A View of the Future: World's First Graphene UAV

The world’s first UAV incorporating graphene in its construction is flying here in the airshow. Developed via a collaborative effort between the University of Central Lancashire’s Engineering Innovation Centre and the University of Manchester’s National Graphene Institute, the UAV has a graphene-coated wing. The thinnest material on Earth, graphene is lightweight yet 200 times stronger than steel, and could find many aerospace applications. The test flight, performed in Preston, Lancashire, is the project’s first step in investigating the material’s potential for drag reduction, thermal management and lightning strike protection.