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Airframe

A carbon-fiber quad that packs into one case.

An X-frame in carbon plate and tube. The arms come off with knurled thumb screws, so it breaks down for transport and goes back together at the field without a tool. Two payload bays hang under the centre plate.

  • Carbon-fiber X-frame
  • Tool-less arms
  • Two drop bays

Avionics

Three radio paths. Losing one loses nothing.

A Cube Orange+ on ArduPilot flies it. A Here4 GPS gives position and broadcasts FAA Remote ID. Two independent RFD900x telemetry links and a manual RC backup cross the gap to the ground.

  • Cube Orange+
  • Here4 + Remote ID
  • 2× RFD900x
  • TX16S backup

Autonomy

It maps the ground as it flies.

One command and it flies a lawnmower grid on its own. A Jetson Orin NX onboard builds the map while the lanes go by.

  • Jetson Orin NX
  • Lawnmower survey
  • Onboard mapping

Detection

Find the target. Put the payload on it.

A YOLOv8 detector runs in real time on the Jetson and projects each find to a GPS coordinate. A wind-corrected release puts the payload where it should land.

  • YOLOv8 · TensorRT
  • GPS projection
  • Wind-corrected drop

Ground station

Mission control we wrote ourselves.

Every step above is watched and commanded from our own web ground station: live map, flight instruments, mission planning and the judge display.

Open the ground station

Illustrated mission profile, not flight data

From the bench to the air.

Photographs and footage from our own build and test days.

Climb out
The assembled carbon-fiber X-frame quadcopter with its GPS mast
The airframe, assembled
The aircraft on the grass before a flight, a team member standing by with the transmitter
Pre-flight on the field
Close on a motor mounted to its carbon arm, MN701-S KV135 stamped on the bell
One motor per arm
The aircraft airborne with the safety pilot standing below, transmitter in hand
Somebody always holds the other radio
Height-coloured 3D survey map built from flight data
Survey output, built from flight data
Airborne over the range
Every test, dated.Read the build log

The crew.

Full roster and history

Specs, current to the 2026 build.

EnduranceOver 2 hourson station
Command linkBLOS worldwideLEO + GEO satellite, no link range limit
Payload capacity20 kgmaximum
Max takeoff weight40 kgheavy lift class
NavigationDual V-SLAMGPS denied capable, persistent onboard mapping
ConnectivityLEO + GEO satellitecontrollable from anywhere
Cellular5G LTEonboard AI computer
TelemetryRedundant encrypted RFtwo independent links plus manual reversion
WeatherRain capablesealed by airframe design; IP rating not yet qualified
AutonomyFull missionone command, takeoff to landing
AssemblyTool-lessthumb-screw arms, packs into one case
ComplianceFAA registeredRemote ID broadcast, TRUST-certified safety pilot

Figures reflect the current aircraft configuration.

We build everything we fly.

The airframe, the autonomy and the ground station are ours. V-TECH is funded by Falx Systems, Inc., so we answer to the flight log rather than to a sponsor deck. If you want to back a team that builds what it flies, we would like to hear from you.

Contact the team