Running multiple projects simultaneously brings its own share of stress, tension, and setbacks — and the development of LAG-4 was no exception. This year, our design incorporated a vacuum infusion technique for the airframe along with newly engineered mounts for the tail and wing units. The carbon-fiber vacuum infusion process alone took nearly a month to complete, and along the way we encountered numerous first-time challenges that have since become valuable experience.
As our second major project of the year, and given the number of new techniques introduced in both design and construction, our early test flights were far from promising. With the deadline for our flight video quickly approaching, we shifted our focus toward identifying simpler, more manageable solutions within the design.
In the end, after considerable effort, LAG-4 completed a 12-minute flight, including both manual and autonomous testing, and landed safely. While the process was demanding and, at times, nerve-wracking, it taught us invaluable lessons in new concepts and design approaches — making every moment of struggle worth it in the end.