it could someday also be used for rapid response search and rescue, or low-risk military reconnaissance. His major is mechanical and aerospace engineering, and his advisers are Luigi Martinelli and Clarence Rowley.