The project involves the development of Unmanned Aircraft Vehicles, both remotely piloted and autopiloted, whose architecture is characterized by a wing-box system known as PrandtlPlane. The research is conducted jointly by PITOM and SkyBox Engineering, a spin-off company of the University of Pisa, with the support of the Department of Civil and Industrial Engineering from the University of Pisa. The focus of the reseacrh activity is to design and realize a completely autonomous PrandtlPlane aircraft. Due to its innovative aerodynamic characteristics, Prandtlplane aircaft is an excellent platform for the installation of electro-optical sensors. The double wing, in fact, gives greater stability and higher damping of vibrations w.r.t. conventional aircraft, while increasing safety of flight at low speed.
Prandtlplane UAV can be deployed for a great variety of applications: remote sensing and territory observation (eg. in case of environmental disasters), environmental monitoring, support in police operations, fire fighting, terrestrial traffic control and marine border patrol, maintenance of power lines, pipelines, etc.