We are happy to announce that users from around the world can now access MachUp, the world's easiest drone design software.

Designers from any country (except those on the US sanctions list) may use the software for aerodynamic development of non-prohibited airframes. See the full software terms here.

When you're ready to start, log in at www.blucraft.com. You'll also find instructional videos here that walk you through the ins and outs of the software.

Finally, we'll be releasing a free aircraft design course soon. Add your name to the list to be notified when it is available.

Please let us know if you run into any issues or have questions.

Happy Designing!

-Doug

Hey guys,

Sam Weiss and I have put together a short, 30 minute course on designing aircraft for specific missions. Would you mind watching these three 10-minute videos and leaving some feedback? We're looking specifically for comments and suggestions of what areas within aircraft design are not well understood or are the most frustrating so that we can cover those topics in a longer course we are developing.

Part 1: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUbqvAoWu7M
Part 2: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTwNMpF9XyU
Part 3: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpyF8zgOTsk

Thanks!

Hey guys,

Just put together a quick video to show the effects of taper ratio and twist and how they interact. Turns out using rules of thumb in this area can be detrimental. I have used similar rules of thumb in the past, but thought it was high time to walk through some rigorous calculations to see what's best.

Hope it's helpful.

-Doug

https://youtu.be/zy2AoydY3CY

Hey guys,

I just wrapped up a project that taught me a lot about the effects of sweep on flying wings. Turns out sweep can significantly increase drag and hurt endurance. Sweep isn't all bad, though. There are ways to make a flying wing stable if you do it right.

I put together this film to explain the physics of what's going on and how to get stability without sacrificing endurance.

Hope it's helpful.

https://youtu.be/VGQJtiGEU8U

MachUp 2

Hi guys - I just released MachUp 2. It's been a long time in the making, but I think it's turned out to be a very useful tool. Features include:

- Quick Geometry Input

- Control Surfaces

- Linear Aerodynamics

- Stability/Control/Damping Derivatives

- Pitch Trim

- Stall Onset

- Loading Distributions

You can see the full feature list at my site: www.blucraft.com. As you probably know, I see a lot of progress that can be made in the UAV design tools that are currently available by way of making them more user friendly and "streamlined" for the industry. If you have feedback or suggestions, I'd love to hear them.

Best,

-Doug