Engineers at Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University are working on the CML-Aeroplane project. The aircraft, made of carbon fiber, will be able to stay in the air for up to 7.5 hours due to an increased fuel supply. According to calculations, it will require less than 150 meters for takeoff. The main purpose of the aircraft is to be used as a basis for an unmanned aerial system designed for chemical treatment of agricultural fields.
The aircraft's wingspan will be 9.8 m, the estimated cruising speed is 140 km/h, and the maximum speed is 170 km/h. The fuselage tank holds 40 liters of fuel, and additional wing tanks increase the total supply to 90 liters. The estimated flight duration increases from 3.8 to 7.5 hours. The payload is stated to be 250 kg. All these figures are currently project-related: the manufacture of a prototype and flight tests are scheduled for 2027.
The developers are also considering the possibility of installing an electric power plant to reduce noise. However, the type, power, and characteristics of the engine are not disclosed in the SPbPU message. The aircraft's design allows for operation from unpaved and snowy surfaces, and with appropriate landing gear, from water surfaces.
Currently, engineers have completed digital tests of the main components and the aircraft model as a whole, and are preparing working design documentation. For the manufacture of large composite parts, the university has created a polymerization oven in which the resin is finally cured by heating. The design uses the CML-Bench digital platform, designed for the development and verification of digital twins.
The next milestone is the transition from calculations to actual flight. After testing the manned CML-Aeroplane, SPbPU specialists plan to develop an unmanned modification and undergo certification. It is the test results that will show how well the calculated indicators for flight duration, payload, and short takeoff correspond to the capabilities of the finished aircraft.