Airborne Inspection Payload Systems
Mechanical design for helicopter and light-aircraft inspection payloads
Role
CAD / Mechanical design / Manufacturing documentation
Main products
HELIUX MAX, HELIUX LITE, LITE stabilizer
Work included
Large CAD assemblies, CNC machined and sheet metal parts, FDM/SLS/SLA 3D printed parts, sensor fixtures, aircraft mount interfaces, electronics packaging, airflow and load simulations, prototypes, manuals, drawings, and design reviews.
Main contribution
Helped evolve inspection payload hardware from early prototypes into refined, manufacturable commercial systems for aircraft-based inspection and mapping.
Overview
At AISPECO, I worked on airborne inspection payload systems used for helicopter and light-aircraft data collection. These systems integrated cameras, LiDAR, IMU/navigation hardware, electronics, aircraft mounting interfaces, protective covers, and vibration-sensitive sensor assemblies into compact field-ready mechanical platforms.
My work covered HELIUX MAX, HELIUX LITE, and the LITE stabilizer system, with responsibilities growing from CAD modelling and manufacturing documentation into broader mechanical design, simulation, prototyping, design review, and product refinement.
Systems covered
01 - Heliux max
Helicopter-mounted multi-sensor inspection payload developed for larger aircraft-based inspection and mapping missions. The system focused on higher payload capacity, certified helicopter mount integration, configurable sensor layouts, wind protection, and robust mechanical packaging.
02 - Heliux Lite
Compact inspection payload developed for light aircraft and smaller helicopter platforms. The system focused on reduced size and weight, certified mounting adaptability across multiple aircraft types, compact sensor packaging, electronics integration, and manufacturable pod architecture.
03 - LITE Stabilizer
Stabilized sensor platform developed for the HELIUX LITE system. The subsystem was designed to improve sensor stability during aircraft motion through yaw/roll axis stabilization and later mechanical refinement.
01 - Heliux max
Helicopter-mounted inspection payload platform
MAX V1 — Early architecture
MAX V2 — Refined systemHELIUX MAX was the larger helicopter-mounted payload platform I worked on at AISPECO. It was designed around a rigid enclosure frame carrying cameras, LiDAR, IMU/navigation hardware, electronics, connectors, protective covers, and aircraft mounting interfaces.
My work on MAX started during the early V1 system, where I was mainly responsible for CAD assembly, detailed modelling, drawings, and manufacturing files under senior engineering direction. By MAX V2, my role had expanded into more direct mechanical design input, simulations, documentation, packaging, and product refinement.
The project is a useful example of my progression from CAD-focused work into broader mechanical design responsibility on a real commercial aircraft-mounted system.
MAX System overview
MAX V1 — Early architecture
MAX V2 — Refined systemThe main V1 → V2 development was not a single redesign, but a set of mechanical refinements across mounting, protection, enclosure layout, and sensor integration.
Key Engineering areas
Mounting architecture
MAX V1 used a welded sheet-metal mounting adapter designed for one specific Tyler mount configuration.
For MAX V2, the mounting system was redesigned into a modular CNC-machined adapter system. A main adapter plate connected to the payload through four dampers, while aircraft-specific hardware could be added depending on the mount system. The same plate also worked as a heat shield, integrating payload protection into the mounting structure.
This made the system more adaptable across different aircraft and mount configurations, while improving repeatability and product refinement.
Protection and airflow
MAX V1 used sheet-metal protective parts around the payload, including the windshield, heat shield, and sensor protection cover.
For MAX V2, the sensor cover was modified to support wider fields of view and larger sensor configurations, while keeping the same general protection concept. The windshield was redesigned as a carbon fiber part, with internal aluminum brackets for structural support. I designed the mold and supported the first prototype manufacturing process.
The heat shield function was also integrated into the redesigned aircraft mounting and damper hardware, reducing separate parts and improving system integration.
Payload enclosure and sensor packaging
Both MAX versions used CNC-machined payload enclosures, but V2 redesigned the layout around cleaner sensor and electronics integration. The updated enclosure added larger configurable sensor areas, redesigned connector panels, improved internal packaging, and integrated CPU/GPU cooling.
This made the payload easier to adapt for different sensor setups while improving serviceability, connector access, and overall system definition.
MAX - Results
HELIUX MAX shows my progression from CAD-focused implementation on an early payload system into broader mechanical design responsibility on a more refined commercial aircraft-mounted platform. Across V1 and V2, my work covered CAD assemblies, machined and sheet-metal parts, mounting architecture, sensor and connector packaging, airflow/protection development, simulations, manufacturing documentation, and product refinement.
02 - HELIUX LITE
Compact inspection payload for light aircraft and smaller helicopter platforms.
LITE V1 — Early compact pod
LITE V2 — refined multi-aircraft platform
HELIUX LITE was developed as a smaller airborne inspection payload with stricter size, weight, and aircraft-integration constraints than HELIUX MAX. The system had to package cameras, LiDAR, IMU/navigation hardware, electronics, connectors, mounting hardware, and protective covers into a compact external pod.
My work on LITE covered major CAD assembly development, detailed part modelling, manufacturing files, drawings, prototyping, and testing support. Early development was shared with a senior mechanical engineer, while later versions involved more direct design responsibility, design review, and manufacturing-focused decisions.
LITE System overview
LITE V1 — Early architecture
LITE V2 — Refined system
Key Engineering areas
Compact payload architecture
LITE V1 used a fabricated sheet-metal enclosure with an FDM-printed front cover and an internal main mounting plate. This proved the compact payload concept, but the architecture still had a development-prototype character with many separate panels and covers.
LITE V2 refined the pod into a more integrated structural system. Instead of using a dedicated internal mounting plate, aircraft loads were transferred through a top plate and side frame into a damper mounting ring around the sensor platform. This allowed the damper plane to sit closer to the sensor set’s center of gravity, improving vibration isolation efficiency.
The result was a more compact, manufacturable, and mechanically refined pod architecture.
Vibration-isolated sensor platform
LITE V1 used a simpler isolated plate: the aircraft mount connected to the main mounting plate, while the sensor platform was attached through dampers. This worked for the early system, but limited sensor capacity and was mainly suited for a smaller set of sensors with one LiDAR.
LITE V2 replaced the flat fixture approach with a structural sensor platform. Two side walls carried the sensor assembly, with sensors mounted through additional hardware and used as part of the structural layout. This supported larger sensor configurations while keeping the sensor set isolated from aircraft vibration.
Electronics and connector packaging
LITE V1 used a simple CNC-machined aluminum electronics box with connector cutouts and internal fixture geometry.
For LITE V2, the electronics enclosure became part of the main internal pod structure and was enclosed with SLS nylon covers. Because V2 supported more sensor configurations, it required tighter control of electronics, connectors, and cable routing.
FDM prototypes allowed quick testing of connector and electronics layouts in 3D space, helping to reduce assembly size and improve manufacturability before final nylon parts.
LITE - Results
HELIUX LITE shows compact payload development under tighter size, weight, vibration, and aircraft-integration constraints. My work covered CAD assembly, detailed part design, prototyping, sensor-platform architecture, electronics packaging, manufacturing documentation, and design refinement.
03 - LITE STABILIZER
Two-axis stabilized sensor platform
The LITE stabilizer was developed to improve sensor stability during flight. I contributed to the full stabilizer system design from early concept stages, with major CAD work across the assembly.
My main focus areas were the yaw-axis assembly, outer frame, electronics enclosure, movement clearances, center-of-gravity optimization, weight reduction, and manufacturing refinement.
STABILIZER overview
Stabilizer system design
The stabilizer used two servo-driven axes to compensate for aircraft motion in yaw and roll. The mechanical package had to fit inside the existing LITE pod, support the sensor payload, keep motion clearances safe, and lower the center of gravity without losing stiffness or manufacturability.
My contribution covered the overall stabilizer assembly, with deeper ownership of the yaw-axis mechanism, outer frame, electronics enclosure, and mass-reduction work.
Stabilizer prototype on test-rig
Stabilizer final version in LITE pod
Stabilizer - Results
The LITE stabilizer shows my work on a more mechanism-focused subsystem, combining yaw/roll motion control, sensor support, structural packaging, center-of-gravity optimization, mass reduction, electronics enclosure design, and manufacturing refinement.
Final takeaway
This project demonstrates my experience developing aircraft-mounted mechanical systems from early functional prototypes into refined commercial hardware. Across HELIUX MAX, HELIUX LITE, and the LITE stabilizer, my work covered large CAD assemblies, CNC-machined parts, sheet metal, SLS/FDM printed parts, vibration-sensitive sensor platforms, electronics packaging, manufacturing files, simulations, prototypes, and design refinement.