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Highlights
Feature 02 / 04
An onboard camera feeds a lightweight image-processing pipeline that identifies and tracks competition targets in real time, letting Turcofighter fly its engagement pattern with minimal ground-crew input.
Feature 04 / 04
A custom ground station tracks telemetry, battery state, and target-lock status live, giving the ground crew the situational awareness needed to make split-second calls during a competition run.
Design
Turcofighter's EPO foam flying-wing airframe came off the shelf — but everything that flies it is ours. Custom autopilot firmware, a from-scratch vision pipeline, and a purpose-built neutralization module turned a hobby-grade platform into a competition machine.
Software
Turcofighter runs a custom flight stack layered on top of an open autopilot core, with a dedicated companion-computer vision module handling target detection — every line of the mission logic is BFL'Y's own.
Flight Stack
Custom mission logic layered over the base autopilot firmware
Target Tracker
Onboard image processing for real-time target detection
Engagement Logic
Rule-compliant approach and neutralization sequencing
Telemetry
Live data link to the ground control station
# Turcofighter Target Tracker — BFL'Y SUAS import cv2 from flight import Autopilot class TargetTracker: def __init__(self, config): self.cam = cv2.VideoCapture(0) self.pilot = Autopilot(config) def track(self): ok, frame = self.cam.read() if not ok: return None target = self.detect(frame) if target: heading = self.bearing_to(target) self.pilot.steer(heading) return target
Details
Turcofighter's Talon-style EPO foam flying-wing spans 1718 mm and comes reinforced with carbon-fiber spars. Its swept, tailless shape gives it excellent glide efficiency and forgiving low-speed handling — ideal for a first competition airframe.
A rear-mounted 950KV brushless motor spinning a 10x6 propeller sits clear of the vision system's field of view, delivering enough thrust for a stable 65 km/h cruise while keeping the nose free for the camera payload.
An open-source flight controller runs BFL'Y-authored mission firmware, paired with a companion computer dedicated entirely to real-time image processing — the two communicate over a lightweight serial link tuned for low latency.
A forward-facing camera and onboard classifier identify competition targets against cluttered backgrounds, feeding bearing data straight into the flight stack so Turcofighter can adjust its approach without ground input.
A 4S 5000 mAh LiPo pack powers the motor, avionics, and vision computer independently through a dedicated BEC, giving Turcofighter roughly 25 minutes of mission time per flight.
Turcofighter was BFL'Y's first step into fixed-wing aviation and the team's competition debut. Rather than manufacturing an airframe from scratch, the team took a ready-made Talon EPO flying-wing kit and poured its effort into integration: a custom autopilot stack, an onboard vision system, and a target-neutralization module all built in-house.
Entered into TEKNOFEST Savaşan İHA, the competitive Combat UAV category, Turcofighter delivered the team's first real result against established university teams — reaching the semifinals as the only high-school team in the category that year. The experience of integrating complex systems onto an off-the-shelf platform directly shaped the decision to design our next aircraft, X, entirely from scratch.
In Detail
Scroll to move in on Turcofighter — from the full flying-wing silhouette down to the avionics bay.
Full airframe — flying-wing silhouette and overall proportions
Mid approach — wing structure and pusher motor mount visible
Close detail — avionics bay and forward-facing camera module
Season
Done
Airframe Procurement
Talon EPO flying-wing kit selected and acquired as the team's first competition platform.
Done
Avionics Integration
Autopilot, telemetry, and companion vision computer wired and configured inside the airframe.
Done
First Flight
Turcofighter's maiden flight, validating basic stability and manual control handling.
Done
TEKNOFEST Application
Official entry submitted to the TEKNOFEST Savaşan İHA (Combat UAV) competition.
Done
Elimination Round
Turcofighter cleared the qualification stage against established university teams.
Done
Semifinal Result
Reached the semifinals of TEKNOFEST Savaşan İHA — the only high-school team to do so that year.
Specifications
Airframe
Performance
Propulsion
Avionics & Comms
Gallery
Turcofighter took BFL'Y from the classroom to the competition floor, reaching the semifinals of TEKNOFEST Savaşan İHA. Every lesson from it shaped what came next.