The light delta-wing aircraft developed by Huber Hu
Huber Hu, a fourth-year student in the Department of Electromechanical Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology (FST), University of Macau (UM), along with several other students, successfully built his first light delta-wing aircraft and completed a test flight himself. As China is gradually opening up its lower altitude airspace for civilian use, Hu believes light delta-wing aircrafts have huge potential on the mainland market and he hopes to develop aircrafts that are safer, more reliable, and more affordable than models that are currently available on the market. Hu adds that this aircraft can be remodeled into an unmanned aircraft for short-distance drone deliveries.
Previously, Hu received multiple national and international awards for the radio-controlled all-wing aircraft and the pulsejet engine developed by him. In 2013, he received an Outstanding Design Award at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s international conference for inventors. A current student at UM, he has already founded his own company and has developed various innovative products, including the most recent light delta-wing aircraft, which is very safe and can travel at a maximum speed of 140 kilometres per hour. In case of any mechanical malfunction, the aircraft can turn into a non-motorised glider, preventing a fall from the sky.
The FST encourages students to explore their interests and to convert research results into commercial products, with the aim of enhancing the quality of research in Macao. Hu says that the courses offered by the Department of Electromechanical Engineering in computer-aided design, materials science, engineering mechanics, and advanced manufacturing provided him with a solid theoretical foundation for his inventions. ‘I applied my knowledge of fluid mechanics and material sciences when designing the aircraft,’ says Hu. ‘With an interdisciplinary mindset, I am able to consider all the possibilities in my design, thanks to my training in the FST.’
