Custom made MUAV landing gear

Team RIC has successfully designed and manufactured a custom 3D-printed landing gear system for MUAV-class drones. The landing gear was developed using Onshape CAD, with structural validation performed through finite element analysis (FEA) in ANSYS Student Edition.

The design was simulated to withstand a static load of 12.5 N per landing leg, representing landing and ground-handling stresses. The FEA results confirmed that the geometry and material distribution remained within acceptable stress limits under the applied load case, with no critical failure points observed.

Following simulation validation, a single prototype leg was fabricated to verify dimensional accuracy and physical fitment on the MUAV airframe. The prototype demonstrated correct tolerances and mounting alignment, eliminating the need for post-design revisions. Full-set production was subsequently carried out using a Bambu Lab A1 fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D printer.

A key design feature is the color-coded landing legs, implemented to provide an immediate ground-based orientation reference for the remote pilot. This visual cue enables rapid determination of aircraft heading during line-of-sight operations. Additionally, the system provides a passive physical redundancy in scenarios where the onboard FPV camera system (planned for future integration) becomes unavailable. Commercially available landing gear solutions were evaluated and found to be structurally suboptimal for MUAV operations. Their narrow cross-sections limit impact tolerance during non-ideal landings, while their elevated geometry increases the drone’s center of mass, reducing roll stability during aggressive takeoff and landing profiles. To mitigate these limitations, the custom design incorporates a wider stance and increased footprint area, improving load distribution and ground stability. The reduced leg height lowers the effective center of mass while still maintaining adequate underside clearance for onboard components and airflow requirements.

The completed landing gear system has undergone field testing under operational conditions, where it demonstrated sufficient structural integrity, impact resistance, and stability, validating the design approach.

Design and analysis work done by Prabal.P.S.Rawat, RAC president.
In video, skillfull remote drone operator is Sangam Kumar.
Happy flying! - Team RIC