When Wingtra set out to design the next generation of its industry-leading mapping drone, the team aimed for unprecedented aerodynamic performance from day one.

Indeed, the hover mode of a tailsitter fixed-wing demands unique aerodynamic strategies, far beyond those of conventional configurations. On top of that, an ever-increasing industry demand for geospatial accuracy across every flight requires exceptionally stable cruise performanceeven in crosswinds or turbulent conditions.

Yet with these aerodynamic demands came further constraints tied to ease-of-use and versatility: compact transport size, long-endurance targets, payload integration, and a shifting center of gravity. Together, these turned the airframe into a complex, multi-variable design problemone that classical methods struggled to solve efficiently.

To keep the process data driven from day one, we teamed up with AirShaper and its rapid turnaround computational fluid dynamics (CFD) platform to guide our design decisions with aerodynamic insight in near real time.

This collaboration enabled a radically faster and more iterative aerodynamic design processallowing our engineers to explore, test, and refine over 180 airframe variants. The result: A reliable, high-performance UAV that pushes the boundaries of efficiency and stability in the most demanding flight conditions.

A design first approach to efficiency

Beyond the typical considerations of drag and stability in flight, the demands on this airframe change radically with each mission. Payload behavior, sensor accuracy and operational adaptability across a range of environmental conditions put aerodynamics as the central focus. Everything this drone provides springs from this foundation.

So from the outset, we treated aerodynamics optimization as a strategic enabler, not an isolated optimization step. Accordingly, we involved AirShaper from the earliest stagesideation, sizing, and even product definition. By integrating their toolchain early, we could run concept trade-offs (A vs. B configurations) with near realtime feedback.

"Running a sim with over a million cells and getting results back in under 10 minutesthat's what modern UAV development demands."

Constantin Jung, Lead Aircraft Development, Wingtra

180 iterations in record time

Over 180 design iterations were evaluated in just six months using AirShaper's automated CFD platform. The process was lean: upload STEP or STL, define flow parameters, and analyze key aerodynamic metrics minutes later. This speed meant we could test everything from full wing geometries to small tweaks to stabilizers and transition zones.

Some of the major challenges we tackled:

• Packed dimensions vs. high aspect ratio: 60+ minutes of flight time with less than 30s setup time for the hardware on the field
• Winglet-to-wing transitions, where small geometry details had large drag and manufacturing implications
• Downwash effects impacting hover behavior and net lift-to-drag performance

Each iteration brought gains and know-how, by starting with CFD from day one, we avoided the "before vs. after" trap, which overshadows key details of the iterative process and delays time to concept maturation. Instead, we had a continuously evolving aerodynamic baseline offering high transparency and any range of change combinations.

"The fast turnaround let us try ideas we normally wouldn't have time for. We could test, learn, and adapt, all within a day. It completely changed how we approached aerodynamic design."

Adam Olsson, Mechanical & Aerodynamics Engineer at Wingtra

Results: Efficiency across the board

The final airframe doesn't just outperformit outlasts. Thanks to the aerodynamic improvements guided by CFD, we:

• Increased the L/D ratio by 12% compared to the previous generation, and increased the field efficiency by 20%
• Payload capacity improved, +56% in weight and 59% in volume
• Widened the performance envelope with low drag across a wide speed range, supporting the "adaptive flight speed" feature

"The Wingtra team went all out on AirShaper - the pace at which they were running simulations from day one, using the results to improve their designs and validating the changes with new simulations is unprecedented"

Wouter Remmerie, CEO at AirShaper

Visualizing the process

The development process began with identifying possible areas of improvement from the WingtraOne GEN II, benchmarking different concepts during early development stages to guide direction.

Throughout the project, we evaluated different flow patterns and propeller-wing interaction, performed surface pressure analysis during transition phases (when the drone changes from cruise flight to hover for landing), and continuously refined the design based on CFD insights.

Partnership driven innovation

This wasn't just about building a new drone; it was about rethinking how we develop one. By adopting a simulation first approach and working with the right tools and partner, we accelerated our entire aerodynamic design process.

AirShaper removed traditional CFD bottlenecks, reducing iteration times from days to hours. This allowed us to achieve a level of airframe aerodynamic maturity that is typically only realized after significantly longer development cycles.

The result? A UAV that flies farther, smarter, and more efficiently, and an aerial data capture solution that's built on aerodynamic insights from day one.