A UAV flight computer running a sensor fusion engine was developed from initial design to 100+ certification-ready units in 10 months, with a 37% smaller footprint and 31% lower weight.
Quick Facts
• Platform: UAV flight computer / sensor fusion engine
• Timeline: 10 months, concept to 100+ units
• Outcome: 37% smaller, 31% lighter, certification-ready
The Challenge: Certifying Flight-Critical Hardware on a Compressed Timeline
Advanced air mobility and uncrewed platforms are pushing flight computers to do more in less space. The core difficulty is getting flight-critical hardware ready for test and certification on an aggressive schedule—here, just 10 months from initial design to 100+ working units. The design demanded tight optimization of size, weight, and power (SWaP) plus thermal performance, all while staying fully producible for flight test, certification, and production validation.
How the Timeline Was Compressed: Parallel Product Realization
Shrinking a flight computer without sacrificing reliability means optimizing SWaP and thermal performance early, while developing the manufacturing process and test strategy in parallel rather than in sequence. This is the product realization approach Benchmark applied on this program. An agile team of aerospace design and engineering specialists worked directly alongside the customer's engineers. They built prototypes in the same facility as the design team, which compressed the iteration loop that typically stalls complex aerospace development.
The Results: 37% Smaller, 31% Lighter, Delivered On Time
• Size reduced 37%; weight reduced 31%
• Certification-ready hardware with a validated path into production
• Delivered within the 10-month target from a single design-through-manufacturing partner
Optimizing thermal and electrical performance made room for expanded capabilities in a demanding environment and a smaller footprint. Benchmark delivered on the timeline with the engineering depth to develop new platforms and the manufacturing maturity to scale them.
FAQ
How do you reduce the size and weight of a UAV flight computer?
Optimize size, weight, and power (SWaP) alongside thermal performance early in design, and develop the manufacturing process in parallel. Benchmark applied this approach in a UAV flight computer program, cutting size by 37% and weight by 31%.
How fast can a flight computer go from design to production?
With concurrent design, test, and manufacturing development, a flight-critical computer can move from concept to 100+ certification-ready units in about 10 months.
