How to find the best configuration for swarm drone flights? Swarm flights represent a promising solution for maximizing the energy efficiency of drones while accomplishing complex missions. The optimal configuration of drones in a swarm varies depending on the type of drone used: rotary wing type multi-rotor or fixed wing type including straight wings, delta wings or flying wing. Here let’s take a look at some aerodynamic formation flight configurations that can lead to reduced energy consumption and range increasing.
Find the best configuration of swarm flights for multi-rotor drones
Multi-rotor drones, such as quadcopters, are often used for missions requiring high stability and positioning accuracy, such as inspection or surveillance. Finding the best configuration for multi-rotor or rotary wing drone flights can be a real challenge. In a swarm in flight, during transit phases where the speed of displacement becomes high, these drones can form adapted configurations aimed at reducing the use of their battery:
V or Diamond formation
Inspired by the flights of migratory birds, this configuration uses the updrafts formed at the lateral ends of the leading drones. They thus provide a gain in lift to the followers who in fact find themselves requiring less of their power for lift. Concretely, each drone adapts its incidence to also optimize its inherent drag.
In line or echelon formation
However, the compactness of multi-rotor drones does not favor a strong upward deviation in the lateral layer of the wake as mentioned for V or diamond formations, it may therefore be interesting to exploit another type of formation by aligning the drones according to the axis of the wake of the previous one. Again the need for adapting most effectively to the deviated flow will change the incidences and relative altitudes and could lead to an echelon formation.
Difficult to experiment in a wind tunnel, the framework of CFD simulations shows itself particularly well to optimizing swarms of drones. It is thus possible to predict the impact of the flows generated by the rotors and to optimize the spacing between the drones as well as their individual positioning.

Find the best configuration of swarm flights for fixed-wing drones such as straight or delta wings
Fixed-wing drones such as straight wings, delta wings, flying wing, such as the WingtraOne GEN II, the Parrot DISCO FPV, or even the Delair UX11, offer increased aerodynamic performance in terms of speed and maneuverability and can be used for long distance missions with high energy efficiency. In a swarm, their configuration could be optimized to maximize aerodynamic gains:
V or Diamond formation
With the increase in speeds specific to fixed wings compared to rotary wings, and especially the generation of a more established lateral wake, the V configuration can become very effective in reducing the consumption of these drones. It exploits the ascending flows generated by the wings of the leading drone. Followers benefit from a gain in lift, reducing their power requirement.
In line or echelon formation
Likely to be compatible with in line flight formation, fixed-wing drones will however have to adapt to flow disturbances from the previous drone propeller. It is likely that echelon flight formation is a better solution to overcome this problem. However in this case, the probability of benefiting from a supporting ascending current must be evaluated in comparison with the case of the V formation. For these drones, the speed of displacement, the need for responsiveness and maneuverability are also constraints for implementing in line configurations.

How to find the best Swarm Flight setup
The best configuration of swarm flights to reduce consumption depends closely on the type of drone and its mission. Multi-rotors and helicopters require formation adapted to the management of rotating flows, while fixed-wing drones take advantage of configuration inspired by nature to improve their autonomy.
Modern tools, such as CFD simulation, for which concepts such as MRF (Moving Reference Frame) simulation or BEM (Blade Element Momentum) modeling are used, allow designers and technical directors to optimize drone designs and get more efficient swarm configurations, thus increasing energy efficiency in transit phases while remaining perfectly adapted to their specific missions.