For this project, we built and modified a stock Bearospace Industries Gemini V2 with a list of additional capabilities.
After working on this project, I revisited some of the vertical-takeoff-or-landing concepts (using the same pixhawk and power system) on a smaller aircraft. You can find this under the "Next-Gen UAV" Project. We received an award for producing the best Electrical Engineering Senior Design project at Miami University.

Project accomplishments:
• Built and tested the stock aircraft
• Demonstrated horizontal flight with the VTOL power system
• Hovered the aircraft (with the VTOL motors)
• Created a new Pixhawk aircraft controls profile for this configuration
• Produced a working solar power system with significant output
• Demonstrated the Pixhawk could perform fixed-wing waypoint autonomous flight
• Added capability to drop glow sticks from the aircraft
• Received award for Best University Electrical Engineering Senior Design Project

I was effectively the mechanical integration lead and flight test pilot. I was in charge of doing system-level performance analysis, designing the aircraft power system, making sure the aircraft flew safely, test-flying the aircraft, and designing and implementing the VTOL hardware.

The third picture shows an updated (and improved) VTOL motor mounting system incorporating lessons learned from the initial flight tests.