Precision steel construction for drone wind tunnel: Wentz realizes Flybots test rig
When the drones of the future take flight, the engineering know-how and steel construction from Goslar are what make it possible. For the “Flybots” drone test center at TU Braunschweig, Stahl-Projektbau Wentz has achieved a pioneering feat: the construction of a combined aerodynamic and electromagnetic test rig that takes the development of safe drones to a new level.
An unparalleled infrastructure
The “Flybots” project marks a milestone in German aviation research. Created through close cooperation between TU Braunschweig and the German Aerospace Center (DLR), a laboratory has been established at the Institute of Jet Propulsion and Turbomachinery (IFAS) that is unrivaled in Germany. The focus is on the investigation of drone powertrains up to complete systems in full-scale design.
Wentz was responsible for the erection of the complex steelwork of the wind tunnel and the supporting structures. The challenge: to create an infrastructure that not only allows for aerodynamic tests at high wind speeds but simultaneously provides an environment for precise EMC (Electromagnetic Compatibility) analysis. The goal was to significantly increase the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of future UAV and UAS systems.
Precision in the airflow: The steel construction of the wind tunnel
The heart of the facility is the aerodynamic test section with a volume of approximately 8 m³. Here, flow velocities of up to 35 m/s (approx. 126 km/h) must be mastered with absolute control. Wentz manufactured the massive steel structures that shape the wind tunnel, providing the necessary stability for full-load tests of motors and power electronics, as well as the vital shielding for an interference-free testing environment.
Special attention was required for the integration of the electromagnetically transparent test section. Since the measurement technology and interference generators are placed outside the direct airflow but within an EMC cage, the steelwork from Wentz had to be precisely coordinated with these sensitive components. The entire construction serves as the backbone for testing propulsion units with propeller diameters up to 0.7 m.
Where steel meets electromagnetism
An absolute unique selling point of Flybots is the combination of aerodynamics and electromagnetic compatibility (EMC). The structure erected by Wentz encloses an EMC cabin with a massive volume of approximately 100 m³. This cabin is designed as a Mode-Stirred Chamber (MSC), which guarantees the electromagnetic decoupling of the entire test track from the environment.
Within this pressure-tight and shielded chamber, a so-called “mode stirrer”—a rotating metallic structure—ensures the generation of a statistically homogeneous test field. The execution of the shielding and the precision with which Wentz implemented the geometry of the chamber (with dimensions of 4 m in height and up to 7 m in length) is crucial for making resonance peaks and field strength maxima controllable at every point within the measurement field.
A statement for Germany as a technology hub
For Stahl-Projektbau Wentz, this project was much more than an ordinary contract; it was an opportunity to actively help shape the digital transformation in aviation. The ability to test flight control, navigation, and flight guidance systems under controlled laboratory conditions before they go into the field is of invaluable importance to the industry.
“Realizing the Flybots test rig was a highly exciting task for our team,” explains Felix Wentz, Managing Director of Stahl-Projektbau Wentz. “This wasn’t just about tons of steel, but about precision work in a high-tech environment. The fact that we could use our steel construction expertise to lay the foundation for a research infrastructure that is unique in Germany makes us proud. We are demonstrating that medium-sized companies are also a driving force for innovation in aviation logistics.”
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Are you also planning a research project or do you require a tailor-made steel construction solution for highly specialized industrial plants? Rely on the experience and precision of Stahl-Projektbau Wentz.
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Note: For confidentiality reasons, the images in this article are stock images for symbolic representations.