Cost-Effective Quadplane:
A comprehensive testing platform
Mini Millie
The Mission.
Developed for the McGill Robotics drone team, this cost-effective and repairable Quadplane enables student teams and resource-limited labs to safely develop and test VTOL transition controllers, while avoiding the risk of damaging valuable aircraft during early-stage experiments.
<48hr
Build from Scratch
15
Mechanical fuses
8
Crashes - 0 damage
The Project at a Glance
Crash-Resilient
Sacrificial components absorb 125N+ impacts
8 uncontrolled crashes, 0 damaged electronics
Rapid-Repair
Tool-free 3D-printed snap fits for field maintenance
Magnet-secured wingbox detaches under overload (>100N)
Standardized repair benchmarks: 10–30 min per failure mode
Transititon-Test Focus
Inverted pusher motor minimizes airflow disruption
PX4 telemetry logs spike events for software tuning
Yaw stability data informs flight controller limits
Weight-Optimized Structures
NACA 7415 wings with dual-spar drill-tip
3D-printed PETG fuselage with internal lattice bracing
XPS foam core wings
Safety Integration
Wingtip-embedded anti-collision lights
Galvanic-isolated nylon inserts in booms
Triple-constraint vibration-resistant mounts
Academic Accessibility
$1100 total build cost
Open-source flight controller templates
Designed for 50+ crash/repair cycles
3rd Place at Engine Entrepreneurship Competition
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Test
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Validate
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Learn
Performance Metrics
Design Specifications
MTOW: 12kg
Cruise Speed: 25 m/s
Total Cost: $1,100 CAD
Autonomy: 15 mins
Airfoil: NACA 7415
Turnaround Times
From Scratch: 48 hours
Wing Fracture: 20 mins
Sacrificial Part Failure: 10-30 mins
Aerostructure replacement: 20 mins
Meet the Team
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Aloïs Luong
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Larissa Azzopardi
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Abdullah Taltello
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Ghali Qaidi
