A group of 25 students from Instituto Superior de Engenharia do Porto (ISEP), accompanied by Professor Manuel Silva from ISEP’s Department of Electrical Engineering, took part in the International Project Week 2026 at Saxion University of Applied Sciences, in the city of Enschede, the Netherlands, at the end of January.

During the event, each group was assigned a different challenge proposed by companies, and the winning team included three students from the Bachelor’s Degree in Systems Engineering, who presented the project “SkyRaptor X”, a theoretical redesign of an ultralight aircraft (<380 kg). The project received the maximum score in the evaluation carried out by the company that proposed the challenge.

The solution concept was based on the PrandtlPlane wing configuration to maximize aerodynamics and safety. The main distinguishing feature of the proposed solution, compared to existing ones, is its modularity, using a latch-and-pin system similar to that used by NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration), which allows for simplified maintenance.

For propulsion, a two-phase strategy was defined: a current phase (2026), using a Rotax 912 gasoline engine to ensure low weight and adequate range; a future phase (2030), in which a transition to an Emrax 228 electric motor with solid-state batteries may be considered, provided that the technology at that time allows the aircraft to maintain a low weight. The structure is innovative, based on reusable carbon fibre, making the aircraft more environmentally friendly.