Skybridge Ihelikoptha Engenamqhubi by Chen Xu

Skybridge Ihelikoptha Engenamqhubi by Chen Xu is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2025 Ibhaso Lesilivere le-A' Design Award in Uyilo lweKamva Competition Category.

IsilivereYekamva· 2025

Skybridge Ihelikoptha Engenamqhubi

by Chen Xu

Client: Beihang University

Ibhaso Lesilivere le-A' Design Award Winner in Yekamva Category

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The Design

About Skybridge Ihelikoptha Engenamqhubi

ISkybridge yihelikoptha engenamqhubi eyilelwe ukuhambisa impahla ukusuka ezinqanaweni ukuya kwiziqithi ezingenamazibuko. Isakhelo senqwelomoya silandela iimilo ezityibilizayo zezidalwa zaselwandle ukunciphisa ukutsalwa ngumoya kunye nokusetyenziswa kwamandla. Iipaneli zomzimba wenqwelomoya zenziwe zaba yinto enye ngokusebenzisa izinto ezidityanisiweyo (composite materials), kwaye isakhiwo sangaphakathi sisebenzisa i-carbon fiber ukunciphisa ubunzima ngeepesenti ezingama-32. Inkqubo yokuxhoma enamahuku amaninzi kunye neewintshi ezingezantsi zivumela umthwalo ongama-260 eekhilogram kwiindawo eziphakamileyo ezifikelela kwiimitha ezingama-6,000 nakwimimoya eyi-12 yeemitha ngomzuzwana. Abasebenzisi abakwinqanawa yenkxaso balawula ihelikoptha bekude, bekhokelwa ziikhamera kunye neesensa ezikuyo.

The Recognition

About the Ibhaso Lesilivere le-A' Design Award

Skybridge Ihelikoptha Engenamqhubi ngumphumeleli weIbhaso Lesilivere le-A' Design Award, ukuqatshelwa okuhlonitshwayo ngokungaqhelekanga okunikwa imiyilo yomgangatho ophezulu, entle nechukumisayo. Abaphumeleleyo beSilivere ziimveliso ezikhazimlayo kakhulu nezidala kakhulu ezibonisa ubungcali obuphawulekayo, italente nobukrelekrele babayili bazo. Skybridge Ihelikoptha Engenamqhubi iyathenjwa ukuba ibe ngumsebenzi omhle womzekelo, onobungcali obuphawulekayo nezinto ezintsha ezinzulu. Lo myilo uphumeleleyo weIbhaso Lesilivere le-A' Design Award yimveliso ebonakalayo kakhulu, ethandwayo enceda kwaye inyusa imida yobugcisa, inzululwazi, uyilo kunye nobuchwephesha. Skybridge Ihelikoptha Engenamqhubi yimveliso enomona omkhulu kuyo evusa iinqwenelo, izisa iimvakalelo ezintle kwaye ivuselela ukumangaliswa nokumangala.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: Designed for cargo delivery to portless islands, this helicopter overcomes geographical barriers. Its biomechanically optimized airframe, multi-hook suspension, and intelligent undercarriage winches achieve a 260kg payload capacity—operating reliably at 6,000m altitude and 12m/s winds, redefining aerial logistics for extreme environments.
Dimensions & Packaging: with rotor: 3786X3600X1330mm
without rotor:2660X1054X950mm
Tags: Civil Drone, Product Design, Remotely Piloted Aircraft, Unmanned Helicopter, Maritime Transport
Production Technology: The manufacturing process integrates the modular assembly concept of the naval industry, and adopts composite materials to realize one-piece molding of the fuselage covering parts. The internal structure uses carbon fiber materials to achieve a 32% breakthrough in lightweight, which significantly improves the carrying efficiency. The streamlined aerodynamic design is modeled after marine life, which ensures the structural strength and effectively reduces the operational energy consumption.
Design Challenge: Balancing the societal need for efficient island resupply with minimizing environmental impact and complying with UAV regulations proved challenging. Developing a safe, reliable unmanned system with the required payload and capture capabilities required extensive research and design iterations.
Research: This design analyzes the efficient movement mechanism of marine organisms through bionic methods, focusing on the hydrodynamic curves and their energy transfer modes when fish swim. Combined with computational fluid dynamics simulation and 3D scanning modeling technology, the bio-evolutionary advantages of marine organisms, such as drag-reducing characteristics, are transformed into UAV engineering parameters.
Inspiration: This unmanned helicopter is designed for cargo transport from ships to portless islands. Maritime operational demands inspired its biomimetic approach, translating marine organisms' hydrodynamic efficiency into aerospace engineering. The streamlined fuselage curvature and rotor system synergy originate from analyzing oceanic lifeforms' drag-resistant structures.
Project Duration: The project started in January 2024 in Beijing and finished in February 2025 in Beijing.
Operation Flow: Operators on a support vessel remotely control the helicopter, using onboard cameras and sensors for real-time visual feedback. The operators identify and control helicopter to capture the cargo, providing a secure and damage-free delivery method compared to direct airdrops.
Team Members: Chen Xu
Wu Fangbo
Dr. Wang Lijing
Dr. Zhang Rong
Cai Tianyang
Zhang jun
Image Credits: Image #1: Creator sxdesign, 2025. Optional Image #1: Creator sxdesign, 2025. Optional Image #2: Creator sxdesign, 2025. Optional Image #3: Creator sxdesign, 2025. Optional Image #4: Creator sxdesign, 2025.